FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL LOUISIANA RECEIVES COMMUNITY GRANT FOR GOOD FOOD PROJECT PILOT SCHOOL GARDEN
Date: 10/15/18
PROGRAM TO IMPLEMENT GARDENS AT TWO RAPIDES PARISH SCHOOLS
Baton Rouge, La – The Food Bank of Central Louisiana received a $15,000 Community Health Grant from Louisiana Healthcare Connections for its Good Food Project Pilot Program to support the development of gardens at two schools within the Rapides Parish School District.
Through the program, each of the selected schools will have raised beds and/or container gardens installed to provide local school-aged children with the opportunity to attain hands-on knowledge of how healthy foods are planted, grown and harvested. The program will also include a mobile kitchen for cooking demonstrations that will use the foods grown by the students.
Jayne Wright-Velez, Executive Director of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, says, “We’re one of the very few food banks in the country to have a garden, and we’re unique in that ours is designed for education. Our on-site teaching garden has been a shift for us, and now we’ve shifted again to focus on engaging children in these programs. We know that if we want to change the cycle of hunger, that’s where it starts – with the kids.”
“As an organization, we started out focused on providing food to the people who need it. Now we’re moving toward ensuring families’ sustainable access to food, and we want to take that education to people of all ages, including children,” agrees Brian Couvillon, a 20-year member of Food Bank of Central Louisiana’s Board of Directors. “What we’re doing aligns with what Louisiana Healthcare Connections is doing. They have chosen to step out and address the issues that truly affect a community, and that’s what we do here.”
Established in 1989 with a mission of alleviating hunger in Central Louisiana, the food bank has expanded to include many other unique services, including a BackPack Program that provides food to schoolchildren during weekends and school holidays, and a Nutrition on Wheels Program that provides families in rural areas with access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Through these programs, the organization serves more than 22,000 individuals across 11 parishes every month, and has over 3,000 volunteers each year.
Because of its innovative approach to food insecurity, the Food Bank of Central Louisiana was selected from more than 60 applicants statewide to receive funding as part of Louisiana Healthcare Connection’s inaugural Community Health Grants initiative, says Chelsea Graves, Community Relations Principal for the Healthy Louisiana Medicaid health plan.
“Hunger is an issue that affects every community in our state, and it is one that negatively impacts the health of Louisiana’s families. We designed our health grants initiative to partner with and support organizations that share our commitment to reducing food insecurity in our communities,” says Graves. “The Food Bank of Central Louisiana has implemented an innovative strategy designed to drive change for future generations, and we are proud to partner with them in their efforts.”