Sunday Services, Monday Red Beans
Every year, we donate millions of pounds of food to local food banks, food pantries, and community fridges. “I appreciate and love the way our stores and the neighborhoods they serve work together to support one another, and make sure that everyone has enough food to eat,” says Marcy Nathan, Rouses Markets Creative Director.
Rouses Markets has always supported local nonprofit organizations, schools and churches working to make their neighborhoods better places to live and work. Recently we completed a new community initiative, Red Beans & Rouses, in partnership with churches all over New Orleans.
We provided and delivered the ingredients for Monday red beans, which the churches distributed to their congregations after Sunday services.
“Sunday services and Monday red beans are both about community, and tradition,” says Nathan. Red beans are an essential part of New Orleans culture that goes back to the days before washing machines were invented.
On Monday, laundry day, cooks would let the evening’s pot of red beans simmer on the back burner while they washed.
McNally Sislo, Rouses Markets Creative Manager, helped coordinate and make the first round of deliveries to nearly a dozen churches. “It felt so good carrying those boxes of food into those churches, and knowing we were helping our neighbors. And what New Orleanian doesn’t love red beans and rice?
The Red Beans & Rouses community bags include Rouses dried red kidney beans, Rouses long grain rice, smoked sausage, yellow onions, seasoning mix, and cornbread mix.
“We feel blessed, thankful, and excited to receive these Rouses donation bags for our church’s whole congregation,” says Reverend Dr. Stephanie Taylor, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bethel AME has served the historic 9th Ward for over 100 years.
