ST. LANDRY PARISH — The St. Landry Parish School District has kicked off its annual Summer Meals Grab and Go Program, distributing 6,000 meals per week to ensure no child goes hungry during the summer months.
Children ages 0 to 18 receive boxes containing seven breakfasts and seven lunches filled with nonperishable foods to last them through the week.
"It's a seven-day box that they are making, seven lunches, and seven breakfasts," said Craig Tyler, who oversees the assembly line operation.
Each box travels down a conveyor belt to be packaged by dedicated workers who understand the importance of their mission.
"It's a process that they do every day," Tyler said.
For the team members involved, this initiative represents more than just work—it's a labor of love.
"We do it for the children, they matter, and they deserve these meals," said Jessica Chenier.
Lucretia Hertzock, the Director of Child Nutrition for the St.Landry Parish schools, shares this passion for serving the community's children.
"The end goal is to feed as many children as we can, and we love our children in St. Landry Parish," Hertzock said.
Hertzock's dedication recently earned her recognition as one of No Kid Hungry's 2025 Summer Hunger Heroes. The national nonprofit campaign, dedicated to ending childhood hunger, honored her efforts to ensure every child in St. Landry Parish has access to nutritious meals.
When asked if she expected the award, Hertzock was humble in her response.
"I didn't even know about the award, and I do not know who nominated me, but I am very happy that someone saw that I do good work," Hertzock said.
She emphasizes that the program's success is a team effort.
"And I have a wonderful team that allows me to be honored, and it's with their hard work and sacrifice that we can shine as a team," Hertzock said.
The program addresses a critical need in the community.
"Food insecurity is huge and people are suffering, so it is important for us as a school board and organization to be able to recognize the needs of the students in the district and be able to fill in those gaps," Hertzock said.
If you want to learn more about the district's summer meal program, you can click here
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