First Friday Memo - June 2026

From the desk of Jayne Wright-Velez, Executive Director

The Food Bank of Central Louisiana‍ ‍

June 2026 / Issue 196

Now Serving Summer Meals for Kids

Classes are out for the summer, and for millions of kids, no school means no lunch. In communities across Central Louisiana, more than one in four children faces hunger. To help make sure families and kids in our communities have access to nutritious food, we sponsor local programs at partner sites that host summer meals for kids.

This summer, along with our partners, we are pledging to help get 20,000 meals to children facing hunger. Visit our website at https://tinyurl.com/yr3443ef to find Summer Meals locations across Cenla. When we all play a role, we can create a summer where every child is nourished, safe, and thriving.

Thank You to Our Partners

A big thanks to all of our partner agencies for participating in annual training last month. From local food pantries, to senior centers, youth services, soup kitchens, churches and community organizations, their commitment to meeting USDA standards helps ensure our communities are served with integrity, safety, and care. We are proud to be a part of this collaborative movement to alleviate hunger in Central Louisiana.

More Support Needed to Feed Our Neighbors

As we enter the final month of our fiscal year, which ends June 30, I want to pause and personally thank you for your continued support of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. The challenges facing our neighbors remain significant. Food prices continue to stay stubbornly high, placing tremendous pressure on household budgets.

At the same time, the Food Bank is also facing rising operational expenses. Over the last three months alone, diesel prices have increased an average of 46%, dramatically impacting the cost of transporting and distributing food throughout Central Louisiana. These increased expenses come at a time when demand for assistance remains high across every community we serve. If you are interested in supporting our work, please visit our website at: https://www.fbcenla.org/?form=donate.

Advocating for a Hunger-Free Louisiana at the State Capitol

More than 200 people met in the Capitol Rotunda on May 19 to advocate for a hunger-free Louisiana. Individuals joined the Louisiana Anti-Hunger Coalition and Feeding Louisiana for advocacy training and a press conference before meeting legislators and attending committee meetings to amplify the voices of food-insecure Louisianans from across the State. Thanks to all who gave their time and talent to make the event a success. Didn’t get to attend the event? Join the movement at https://www.lahungercoalition.org/.

Thanks to All who Participated in the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

Last month, the National Association of Letter Carriers held its annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive all across the nation. Thank you to everyone who left a bag of food out to be collected by your letter carrier on May 9. Locally, the drive provided 12,244 pounds of food donated to the Food Bank of Central Louisiana. We are so grateful for our continued partnership with the Alexandria/Pineville/Marksville 932 National Association of Letter Carriers.  Thanks to AmeriHealth Caritas for sponsoring this year’s Stamp Out Hunger bags!

Closing out the BackPack School Year

The Food Bank’s BackPack Program had a great school year. More than 1,000 children took home backpacks full of food on Fridays that helped feed them over the weekends, when school meals aren’t available. The program reached kids in 28 schools across the region and distributed more than 25,000 backpacks. That amounts to about 150,000 meals provided for children! We appreciate all of our partner schools who make sure their students have the food they need to thrive.

Recognizing the Impact of Food Insecurity on Dads this Father’s Day

Because moms are traditionally thought of as the family care-givers, the experience of food-insecure dads is often overlooked. A recent study showed that fathers may be at higher risk of serious psychological distress than mothers in food insecure homes. And fathers are four times more likely to experience distress if they live in a food-insecure household. Matters are worse for single fathers. About one in five single-parent households is headed by a dad. In Louisiana, 56% of those single-father households fall below the ALICE threshold (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). ALICE households are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.

This Father's Day, consider volunteering or donating to organizations that support food-insecure families. Many groups provide food assistance and other resources to help, and your donation can make a real difference.

Plan Ahead to Avoid Temporary Food Insecurity During Hurricane Season

Researchers forecast a slightly below-average Atlantic hurricane season this year, but as everyone in Louisiana knows, one storm can change everything. As you’re going over your checklist, remember that after a big storm, food insecurity can become critical very quickly, especially in rural and remote areas. Stock up on nonperishable essentials and ready-to-eat pantry items that don’t require cooking. A little preparation now can make a major difference if access to fresh food and power is disrupted.