The Lafayette Parish School System has been working behind the scenes to ensure our students have access to healthy meals during this pandemic. The hard truth is that even without the added stress of the pandemic, some families rely on meals provided by the school system as their main source of nutrition. Fortunately, LPSS is pleased to announce that the Emergency Meals-To-You Program has been extended until August 15, 2020. As a result, qualified families will continue to receive meals until the beginning of the school year.
Through her experience as a former educator and administrator, Superintendent Trosclair knows all too well that food is a basic necessity and is vital to students’ development. That is why she directed staff to reach out to our partners to see what can be done to continue to support our families during this crisis. According to Superintendent Trosclair, “My mother was a cafeteria worker so I know the important service to children that school nutrition personnel provide. As an educator, I have first-hand knowledge of the importance of feeding our children healthy meals. Not only does it help our students, it helps our families have one less thing to worry about so that they can focus on other priorities. Regardless if it is the summer, our children continue to need our support year round.”
The Emergency Meals-To-You Program was set to expire on June 30, 2020. This program has served over 10,000 students and provides shelf-stable, easily prepared, kid-friendly meals to families in emergency situations. Every two weeks, a box of 10 or more meals that meet nutritional requirements is sent directly to the student's residence.
For families currently receiving meals, August 15, 2020, is the last date meals will be shipped, so deliveries will arrive and overlap with the new school year. It is also possible for individual families to opt out of the program if they no longer wish to receive meals by contacting info@mealstoyou.org.
About the Emergency Meals-To-You Program
The Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) has been working with the Emergency Meals-To-You Program, a partnership between our district, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Louisiana Department of Education and the Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty.