2022 No Kid Hungry Louisiana Hunger Hero Celebration!

2022 No Kid Hungry Louisiana Hunger Hero Winners

Selected from each of the eight regions as defined by the Louisiana Department of Education, these Hunger Heroes have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic, and beyond, to ensure children and families within our communities are fed.

Angela Lipscomb – Child Nutrition Field Supervisor, NOLA Public Schools 

Angela Lipscomb has more than 20 years of experience in child nutrition and is a hero to all kids in NOLA Public Schools. She works tirelessly to feed kids. While her job title is “supervisory” she is willing to take on any and all job to support her team. Any child nutrition department would be lucky to have her on their team! 

Caitlyn Scales – Development Director, Three O’Clock Project

Caitlyn Scales stepped up to serve in a great time of need for her community. After Hurricane Ida devastated so much of Louisiana, Caitlyn immediately jumped in to help lead child nutrition community programs in a disaster-affected area. With a positive and caring attitude, she worked seven days a week loading trucks, driving to distribution sites, and handing out meals to families and kids in need. She showed that when you work in the child nutrition field, all jobs go back to making sure no child goes hungry.

Cindy Ancar  – Child Nutrition Program Manager, Plaquemines Parish School Board 

Cindy Ancar worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure students in the Belle Chasse, LA  area received breakfast and lunch when area schools were closed and students were virtual learners. As schools opened again, Cindy continued to make sure students have school meals so they have the nutrition to excel in class. Cindy also has been a wonderful mentor to other child nutrition staff, providing  advice and solutions to challenges.

Coach Joe Boyd – PE Teacher, Linwood Charter School – RSD

Coach Joe Boyd has been a hero to kids in our community. During the pandemic, he showed up every day to prepare meal bags to provide to local families and children. Starting at 6:00 AM daily, he prepped more than 700 bags, and worked to make sure families knew how to access these important meals when they were facing hardships. showed up every day to assist with helping to prepare bags to be giving to our families. He is a leader in our community to help fight hunger for our kids.

Nicole Kliebert – PTO President, St. James Parish School Board 

Nicole Kliebert is always just a phone call away when a school in St. James Parish reaches out to her. In August 2021, Hurricane Ida devastated the Vacherie, LA community. Mrs. Kliebert stepped up immediately and made sure students across the community had food and essential items. She made sure that all kids at Sixth Ward Elementary had the food they needed to stay nourished and healthy as they rose to meet the challenges of Hurricane Ida.

 Lorrie Gates – Child Nutrition Coordinator, Lincoln Public Schools

Lorrie Gates is a passionate leader for kids and school meals. She goes above and beyond to make sure school meals are delicious and served in a fun and accessible way for our students. She is a true professional and always shows up to work with a positive attitude and knowledge to share with our team to make our child nutrition program the best it can be! 

Leigh Potts – Guidance Counselor
Sherry Wentzel – Special Education Teacher
Seventh Ward Elementary, Livingston Parish Schools  

Ms. Wentzel and Ms. Potts work endlessly to ensure that no kids in our school and community go hungry. Ms. Wentzel went above and beyond to create a food pantry in her room by collecting donations from staff and family members. Working with Ms. Potts, they make the pantry and safe and accessible way for their students to get food outside of the wonderful school meals provided. Ms. Potts and Ms. Wentzel both know that school is about balancing the needs of the whole student, and they are helping to make sure all needs are met.

Jacqueline Richard – Director of Food Services, Calcasieu Parish Schools 

Mrs. Richard has worked tirelessly to ensure that children in our parish have nutritious meals. She engages with students to offer surveys about school meals to ensure the program is providing exciting meals! During the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating hurricanes, Mrs. Richard worked with her team to make sure her students had access to all available meal programs and worked every day to provide those meals. In addition to providing amazing meals, she has brought healthy food habits and nutrition education to the forefront of our district!

2022 No Kid Hungry Louisiana Hunger Hero Hall of Fame

In addition to our Hunger Hero winners, No Kid Hungry LA would like to celebrate the following members of our Hunger Hero Hall of Fame for their tremendous work in ensuring that all of our residents have access to nutritious meals. We are so grateful for their commitment.                     

No Kid Hungry LA, our kids, and our communities are stronger because of these amazing Heroes.

  • Aleisa Norton and Christy Ratliff – Food Pantry Coordinator and SFSP Operator, Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana 
  • Amanda Tonkovich – Trauma Counselor and Medical Advocate Director, The New Orleans Family Justice Center 
  • Andrea Boland – Child Nutrition Site Lead Technician, Franklin Senior High School, NOLA Public Schools
  • Anita Johnson – Owner, Divine Delights Specialty Sweets, St. Landry Parish
  • Antoinette Jones – Food Tech, Archdiocese of New Orleans
  • Barbara Word – Nutrition Manager, Living School, Orleans Parish
  • Belinda Lessiter – Hope Church Pastor, and Coordinator, Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana
  • Beverly and Billy Pickings – Pantry Managers, Holy Temple, Webster Parish
  • Brandi Guin – Pantry Coordinator, Bienville Parish Schools
  • Brenda Iverson – Counselor, Red River Elementary, Red River Parish
  • Callie Rubbins-Breen – Culinary Instructor and Program Operations Coordinator, Grow Dat Youth Farm, New Orleans
  • Christen Diamond – Assistant Cafeteria Manager, MSA West Academy, Iberville Parish Schools
  • Clara Myles – Benton Intermediate Cafe Manager, Bossier Parish Schools
  • Clarence McKinney – Cafeteria Manager, SLA Management
  • Cypress Springs Elementary Cafeteria Staff – Cypress Springs Elementary, Lincoln Parish Schools
  • Danny Mintz – Director of Safety Net Policy, Louisiana Budget Project
  • Darrel Labeau – Food Service Coordinator and Pantry Manager, Caddo Parish
  • Deidra Raiford – Manager, LaSalle Parish Schools
  • Dena Reado – Volunteer, John Curtis School, Jefferson Parish
  • Jackie Rose – FDDOC, Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana Sponsor, Caddo Parish
  • Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana Team – Caddo, Bossier, Bienville, Claiborne, Red River, Webster and Desoto Parishes
  • Frances Williams and Ruthie Hollins – SFSP Coordinator and Pantry Coordinator, Caddo Parish
  • Greg Dade – Custodian, Ruston Junior High School, Lincoln Parish Schools
  • Harryette Tinsley – Food Nutrition Supervisor, Lincoln Parish Schools
  • Henrietta Cromwell – Child Nutrition Program Regional Manager, IDEA Public Schools
  • Herbert McCoy – Program Director, Food Bank Plymouth Rock Baptist Church, Terrebonne Parish
  • Jackie Lindsey, Rosemary Harris, & Eric Lindsey – Pantry and SFSP Coordinators Looking to Jesus, Caddo Parish
  • Jackie Richard – Cafeteria Manager, Hosanna Christian Academy
  • Janene Ashley – Principal, JA Philips Elementary, Webster Parish Schools
  • Jordyn Barlow –  Manager of Nutrition Services, Greater Baton Rouge Area
  • Judy Breithaupt – Manager, LaSalle Parish Schools
  • Keva Carr – Children’s Counselor, The New Orleans Family Justice Center
  • KiEtha Gauge – Agencies and Programs Manager, Greater Baton Rouge Area
  • Kimberly Mosley – 4th Grade Teacher, Linwood Charter School – RSD
  • Lester Jones – Cafeteria Manager, IDEA Bridge Public Schools, Baton Rouge
  • Letisha Williams – Director of Marketing and Recruitment Development, Linwood Public Charter Schools 
  • Lisa Cronin – Common Ground Director, Caddo Parish
  • Lori Beaty – 6th Grade IRLA Teacher, Linwood Public Charter School – RSD
  • Lucretia Hertzock – Supervisor of School Nutrition, St. Martin Parish Schools
  • Lucy Hines – SNAP Outreach Coordinator, Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana
  • Marcus George – SPED Paraprofessional, Linwood Public Charter – RSD
  • Margie McGowen – Manager, Second Harvest Food Bank
  • Margie R. Farve – Teacher Assistant, Archdiocese of New Orleans
  • Maxine Brown – Cafeteria Technician, Morehouse Parish Schools
  • Melba Gibson – Child Nutrition Technician, Nobel Minds, NOLA Public Schools
  • Nichelle Harris, Ph.D – Child Nutrition Program Supervisor, DeSoto Parish School
  • Nicole Gray – Executive Director, NIA Community Initiative
  • Ralph Musco – Custodian, Linwood Charter School – RSD
  • Sandra Roberson – Cavalier Cares Program Manager- Collegiate Food Pantry, BPCC Community College
  • Sandy Logrande – Purchasing Manager, School Food and Nutrition Services
  • Shelley Duplantis – Nutrition Education Coordinator, Desoto Parish Schools
  • Shirley Pierson – Chief Operation Officer, Linwood Public Charter Schools
  • Stephanie Weaver – Program Manager, LA Department of Agriculture
  • Tanya O’Reilly – Children’s Programs Manager, Second Harvest Food Bank
  • Tessa E. Reid – 3rd & 4th Grade Teacher Assistant, Archdiocese of New Orleans
  • Terry Riley – Community Partner, SLA Management
  • Twyla Abraham – Student Activities Coordinator, Linwood Charter School – RSD
  • Vanessa Brown, Desiree Williams – Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, Caddo Parish
  • Veronica Duperon – Cafeteria Manager, Hynes Charter Lakeview, NOLA Public Schools
  • Virginia Haines – Food Technician, Platt Café, Bossier Parish Schools
  • Wanda Austin-Lewis – Executive Director of Finance, Linwood Charter School – RSD
  • Wendy Carnes – Health and PE Teacher, Pointe Coupee Parish Schools