BATON ROUGE - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated about 40,000 pounds of shelf-stable food to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank on Thursday to help families facing food insecurity.

The donation is part of a nationwide initiative organized through America250, a nonpartisan congressional commission commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The effort aims to send 250 truckloads of food to 250 food banks across all 50 states.

Organizers say the initiative highlights a shared effort to care for communities while marking the historic milestone.

The food was delivered this morning to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. Leaders from the church and the food bank say the donation reflects a commitment to neighbors helping neighbors.