Ascension Parish 4-H volunteer leader Hannah Landry, wearing the gold shirt, shares food with people placed in the food insecure group during a hunger lunch designed to raise awareness of hunger and poverty in Louisiana. The activity was part of a 4-H service-learning training session on Sept. 28. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

4-H agents and volunteers react upon realizing they’ve been placed in the food insecure group and only get a bowl of plain pasta to eat. Known as a hunger lunch, the activity was part of a 4-H service-learning training session on Sept. 28. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

St. Tammany Parish 4-H agent Olivia Picard serves pasta to agents and volunteers. Their table was placed in the free and reduced lunch category as part of a hunger lunch designed to raise awareness of hunger and poverty in Louisiana. The activity was part of a 4-H service-learning training session on Sept. 28. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

News Release Distributed 09/29/15

PORT ALLEN, La. – As a group of 4-H’ers and leaders filled their plates with pasta, vegetables and cake, another group sat on the floor in the back of the room, debating how to divide a single bowl of plain noodles.

The activity, known as a hunger lunch, was designed to demonstrate the daily struggles faced by the 20 percent of Louisiana residents who live in poverty. Part of a day-long service-learning training held for 4-H’ers, extension agents and volunteers on Sept. 28, the event was funded by a Fit4theFuture grant from the Walmart Foundation and National 4-H Council.

The goal was to raise awareness of problems that 4-H clubs can help address through service projects.

While most people are aware that poverty is an issue in Louisiana, hunger is an often-overlooked side effect, said Jessica Stroope, LSU AgCenter healthy living extension associate. Louisiana ranks fourth in child poverty in the U.S., and two-thirds of children in the state qualify for free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school, she said.

“An important part of service-learning is assessing and understanding community needs,” said Janet Fox, AgCenter 4-H Youth Development department head. “There is great need across Louisiana because of our poverty rate.”

Youth and adults at the training session were divided into three groups based on food access categories for Louisiana children. The “poorest” group sat on the floor with the bowl of plain pasta, illustrating some of the everyday dilemmas caused by food insecurity.

“You don’t have as much control when you’re receiving things,” Stroope told the group.

Another group represented those who qualify for free or reduced school meals and was served pasta with sauce and meat. The third group, representing children from homes wealthy enough to not qualify for free or reduced school meals, had access to a full buffet.

Some people eventually offered to share their food with the food insecure group after noticing they only had plain pasta.

Beth Blackwell, an AgCenter 4-H agent in Washington Parish, said the experience reminded her of stories she’s heard from children in her parish.

“Some of them don’t have a refrigerator, nor do they have a stove in their home,” Blackwell said. “In our school system, they are out for Christmas for 21 days, and they are without two meals a day for 21 days.”

Her parish 4-H club “adopted” two families last year and brought them ready-to-eat food during the Christmas break.

St. Martin Parish 4-H’ers Devin LeBlanc and Ashtin Mouton, both 18, were in the food secure group. LeBlanc said he felt lucky and never realized the magnitude of hunger and poverty in Louisiana.

Mouton said she hadn’t thought about the uncertainty that families who depend on school meals face during holidays and the summer.

“Some people may really dread those times,” Mouton said.

Olivia McClure