NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Feeding Families Foundation, a nonprofit committed to eliminating hospital food insecurity for parents of hospitalized children with critical illnesses, announced the expansion of its Parent Plate Program to Manning Family Children’s. Launched in conjunction with the Thanksgiving holiday, organizers share the program will provide complimentary bedside meals to parents and caregivers of children receiving treatment in the hospital’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. This expansion reflects the foundation’s growing national impact and ensures that families facing medical crises can remain close to their child—without the added burden of accessing or affording meals.
“Feeding Families Foundation’s mission is simple: to nourish the parents caring for their critically ill child in the hospital so they can focus on what matters most—their child,” said Jeff Dorman, co-founder and chair of Feeding Families Foundation, in a release about the expansion. “Today, we are proud that mission now reaches into Louisiana. Hospital food insecurity is not just local—it’s national. And so is our commitment.”
Hospital food insecurity – a term describing the lack of reliable, affordable meal access for caregivers during extended hospital stays – is a challenge often overlooked in pediatric care. Feeding Families Foundation (and its Parent Plate Program) was created to directly address this issue, inspired by the founders’ own experience while one of their daughters was treated for leukemia.
The Parent Plate Program works by partnering with hospital food service teams to provide meals directly to the caregiver at their child’s bedside. There are no applications, no income requirements and no additional steps for families – removing barriers at a time when parents are already under immense stress.
Families and hospital staff at Manning Family Children’s are already anticipating the program’s impact. “In New Orleans, nearly 20% of our community face food insecurity,” said Lucio Fragoso, president and CEO of Manning Family Children’s. “The generous support of the Feeding Families Foundation will have a significant impact on our families during some of their most difficult moments, and we are grateful that the foundation has chosen to expand its impact here in Louisiana.”
To date, Feeding Families Foundation has delivered thousands of meals to caregivers across multiple states, including Connecticut, Oregon, and Illinois, and continues to grow its impact nationwide. At Manning Family Children’s, the program is expected to reach dozens of families each month, helping ensure that when a child is nourished, their parent is too.
“By delivering nourishment and support during life’s toughest moments, Feeding Families Foundation’s Parent Plate Program continues to scale its nationwide impact—one meal, one family, one hospital at a time,” said Dorman.
Feeding Families Foundation relies on community partnerships and volunteer support to make its Parent Plate Program possible. To learn more about Feeding Families Foundation, become a volunteer, or support the program’s expansion in New Orleans and beyond, please visit feedingfamiliesfoundation.org.
