Leadership Livingston Collaboration with LPPS Revealed

A collaboration between Livingston Parish Chamber, Leadership Livingston and Livingston Parish Public Schools was started back in 2020 and finally unveiled at a ceremony on November 3, 2022. An official ribbon cutting marked the opening of the Curbside Café, a food trailer that will be utilized by LPPS to expand Meal Education and Awareness for Livingston Students (M.E.A.L.S.) LPPS officials, project sponsors, Chamber members and Ambassadors, and Leadership Livingston Alumni were on hand for the project reveal.
 
Officials from the school system's Child Nutrition department, who are also graduates of the Leadership program, approached the group to take on the project. The group agreed and submitted the project proposal where they would raise funds for the trailer. The trailer was custom ordered to fill the specifications for LPPS. The school system then added the kitchen equipment, and the branding wrap with assistance from a graphic design class at Live Oak High School, and the print shop at central office on the design and printing of the wrap. 
 
Under the direction of LPPS Child Nutrition department, the food trailer will move around to different schools 2-3 times per week and will offer unique lunch options in addition to the traditional cafeteria menus. Curbside Café will combine new menu ideas from ProStart students, with fresh ingredients grown and harvested by students in the district. It will also serve as a tool for providing meals to students in emergency situations. “Plato's philosophy is that ‘necessity is the mother of all invention’ and that is accurate” said Sommer Purvis, Supervisor of Child Nutrition Programs at LPPS. “But it is definitely a nice change of pace to stand with invention that comes behind innovation, creativity, collaboration, and enthusiasm. We are excited to see this project completed, not out of necessity, but out of innovation, and as a way to improve the Child Nutrition department and serve our students throughout the parish.”
 
The project was managed through the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Livingston Program. The Chamber also has a C3 arm where donations for the food trailer are administered. The project is overseen by the Chamber's CEO and Leadership Livingston program facilitator, April Wehrs. Purchasing of the trailer, transfer of title, administration of funds, mentoring of the project team members and many other areas are overseen by the Leadership Livingston program and the Chamber. For more information on the program, contact the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce.  

Funds were raised through sponsorship and individual contributions from members of the project group which included John Dillon, Gary O’Neal, Nicky Gautreau, Lance Landry, Chris Neal, Amanda Seals, Christine Patrick and Tim McMasters. Additional sponsors of the project were: All Star Automotive Group, Quality Engineering and Surveying, LLC, Ochsner Health, Sheriff Jason Ard, Pelican State Credit Union, Neighbors Federal Credit Union, Black Label Holdings Real Estate, Bank of Zachary, Assessor Jeff Taylor, Livingston Chamber Foundation, Frog’s Wholesale Fuel and Frog’s Magnolia Beach.
 
About the Chamber: Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit business association serving the Livingston Parish business community. The Chamber represents thousands of business owners, professionals, employees, and stakeholders. The Chamber is established to serve business, enhance communities, and advance the economy in Livingston Parish.
 
About Leadership Livingston: Leadership Livingston is a community leadership program.  The program is designed to engage participants in community dynamics and inspire action to make it better.  Leadership Livingston is a program of the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce.