NEW ORLEANS — At Toups’ Meatery in New Orleans, customer service has gone beyond the hours of operation inside the N. Carrollton Ave restaurant.
“You just don’t know what people are going through,” said restaurant owner Amanda Toups.
Toups says a mission to prevent food insecurity has turned into something much bigger.
“It was surprising sometimes to see the people that we were helping that you thought, ‘Oh, everything is great with that.’ That’s not true,” said Toups.
Toups and her husband, Issac, were paying attention when they heard Governor Jeff Landry initially declined to participate in the summer EBT program for kids. So, they used their Mid-City eatery as a home base for a meal delivery program for the Summer.
WWL Louisiana was there in June when bags were filled, and then picked up or sent out.
“Delivery drivers came back and told us about the kids running out and hugging them and being so excited that the food was there and going, ‘Mom, mom, the box is here,’” said Toups.
Although the legislature eventually put up some money for the program to last through the Summer, Toups says it wasn’t enough to meet the need. Through their non-profit, “Toups Family Meal,” they worked to help fill the gap.
“It took herculean efforts, it really did,” said Toups.
Those efforts paid off. Since June 4, more than 70,000 meals have made their way to homes that may have gone without.
“70,500 meals delivered to 533 kids across 200 families, across 45 routes across the city since June 4th”, said Toups. Toups says it’s all thanks to volunteers, friends, restaurant staff, and donors.
Toups says the goal was 60,000 meals.
“60,000 was my goal but I wanted to go until I knew all the kids were back in school and I know some of them didn’t go back until the 15th,” said Toups.
It’s not over. With community help, Toups plans to continue to program and expand it.
“The most vulnerable populations in New Orleans are our children and the elderly,” said Toups. “We have to now start looking at our elders and first up is going to be looking at our elderly musicians.”
The Toups are now looking for a commissary kitchen for their non-profit to prepare meals and expand the program. If you’d like to help, CLICK HERE.