"Belly Buddies" helps curb child hunger in Eunice
EUNICE, La. (KLFY)-- A local nonprofit it is helping feed students at two elementary schools in Eunice.
Katie Richard, founder of Belly Buddies and Eunice native, is a teacher in town. She said a similar service in Louisiana inspired her to start Belly Buddies.
"I began my teaching career in East Baton Rouge Parish." Richard said. "Every week the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank would pull up to our school with an 18-wheeler with bags of food just like this, and every student in our school would receive these bags of food for the weekend."
Richard said, "Eunice would probably never need that."
It was when she began teaching at Glendale Elementary that she realized Eunice does need it.
"I began to see that need, hearing stories from four- or five- and six-year-olds about a long weekend or a holiday weekend without food at home," Richard said. "And them relying on the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch and just needing that extra little bit of support at home."
Now, she purchases food for around 100 students through monetary donations to Belly Buddies, and students at Eunice Christian Academy package the bags of nonperishable food that can "be opened by little hands."
"We've seen whole families change by this generosity and the love." Richard said. "And I think what makes Belly Buddies unique is that we're putting the food directly into the students' hands, so they don't have to wait on an adult to help."
Each Friday, select children at Glendale Elementary and East Elementary are sent home with a bag of food and get to spend time with their peers from ECA.
"Our students from ECA go and hang out with the kids. We have dance parties," Richard said. "We just love on them, show them that there's people in town that care about them and ultimately, God loves them and cares for them.”
Belly Buddies is hosting its 2nd Annual Belly Buddies Color Fun Run on Saturday at 10 a.m. in downtown Eunice to raise money for their cause.
Belly Buddies originally only served students at Glendale Elementary, but after the success of last year's color run, they were able to expand to East Elementary School.
“We had almost 500 people show up," Richard said. "It just blew our minds."
Richard said they hope to expand to provide weekend snacks for students at all schools in Eunice.