Community Food Bank gets emergency relief

Diana Sahagun

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2001 | 8:27 a.m.

The city of Las Vegas is hoping that federal funding will help local charities fill food pantries left almost empty after the Sept 11 attacks and the layoffs that followed.

The city this week announced that it would make a $13,000 allocation -- from federal funds left over from last year -- to the Community Food Bank.

The food bank this week plans to distribute more than 74,000 pounds of food to nonprofit agencies, which will then donate it to those in need.

Bessie Braggs, executive director of the Community Food Bank, feared several local charities would have shut down if not for the donation.

The Community Food Bank works with 105 local agencies, of which 45 to 50 offer food box programs, she said. Between 10 and 12 agencies are actively participating each week and will likely take part in the allocation, including Christ Episcopal Church, Word of Life Christian Center, Nellis Baptist Church and Calvary Southern Baptist Church.

Community Food Bank serves about 40,000 people a month, with a yearly distribution of more than 2 million pounds of food.

Braggs said the donation will help families who are struggling to pay rent and other bills.

"When you're low on money, sometimes you don't think about food," she said. "You think about paying the rent and the utilities, but if you don't have any money you probably don't have any food."

Sharon Segerblom, the city's director of Neighborhood Services, said the money was left over from an annual federal allotment, which was not used last year. She said the city chose to give the money to the Community Food Bank because it supports several local organizations.