Following Million Meals for MLK Success, Community Support Needed to Continue Fight Against Hunger

BATON ROUGE, La. - The success of the inaugural Million Meals for MLK campaign earlier this year demonstrated the significant impact a united community can have on hunger relief efforts across Louisiana.

Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dedication to service, 2.2 million total meals were donated in January 2025 as thousands of Louisianans united under the call to serve, share, and support Louisiana's five regional food banks. All meals were distributed to families and individuals in need across the state by the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana, Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans and Acadiana.

Volunteer Louisiana and Feeding Louisiana kicked off the statewide Million Meals for MLK campaign last fall to increase meals and replenish items at food banks and other organizations addressing hunger after the holiday season, ensuring a strong start to 2025. And while this effort helped restock the state's food banks during a historically low time, year-round support is needed for the one in six Louisianans facing food insecurity.

"In Louisiana, food insecurity remains a pressing issue. The Million Meals for MLK initiative, spearheaded by Volunteer Louisiana and Feeding Louisiana, is making a real difference by providing meals to those in need. This campaign not only supports families across the state but also reflects Dr. King`s mission of service and uplifting communities," said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. "However, there is still more work to be done. I am looking forward to next year's campaign as we bring communities together to serve and contribute to the future of fellow Louisianans."

The more than two million meals collected through this campaign have already been distributed as canceled programs and reductions in federal funding have left food bank services more in demand. And, amid the summer months when children will not have the benefit of daily in-school meal programs, more families will request help from the state's food banks.

An estimated 827,690 people, including 248,630 children, live with food insecurity in Louisiana. To put this into perspective, these represent more people than those living in the cities of Shreveport, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Monroe combined. Nationally, Louisiana is ranked third for both child and senior hunger and fourth for overall hunger.

The Million Meals for MLK campaign was made possible through the support of major sponsors, including Louisiana Blue (Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana), Healthy Blue Louisiana, and Entergy Louisiana, who strengthened hunger relief efforts by donating and packing nearly 210,000 meals. Ochsner Health also provided sponsorship support, contributing approximately 100,000 meals. Other corporate partners included DEMCO, Lumen, JP Morgan Chase, and Hancock Whitney.

Million Meals for MLK's results were extraordinary:

- 2.2 million total meals were donated to Louisiana's food banks through food drives and monetary donations in January 2025.
- Volunteers served nearly 12,500 hours at Louisiana's five regional food banks during January 2025.
- Online engagement was high: virtual food drives contributed nearly 1,000 meals, new volunteers pledged 100+ hours of volunteer service during 2025, and dozens of food donation influencers with large audiences posted in support of their local food banks.

Louisiana Blue, Entergy Louisiana, Healthy Blue Louisiana, and Ochsner Health pledged more than 310,000 meals to the Million Meals for MLK campaign. Employee volunteers from these organizations packed more than 200,000 red beans and rice meals at eight Feed the Funnel parties around the state. These healthy, clean-label meals only requiring boiling water to cook included red beans, bell peppers, Cajun-style seasoning, and white rice supplied by Louisiana-based company Supreme Rice.

"Louisiana Blue's mission is to improve the health and lives of Louisianans. Providing meals so Louisiana families have access to nutritious food is an important way we fulfill that mission," said Michael Tipton, Louisiana Blue Foundation president and head of Community Relations. "We've proudly joined Healthy Blue Louisiana and Entergy Louisiana in sponsoring meals and hosting volunteer pack parties to assemble them for the past three years. This year, we were honored to sign on as the first corporate sponsors of the Million Meals for MLK campaign. We were excited to see how much more we could expand this volunteer service, and it's inspiring to see how Louisianans showed up to support each other. We encourage leaders across the state to join this effort, both during next year's events and throughout the year as we work to make a difference for those in our community facing food insecurity."

Studies show food-secure individuals have lower levels of chronic conditions, better mental health, and fewer hospitalizations.

"Healthy Blue Louisiana is honored to once again stand alongside our partners, volunteers and community leaders in the Million Meals for MLK campaign - a movement that grows each year in both impact and purpose," said Dr. Christy Valentine Theard, President, Healthy Blue Louisiana. "This initiative reflects our deep commitment to supporting the overall well-being of our communities and addressing the root causes of hunger. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., taught us leadership begins with service, and this effort is a testament to that belief. We're proud to be part of a movement making a real difference for Louisianans, and we remain dedicated to this work until every family has the nourishment and support they need to thrive."

Regularly having enough healthy food to eat changes lives. Food security enables economic advancement and societal growth, helps people lead more productive lives, and leads to better health, academic and financial outcomes for children as they grow older.

"Entergy is proud to have been a founding partner with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana in honoring Dr. King's legacy through this statewide effort," said Patty Riddlebarger, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Entergy Corporation. "As the two Civic 50 companies domiciled in Louisiana, Entergy, along with Louisiana Blue, began this initiative to highlight the importance of corporate citizenship and to demonstrate how corporations can do well by doing good. For 100 years, Entergy has been committed to building strong, healthy and vibrant communities across Louisiana. Our vision is 'We Power Life.' Addressing food insecurity for vulnerable households through the Million Meals for MLK effort is one of the most impactful ways our team members are continuing to power life in all the communities where we serve, live and work."

Million Meals for MLK organizers look forward to building on the momentum begun in January and continuing the fight against hunger in Louisiana throughout the year.

"We are extremely grateful to everyone who participated in this first-of-its-kind campaign," stated Pat R. Van Burkleo, Executive Director of Feeding Louisiana. "Million Meals for MLK showed what's possible when communities come together to act. We need that same spirit of service and generosity to continue throughout the year so we can keep uplifting the one in six Louisianans who face hunger."

Visit MillionMealsForMLK.org to learn more about the 2026 campaign and join the fight against hunger in Louisiana.

About Volunteer Louisiana
Volunteer Louisiana, established in 1993 and located in the Office of Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, manages 14 AmeriCorps State programs, promotes volunteerism, and coordinates spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers in times of disaster. It is supported by grants from the federal agency, AmeriCorps. Volunteer Louisiana is governed by a board of volunteer commissioners from across the state, recommended by the Lt. Governor and appointed by the Governor. For more information on Volunteer Louisiana, visit VolunteerLouisiana.gov.

About Feeding Louisiana
Feeding Louisiana: 64 parishes, 5 food banks, 1 mission. Feeding Louisiana`s mission is to be a unified voice for Louisiana's hungry by providing short-term food relief while seeking long-term solutions to hunger through advocacy, education, and leadership. Serving all 64 Louisiana parishes through more than 1,000 community partners and food pantries, the Feeding Louisiana network includes the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana, the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana. Learn more at FeedingLouisiana.org.

About Louisiana Blue
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, or Louisiana Blue, is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianans. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying, not-for-profit health insurer with offices in every major region of Louisiana to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past seven years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan Satisfaction Study ranked us #1 in member satisfaction among commercial health plans in the East South Central Region. Louisiana Blue also was nationally recognized for exceptional customer service by USA Today's America's Best Customer Service 2025. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. We invite all Louisianans to visit our website at lablue.com or talk to us on social media @MyLouisianaBlue.