Story by Wes Merriott

On Tuesday morning, thousands of Bossier Parish residents waited patiently to pickup pre-packaged summer meal boxes provided by Bossier Parish Schools under a USDA grant.

“Feeding children during the summer is a challenge for many families who depend on school meals,” said Karla Horton, Child Nutrition Program Supervisor at Bossier Schools. “We are proud to be able to offer this new, extensive summer meal box program at no charge to ensure that children are properly nourished and fueled throughout the summer.”

At South Bossier’s pickup site, Parkway High School, Bossier Sheriff Deputies directed traffic, and Parkway staff, including Principal Steven Vrbka, managed the long line. Any child in the parish is eligible for the program, and enrolling in the program doesn’t affect eligibility for other programs like SNAP or EBT.

Contents of the boxes include shelf-stable milk, cereal, snacks, juices, and thousands of calories to fuel kids throughout the summer. One SOBO resident exclaimed, “The box was so heavy, I wasn’t expecting it to have so much food.” Name-brand snacks from popular companies like Cheez-it’s and Jacks Links were also included, and were sure to appeal to kids of all ages.

Registration is ongoing, and parents can sign up for one box per week per eligible child living in Bossier Parish. Bossier School Board member Erick Falting told sobo.live that over 2,000 parents enrolled in the first 48 hours of the program, and he considered the program to be a big win for kids in the Parish.

Note: Registration for this program can be found here, and the pickups continue each Tuesday throughout the summer break.