{"id":12831,"date":"2024-11-25T20:27:24","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T20:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/louisiana\/?p=12831"},"modified":"2024-11-25T20:27:24","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T20:27:24","slug":"a-season-of-gratitude-celebrating-louisianas-school-nutrition-heroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/louisiana\/2024\/11\/25\/a-season-of-gratitude-celebrating-louisianas-school-nutrition-heroes\/","title":{"rendered":"A Season of Gratitude: Celebrating Louisiana&#8217;s School Nutrition Heroes"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"12831\" class=\"elementor elementor-12831\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b59c54f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b59c54f\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-92b43cb\" data-id=\"92b43cb\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8fd690b elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8fd690b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/louisiana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/2.jpg\" title=\"\" alt=\"Two staff members stand with the new breakfast cart\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-88a8f55 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"88a8f55\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">As we gather around Thanksgiving tables across Louisiana, I&#8217;m filled with gratitude for the thousands of school nutrition professionals, educators, and community partners who work tirelessly to ensure no child goes hungry in our state.<\/p><p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">Take Zachary Community School District, led by Bianca Coats, where dedicated nutrition staff recently launched a \u00a0second chance breakfast program this month. By offering breakfast with their new mobile carts, \u00a0after first period, they&#8217;re reaching students who might miss the traditional breakfast time. Bianca shared with us that \u00a0breakfast participation increased on the first day and more students start their day nourished and ready to learn.<\/p><p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">These local innovations, combined with strong state leadership, are making a real difference. This year, Louisiana took a major step forward when our state legislature and governor approved Summer EBT, providing grocery benefits to nearly 600,000 children during the summer months. This $71 million investment helped families bridge the summer meal gap when schools were closed.<\/p><p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">Our school nutrition teams continue to be the backbone of child nutrition, serving both breakfast and lunch daily while expanding creative solutions like afterschool meals. In rural communities, 101 meal sites provided crucial summer meals through innovative pickup and delivery models, reaching families who might otherwise go without.<\/p><p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">Yet we know challenges remain. Today, 1 in 4 Louisiana children face food insecurity \u2013 an unacceptable reality that drives our work forward. But I&#8217;ve seen firsthand how committed partners across our state are to changing this story.<\/p><p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">This Thanksgiving, I extend my deepest thanks to everyone working to nourish Louisiana&#8217;s children \u2013 from the cafeteria staff arriving before dawn to prepare breakfast, to the administrators embracing new meal programs, to the legislators championing child nutrition policies like Summer EBT. Your dedication moves us closer to our goal of ending childhood hunger in Louisiana.<\/p><p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">Together, we are building a future where every child has the nutrition they need to thrive. If your school or organization wants to learn more about expanding breakfast programs or summer meals, please reach out to No Kid Hungry Louisiana. We&#8217;re here to support you.<\/p><p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap\">With gratitude, Rhonda M. Jackson Director, No Kid Hungry Louisiana<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-39de757 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"39de757\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d831bc7\" data-id=\"d831bc7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1455724 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1455724\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/louisiana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/7-rotated.jpg\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a5c2da8\" data-id=\"a5c2da8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7983c59 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7983c59\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/louisiana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/1-rotated.jpg\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-33 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f19ef31\" data-id=\"f19ef31\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2801fb4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2801fb4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/louisiana\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/4-e1732566565139.jpg\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we gather around Thanksgiving tables across Louisiana, I&#8217;m filled with gratitude for the thousands of school nutrition professionals, educators, and community partners who work tirelessly to ensure no child&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12831","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - 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