The Bossier Sheriff’s Department delivered approximately 550 Christmas food boxes to needy people in Bossier Parish Wednesday morning.

It was the final push of “Operation Blessing:  Bossier Parish” for 2009 and marks the 18th year the Bossier Sheriff’s Department has delivered food boxes.

“As you go out today and you make this contact, you’re going to be changing the lives of 550 people who wouldn’t have a Christmas meal. Go out with a smile on your face and love in your heart and ask them is there anything else they need because we’re here for the wonderful people of Bossier,” said Sheriff Larry Deen.

It is estimated each box contains enough food to feed a family of six, meaning the agency distributed about 3,300 meals. Deputies and Posse members loaded the boxes at the Bossier Sheriff’s Substation in Bossier City.  

From the substation, they fanned out across the parish to deliver the boxes, which included a supply of staple goods, along with a card which can be redeemed for a fresh hen at Brookshire’s Food Stores.

“If you drive up an down our roads, you’ll see a lot of big homes but if you keep driving, you’ll see a lot of valleys. Those are the little homes with low-end income — widows who lost husbands or little families that can’t seem to make it,” said Deen.

“It’s not about the mountain top, it’s about the valleys. It’s about reaching out and helping someone at the point of their need,” he added.

The food in the boxes came from a variety of sources, with the bulk of it coming from schools in the Bossier Parish system.  Brookshire’s Food Stores in Bossier Parish provided the boxes, some of the staple goods and the hens. 

L.J. Earnest of Benton made an 18-wheeler trailer available for use as a storage facility.

The process of collecting the food began just before Thanksgiving when barrels were placed in the schools.  Later, the barrels, which were full of canned goods, thanks to the students, were reclaimed by the Bossier Sheriff’s Department.  The barrels were then transported to the 18-wheeler trailer where they were stores, and later, the staple goods were sorted, separated and boxed.

Deen credited Bossier schools for students that brought goods from the pantries at home.

“(For) each school, each principal, each faculty and each student, today is a pouring out of their love. They couldn’t go out with us today and pour this blessing out, but they gathered (the food) so you could,” said Deen.

Operation Blessing was not designed to help the needy only during the holidays. The program has functioned year-round since coming into being in November of 1998.

Its food bank is run by the Bossier Sheriff’s Posse and Auxiliary volunteers. The program’s hours of operation for qualifying and food distribution are 9:00 a.m. until noon every Wednesday. Applications must be made in person and applicants need to bring their social security card, their current utility bills, proof of income and/or food stamp verification.

Operation Blessing is a non-profit corporation which operates without tax dollars and is underwritten by individuals and area businesses. Non-perishable food donations from the public are welcome.

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