The Healthy School Food Collaborative is the group that will be supplying meals to school children here in Red River Parish.  The Journal spoke with Executive Director James Graham.  He described the group as a non-profit organization that has been operating nearly seven years, mostly in the New Orleans area.  Graham said they mostly did summer feeding programs for school children.

“But this COVID-19 virus has opened up more opportunities for us,” said Graham.  Here is the  description of their feeding program posted on the THSFC website:

“The Healthy School Food Collaborative provides management and consulting services to single and multi-site charter and private school child nutrition programs.  We assist schools in becoming their own School Food Authority and relieve them of the regulatory and administrative burdens that are part of all school food programs.

“Is your school district or school feeling the impact that COVID-19 has on students who depend on receiving nutritious meals at school?  Do you need help setting up a compliant emergency school food program and distribution plan so that your students continue to receive nutritious meals in alternative ways?” said the website.

Graham told The Journal this is the first occasion he has had to work with Red River Schools.  He said, “We will be distributing shelf stable foods.  We’ll have seven day’s worth of meals I one packet.  There will be seven meals.  We will provide the food transportation and distribution.”

Graham said they will begin distributing meals in Winn parish on Friday and in Jackson parish next week.