A collaboration between Livingston Parish Chamber, Leadership Livingston and Livingston Parish Public Schools was started back in 2020 and finally unveiled at a ceremony on November 3, 2022. An official ribbon cutting marked the opening of the Curbside Café, a food trailer that will be utilized by LPPS to expand Meal Education and Awareness for Livingston Students (M.E.A.L.S.) LPPS officials, project sponsors, Chamber members and Ambassadors, and Leadership Livingston Alumni were on hand for the project reveal.
Under the direction of LPPS Child Nutrition department, the food trailer will move around to different schools in the parish and will offer unique lunch options in addition to the traditional cafeteria menus. Curbside Café will combine new menu ideas from ProStart students, with fresh ingredients grown and harvested by students in the district. It will also serve as a tool for providing meals to students in emergency situations. “Plato's philosophy is that ‘necessity is the mother of all invention’ and that is accurate” said Sommer Purvis, Supervisor of Child Nutrition Programs at LPPS. “But it is definitely a nice change of pace to stand with invention that comes behind innovation, creativity, collaboration, and enthusiasm. We are excited to see this project completed, not out of necessity, but out of innovation, and as a way to improve the Child Nutrition department and serve our students throughout the parish.”
Curbside Café was a project of the Leadership Livingston group which included John Dillon, Gary O’Neal, Nicky Gautreau, Lance Landry, Chris Neal, Amanda Seals, Christine Patrick and Tim McMasters, all of whom also donated funds for the project. Additional sponsors of the project include: All Star Automotive Group, Quality Engineering and Surveying, LLC, Ochsner Health, Sheriff Jason Ard, Pelican State Credit Union, Neighbors Federal Credit Union, Black Label Holdings Real Estate, Bank of Zachary, Assessor Jeff Taylor, Livingston Chamber Foundation, Frog’s Wholesale Fuel and Frog’s Magnolia Beach. Acknowledgements also go to Kat Hodges’ graphic design class at Live Oak High School, and Jason Laborde and his staff and student workers at the central office print shop for designing and printing the trailer wrap.
About the Chamber: Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit business association serving the Livingston Parish business community. The Chamber represents thousands of business owners, professionals, employees, and stakeholders. The Chamber is established to serve business, enhance communities, and advance the economy in Livingston Parish.
About Leadership Livingston: Leadership Livingston is a community leadership program. The program is designed to engage participants in community dynamics and inspire action to make it better. Leadership Livingston is a program of the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce.
Original source can be found here.
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