Louisiana: Local Impact
Hunger affects communities across Louisiana, touching people of all ages, backgrounds, and zip codes.
According to this latest data, 18.1% of Louisianans—nearly one in five people—experienced food insecurity, while 23.4% of children lacked reliable access to enough food. (Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap 2025, based on 2023 estimates.)
That child food insecurity rate represents an estimated 235,073 Louisiana kids (23.4% of the 2023 child population)—enough to fill Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge (102,321 seats) more than twice.
About 827,690 people across Louisiana face hunger. This challenge exists in every parish, affecting urban, suburban, and rural communities alike.
Many households experiencing food insecurity earn too much to qualify for federal nutrition programs and instead rely on Louisiana food banks and their network of local partner agencies to meet basic food needs.
The Food Bank of Central Louisiana, Inc.
Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank
Our mission is to feed the hungry in Baton Rouge and the surrounding 10 parishes.
Address:
Through our grant to The Food Bank of Central Louisiana, we were able to ease daily pressures for families who are doing everything they can to make ends meet. For one father whose child participates in the BackPack Program, the support meant more than food—it meant relief, dignity, and shared responsibility within his family. As he shared with us, the meals his children brought home helped their limited cash stretch further and reduced the stress of putting food on the table, even without access to food assistance.
Just as powerfully, the program strengthened his children’s confidence and learning. They returned home proud—reading better and feeling that they were contributing to their family’s well‑being. Stories like this reflect the impact of The Food Bank of Central Louisiana’s work and reinforce why investing in weekend nutrition matters: when children have consistent access to food, families gain stability, kids can focus on learning, and parents feel seen and supported.
