ST. JAMES PARISH, La. (WGNO) — As Louisiana continues to lead the nation in child food insecurity, one company has stepped up to help fight hunger.
On Monday (March 20), officials with the Mosaic Company announced that a multi-year grant worth $200,000 will be awarded to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank to aid schools in St. James Parish.
The funding will go towards the St. James Parish BackPack program, which sends students home with bags full of food to help feed them while they are out of school for the weekend or during the holidays. About 750 kids benefit from the program each year.
Feeding America reports the parish has a food insecurity rate of 23.5%. That means 1 in 4 kids in the communities of Lutcher, Gramercy, Paulina, and more do not have enough food to meet their daily nutritional needs.
“Mosaic is proud to collaborate with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and St. James Parish Public Schools on this key initiative,” said Sarah Fedorchuk, Mosaic’s Vice President-Government and Public Affairs. “Zero hunger is a key focus of ours and we want to help ensure all students in St. James Parish have the nourishment they need to be ready to learn.”
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