Louisiana water levels remain high as weakened Barry moves north
The remnants of what was once Hurricane Barry are still being felt in the Gulf Coast; Jeff Paul reports from Baton Rouge.
Massive helpings of chicken, potatoes au gratin, macaroni and cheese and flourless chocolate cake didn’t go to waste when Delta Sigma Theta sorority’s national convention in New Orleans was unfortunately cut short due to Hurricane Barry. The Greek-lettered organization for collegiate women donated 17,000 meals to those affected by the storm.
Before Hurricane Barry made landfall in the Big Easy on Saturday, officials for the sorority made the difficult decision to end their biennial meeting, which roughly 16,000 people were expected to attend through the weekend, due to the storm, the Washington Post reports.
Latiya White (L), Gina Murray (C) and Gina Holmes, all member of the the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority from Atlantic City, New Jersey, pose for a picture in the French Quarter which is nearly-empty as the city braces for Barry on July 13, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Thanks to the generosity of Delta Sigma Theta, however, one silver lining soon emerged. Reps for the sisterhood instructed the event caterer, Centerplate, to donate 17,000 uneaten meals to those affected by the hurricane through the Second Harvest Food Bank.
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“With 16,000 attendees and two food functions canceled, there were inordinate amounts of food that would have been wasted,” Beverly E. Smith, national president of the sorority, said on Facebook. “Kudos to Centerplate!"
“To have all these meals ahead of time is really a godsend,” Amy Sins, a New Orleans chef who helped coordinate the recovery effort, told the Post.
“We’re not just trying to feed their tummies,” she continued. “We’re also kind of trying to feed their soul.”
The gesture hit especially close to home for Sins, who lost her own house to Hurricane Katrina.
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"It's really heartwarming for these ladies ... when their major conference gets canceled, the first thing they thought of was to help other people," Jay Vise, a spokesman for Second Harvest Food Bank spokesman, told BET.
Founded in 1913 at Howard University, the Delta Sigma Theta aims to “promote academic excellence and provide assistance to those in need,” according to their mission statement, with an emphasis on the African-American community.
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