Joe Burrow’s Heisman Trophy acceptance speech put a major spotlight on the issue of hunger in Southeast Ohio and now the impact is also being felt in Baton Rouge. President and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank Mike Manning says Burrow bringing awareness to the issue and making it relatable is making a difference.
“Joe spoke from his heart and his personal experience and he attended school with people who were in a situation of being hungry, a lot of his classmates and a lot of teammates so for him to bring a perspective and raise it to such a national stage just was so profound,” said Manning.
Since Burrow’s acceptance speech, Manning says they’ve seen a $50 thousand increase in donations, and they continue to come in.
“It is a positive impact, anytime these kind of dollars come in, it’s a tremendous help,” said Manning.
The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank is a $14 million operation and Manning says they offer assistance to those in need in 11 parishes and have done so for more than 30 years.