History

Our story begins in 1976, when Julia Morris paired up with the Monroe Kiwanis Club to help with their Christmas Food Basket Drive. She knew there was a need all year round and began giving food out of her own cupboards. She rallied for help and donations until the Food Bank was officially set up inside a church annex. The Food Bank had many temporary homes until a permanent building was erected at 233 Sky River Parkway in 1987, where it has continued to operate to this day.

Julia Morris was a local hero who worked diligently to reduce hunger in her community until the age of 81. She is memorialized by the City of Monroe’s official declaration naming the Food Bank building the “Julia V. Morris Building,” and the community garden next door the “Julia V. Morris Centennial Garden.”

When Julia passed away in 1999, her daughter Julie A. Morris stepped in as Executive Director and served until her retirement in 2010. Neil Watkins ran the Food Bank from 2010 to 2017, followed by Cindy Chessie from 2017 to 2022. Our current Director, Matthew Campbell, took over the role in April, 2022. Matthew, a Monroe resident with a strong background in the food bank industry, is proud to be serving in his own community.

The day-to-day operations of the Food Bank are led by the Executive Director and overseen by our Board of Directors, made up of 9-11 dedicated and devoted business people. But the lion’s share of the work is all handled by our team of more than 100 volunteers, who donate over 15,000 hours per year to ensure that EVERY family in Monroe has food on their table.