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NEW ORLEANS – Today the Louisiana National Guard is helping Second Harvest food bank with its COVID-19 outbreak response.

Twenty soldiers were deployed to the food bank to help with security, as well as food distribution, and packing food boxes and meals.

The servicemen and women also set up a way to increase the workflow.

“What they’re doing behind me right now is building a conveyor belt that will incredibly ramp up our number of boxes that we can get out to the community,” Second Harvest spokesman Jay Vise said.

The virus has caused a dramatic increase in demand for food assistance from Second Harvest in recent weeks.