First Friday Memo - August 2024

From the desk of Jayne Wright-Velez, Executive Director

August 2024 / Issue 174

SUN Meals for Kids Were Provided at 17 Summer Feeding Sites

We have just wrapped up our Summer Food Service Program, dubbed SUN Meals by the USDA. Through SUN Meals, kids of all ages can eat meals and snacks during the summer at no cost at schools, parks, and other neighborhood locations. This summer, 17 partners stepped up to host meal sites where kids either gathered for meals and activities, or were able to access a nutritious meal through grab-and-go service. We expect SUN Meals to expand to even more locations next summer!

Rotary Club of Alexandria Supports the BackPack Program

A big thanks to the Rotary Club of Alexandria for providing a $2,000 grant in support of the Food Bank’s BackPack Program. This grant will provide much-needed meals and snacks for children to take home over weekends, when school meals are not available. The program starts up in September and runs through the school year.

Partner Opportunities for Afterschool Meal Sites

Afterschool meals and snacks will be served through the Food Bank’s Child and Adult Care Food Program through the 2024-2025 school year. Are you a program operator caring for children? There’s still time to join the Food Bank as a partner meal site. Eligible public or private nonprofit childcare centers, outside-school-hours care centers, Head Start programs, and other institutions which are licensed or approved to provide day care services may participate. Contact our Child Nutrition Coordinator, Natasha Williams, at 318-445-2773 or nwilliams@fbcenla.org for more information.

What is a Recurring Gift?

When someone decides to commit to a consistent recurring schedule of donating, this is considered a recurring gift. One benefit of recurring gifts is that they help give the nonprofit an expectation of consistent, predictable cash flow which enables them to make forecasts into funding and scheduled payments throughout the year. Additionally, it might help the person donating by spreading their contribution out over time rather than in one lump sum. For example, you might not be able to donate $300 all at once, but you may prefer to budget $25 each month as a recurring gift. To learn more about the Food Bank’s recurring gift program, contact Carrie at 318-445-2773 ext. 221 or cgill@fbcenla.org.

AmeriCorps Serving Here – Year Four!

AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country and address the nation’s most pressing challenges through support for U.S. organizations in their local communities. Organizations recruit, train and manage individuals, called AmeriCorps members, to deliver services. At the Food Bank, our program is supported by a grant from the Volunteer Louisiana Commission in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. AmeriCorps members serve in our mobile and drive-up food distributions, providing an essential service to thousands of neighbors across Central Louisiana. We are grateful for the trust placed in us for a fourth year to administer an AmeriCorps State Program right at home in Cenla.

Interested in serving or want to learn more? Our next term of service begins on August 19. Contact Karen Williams at the Food Bank at 318-445-2773 or kwilliams@fbcenla.org.

Mark Your Calendars for Hunger Action Month in September

Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Feeding America’s CEO, looks forward to Hunger Action Month: “Catalytic moments throughout history tend to have one thing in common: they bring people together with a shared conviction to inspire widespread action. People step up, lend a hand, and share their voices. Each individual action becomes a piece of a powerful movement that can change history. We all know that hunger is a solvable issue, and we also understand that to eradicate it requires collective action and unwavering dedication. Hunger Action Month takes inspiration from that truth and endeavors to move individuals and communities to action because together, we can end hunger.”

Introducing New Officers on the Food Bank’s Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors members are the stewards of our organization, providing foresight, oversight, and insight as they guide our mission to alleviate hunger in Central Louisiana. Here’s the slate of our board members as of August 1.

Brian Couvillon, Chair

Jill Kelone, Vice Chair

Sam Kennedy, Treasurer

Marie Simpson, Secretary

Heather Brooks

Gary Brown

Christina Hathorn

Tim Holloway

Gabrielle Juneau

Wendi Powell

Mandy Scoggin

Todd St.Romain

Robert Willet