In March 2020, Toups Meatery faced the harsh impact of the pandemic that led to widespread closures and layoffs in the restaurant industry. Despite these challenges, our dedicated owners, Isaac and Amanda Toups, stood strong, keeping their management team intact and initiating daily “Family Meals” to support their staff and families during uncertain times. The humble beginnings of these meals quickly expanded, from feeding a few individuals to serving many New Orleanians in the service industry who were struggling to put food on their tables. A rising number of parents reached out for help, highlighting the stark reality of bare pantries and limited food access in the city. The overwhelming demand for assistance led to lines wrapping around the block as Toups Meatery’s family meal service became a beacon of hope for many. In April 2020, World Central Kitchen recognized our efforts and joined forces to provide crucial support, allowing us to distribute over 100k meals to charities and families in New Orleans over seven months. In August of 2021, Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans and surrounding cities. Team Toups came together to bring back Family Meal. With families stuck at home with no power and water, The Toups were dedicated to feeding the community. Each week Chef Isaac cooked for anyone who needed food in the city. The lines to receive food wrapped around the block. At this time, Toups Family Meal was crucial to feed may neighbors in New Orleans post hurricane Ida. The team was grateful to be able to support their city during this time of recovery. A turning point came in February 2024 when the Louisiana governor rejected federally funded EBT resources, depriving children in need of essential meals during the summer break. This led us to revive Toups Family Meal and establish it as a non-profit organization, marking the birth of Family Meal. Our initial focus was to assess the needs, including hosting an Easter Dinner initiative to support families in New Orleans. Recognizing the prevalent food and transportation insecurity in the city, we set a goal to provide 60,000 meals over the summer, addressing the high rates of food insecurity affecting many children in Orleans Parish, where one in three kids face hunger. Our commitment remains unwavering as we continue to offer meals through our summer program, provide disaster relief, ensure families have holiday meals, and extend support to communities in food deserts in New Orleans and hopefully beyond in the future.