Northwest Louisiana Food Bank offers free meals for students

MINDEN, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Many kids lose access to reliable meals when school is out. That’s why one local food bank is working hard to keep children fed this summer. Every Wednesday, the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana hosts a summer meal distribution program that provides hundreds of families with a full week’s worth of breakfast and lunch items free of charge.

The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana teams up with the Joe Leblanc Food Pantry in Minden to ensure kids across our region don’t go hungry.

“So I come here every Wednesday,” said food recipient, Jasmine Clark.
“I pick up for me and my sister, so it’s just a blessing to have this.”

The summer meal distribution program is designed to help fill the gap when school meals aren’t available, giving parents peace of mind.

“It comes with different commodities that we appreciate,” said Clark.

“It’s very beneficial because schools are closed in the summer, and they would usually get lunch and breakfast at their school, so this still allows them to get those things and not give a financial burden on their parents to provide that,” said the NWLA Food Bank of Louisiana Community Engagement Coordinator, Lizy Ethridge.

One bag of food contains 5 breakfast packs and 5 meal packs, so kids can eat 5 days a week.

“So cereal cereal bar, 5 chocolate milk and 5 white milk. Crackers, chips, and dip, all different kinds of little lunches,” said Ethridge.

“So the food bank for many, many years has provided free breakfast and lunch meals to these children to help give them the nutrition that they need,” said NWLA Foodbank director, Martha Marak.

This program has fed thousands of kids during the summer months. The distribution program continues every Wednesday, and helps bridge the gap when school meals aren’t available, providing relief for working parents and caretakers.

“We are doing this all through the summer,” said Ethridge
“It may even last a little longer than the summer.”