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Welcome to the Louisiana Charitable Food Summit webpage! This biennial event, hosted by the LSU AgCenter Healthy Communities team, serves as a dynamic platform for stakeholders within Louisiana's charitable food system to learn, network, and share best practices, all aimed at improving clients’ experiences. Our summit's mission is simple yet powerful: to equip participants with valuable resources and actionable ideas that empower them to increase food security in Louisiana. If you can't make it to the summit, you can still be part of our ongoing efforts through our quarterly networking calls. These interactive sessions provide a collaborative space to tackle common challenges, workshop solutions, and foster innovation within the charitable food system. Email makenziemiller@agcenter.lsu.edu to join the next call. Together, we can create a stronger, more resilient network of support for Louisiana residents experiencing hunger and food insecurity.

In this article:
2025
2023
Quarterly Networking Calls
Network Contacts
Questions?

2025

Registration is open for the 2025 Louisiana Charitable Food Summit! This year's theme is Moving Forward Together. The summit will take place on April 24 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Pennington Biomedical Conference Center, 2328 Irene Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/LACFS2025 or contact Makenzie Miller at makenziemiller@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Click here to register!


General Admission:

There is no fee to attend, and general admission includes access to all general and breakout sessions. Check-in will open at 8:00am, and a continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Exhibitor Information:

There is no cost to participate as an exhibitor, but space is limited. Each organization is allotted one table (either 6' x 18" or 8' x 18") and two chairs. Setup begins at 7:30am, and breakdown is scheduled for 4:00pm. Power outlets in the exhibitor area are limited and will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.


2023

The inaugural summit took place on May 2, 2023 in Baton Rouge, with an incredible turnout of nearly 150 attendees. Sessions delved into common food insecurity challenges, innovative solutions for improving food access, and insightful discussions. If you weren’t able to join us at the 2023 summit, you can access the presentations below or read more about the event here.

Special thank you to our 2023 planning committee and sponsors for their invaluable support: Feeding Louisiana, Humana Healthy Horizons in Louisiana, Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana, Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Northshore Food Bank, Care Help of Sulphur, ICNA Relief, and the Community Center of St. Bernard.

Quarterly Networking Calls

Quarterly networking calls take place in March, June, September, and December. To register for the calls or to suggest a topic, email Makenzie Miller at makenziemiller@agcenter.lsu.edu. View notes from previous networking calls below.


Network Contacts

Organization NameAddressEmailPhone NumberWebsite
Foundation for Wellness4630 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy Bldg. A STE 100 Lafayette, LA 70508rachel@foundationforwellness.com337.806.9395https://foundationforwellness.com
Holistic Vibeskatrinabranson@gmail.com318.791.5074
Aetna Better Health of Louisiana2400 Veterans Memorial Blvdgibsonhoustonj@aetna.com504.417.5731
Louisiana Office of the Board of Regents1201 North 3rd Street, Suite 6-200 Baton Rouge, LA 70802lupe.lamadrid@laregents.edu225.342.4253www.laregents.edu
LSU AgCenter Ouachita Parish704 Cypress Street, West Monroe, LA 71291cagan@agcenter.lsu.edu318.323.2251
Greaux the Good (Market Umbrella)200 Broadway Street, Suite 107, New Orleans, LA, 70118chelsea@marketumbrella.org504.233.0324https://greauxthegoodla.org/
Market Umbrella200 Broadway St. Ste 107, New Orleans, LA 70118kasey@marketumbrella.org 504.861.4485www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.org/
SHSRP Management Group Inc850 Highland Ave, Many, LAShsrp@sabinebluewaves.org434.470.6305https://sabinebluewaves.org/
Total Health Heroes Foundation2779 Country Club Dive Haynesville, LA 71038john@totalhealthheroes.com214.952.2901https://linktr.ee/TotalHealthHeroes
Northshore Food Bank125 W. 30th, Covington, LA 70433kmcswain@northshorefoodbank.org985.809.2072www.northshorefoodbank.org
Empower 225 (My Community Cares)4829 Winbourne Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70805leslie.johnsonsimmons@empower225.org225.588.7615
www.empower225.org
Christian Community Action108 South Bonner Street, Ruston LA 71270christcommact@gmail.com318.251.3282www.christiancommunityactionlp.org
Top Box Foods1001 S Dupre St., New Orleans, LA 70125info.nola@topboxfoods.com504.229.2292https://topboxfoods.com/
Community Center of St. Bernard7143 St Claude Ave, Arabi, LA 70032communitycenterstb@gmail.com504.518.5968https://www.ccofstb.com/

Questions?

Contact local food systems specialist Makenzie Miller or email us at healthycommunities@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Innovate . Educate . Improve Lives

The LSU AgCenter and the LSU College of Agriculture

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