Child Nutrition Office Providing Thousands of Free Meals Through Summer Feeding Program

The Diocese of Baton Child Nutrition Program estimates that it will serve more than 700,000 free meals to children 18 years of age and younger as part of its Summer Feeding Program, according to Lynda Carville, director of the Child Nutrition Program for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

This is the fourth year for the Child Nutrition Program to offer the “grab and go” meals, said Carville.

Each child will receive a box that contains seven breakfasts and seven lunches. Additionally, the recipients will receive a gallon of milk.

“Inside each box there’s some instructions for warming the meals up, because they are (pre-cooked) food,” Carville said.

Above, right picture: These are some of the nutritious meals being provided by the Child Nutritrition Program of the Diocese of Baton Rouge as part of the Summer Feeding Program. Photo by Debbie Shelley | The Catholic Commentator
                                                                                                                                                                   
The planning of the meals is done far in advance, according to Carville, who is already planning for next year because food and freezers must be procured, trucks must be reserved to transport the food, and all the other details that will help them to operate on site. The planning “kicks into high gear” in November.

“My whole office is involved in the process,” said Carville.

 The Summer Feeding Program has expanded over the years. Last year there were five sites, and that has expanded to 10 this year. This has been accomplished with the help of City Group Hospitality, whose managing partner is Stephen Hightower.

“We’re very appreciative of the working relationship we have with City Group,” said Carville.  

“When we started this with him, it was during COVID (pandemic). And no one wanted to work; everyone was scared to come out of their houses. We started thinking that we would do it ourselves and we realized we couldn’t keep up with the volume. I needed more team members,” she said.

Realizing that the people who work in the restaurant industry were among the hardest hit by the pandemic, Carville contacted Hightower, who owns two restaurants. He was receptive and helped tremendously, according to Carville.

“And since then, it’s been a great working relationship,” Carville said.

She is also thankful for the partnerships with the churches throughout the diocese.

“We are very appreciative of the sites we have and the relationship and community spirit we have with our parish friends. The parishes have had their arms wide open.”

The community is very receptive of the summer service provided by the Child Nutrition Office.

“We were putting up banners out there for our advertisement and we had people honking their horns and giving us a thumbs up,” said Carville. “We had people roll down their windows and say, ‘Oh, you’re coming back, thank you, thank you so much.’”

Carville said the Summer Food Program is one of many programs that her office offers.

“We are happy for the opportunity to serve the community because there are so many people who are truly in need – there are grandparents raising grandchildren. We see the (the Summer Feeding Program) and any of our other programs as something wonderful to have.”

For more information about registration and the dates and sites of the program, call the Child Nutrition Office at 225-387-6421, visit cnpbr.org, or to view the flyer, click here.