Our Lady of Fatima Third Graders Learn about “Feeding the Hungry” alongside Catholic Charities of Acadiana

Catholic Charities of Acadiana is grateful every year for the participation of Catholic schools. This year, Our Lady of Fatima’s 3rd-grade classes collected non-perishable food donations for FoodNet Food Bank. Mrs. Lisa Melacon, Director of Religious Education, went a step further and invited Catholic Charities of Acadiana into the classroom to teach about “feeding the hungry”. 

“Not only did this act of love by Our Lady of Fatima’s 3rd-grade classes provide some immediate support for FoodNet,” said Sarah Baquet, Community Engagement Coordinator for Catholic Charities of Acadiana, “but to be able to encounter the children in the classroom setting hopefully set a spark in hearts and minds of giving to the hungry often and generously going forward.”

The lesson consisted of a 30-minute presentation including some facts about hunger in our country, an interactive game illustrating some dynamics affecting those experiencing hunger, and also some reflection questions. “I was deeply moved by the innate understanding and compassion that the children had when they witnessed inequity in the activity,” said Sarah. 

Finally, the children got to see exactly what goes inside a supplemental food bag and do the math to figure out how many bags FoodNet distributes every day. The kids left the lesson with encouragement to be on the lookout for FoodNet collection baskets at local grocery stores this summer and to drop in one item each time they shop with their parents.