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NATCHEZ — The Natchez Stewpot needs meat donations, which its former director said are directly related to cuts the federal government has made to the Mississippi Food Network.

As his last official act as The Stewpot director, Marcus Archer took to Facebook on Tuesday, pleading for meat donations to feed the more than 300 meals The Stewpot serves daily.

“Most of our freezers at the moment look like this,” Archer said as he raised the lid on three or four freezers in The Stewpot’s storage area. “That’s not counting the other two large ones in the front.”

Shortly after the federal cuts were announced, Archer discounted any effect they could have on The Stewpot. However, Archer said he received an email on Thursday from the Mississippi Food Network, the agency contracted to distribute food to the state’s food pantries, notifying him of the food shortage.

He said the email suggested The Stewpot and others it supplies to seek alternative ways to feed the needy.

“It told us they (Mississippi Food Network) are looking for alternate suppliers and urged us to do the same. No one knows when or if funding from the federal government will be restored,” Archer said. “When will it end? Will it be four years? No one knows.”

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s a rumor of the possibility in all the funding cuts that are happening at the federal level, which in some cases may need to happen, there’s been some throwing the baby out with the bath water,” he said on his Facebook post. “We, along with other food pantries in our community, all get food from the same place — the Mississippi Food Network.

“The Mississippi Food Network has had a severe drop in their stock and what they can acquire. And it’s because of those funding cuts. I’m not here to be political, but that’s the reality. The practical matter on the ground is that we have empty freezers and empty freezers mean there is not enough food to feed people,” Archer said.

The Stewpot has plenty of canned goods but no meat to serve with them.

“We’ve got corn and green beans coming out of our ears at The Stewpot. We appreciate your generosity and that will last us for years to come, but we need you to be generous in a different way right now. We need fruit. We have none. And we need meat.

“I know meat is expensive. And I’m not suggesting filet mignon or ribeye steaks. We are talking about chicken leg quarters and pork butts. If you have deer meat you have killed still in your freezer,” would make a significant donation,” he said.

He thanked the community for its generosity.

“Anytime we’ve asked for help, the community has responded in such a way that was overwhelmingly generous. So much so that I’ve had to come back and ask you to stop. You’ve given too much,” Archer said. “We could desperately use your help now. I am asking you to pray and seek and maybe see if you are able or willing to be generous now.

“Every little bit helps and every little bit counts. Maybe your church group or Sunday school class or people in your office want to get together and pool money and make a donation of some meat to The Stewpot. We are simply in a tough spot right now and need your help. We need you to be overwhelmingly generous again.”

For more information, please contact The Stewpot at 601-442-9413.