Feeding Families and Inspiring Youth Through the Three O’Clock Project
From blessing hundreds of pounds of food to assembling Thanksgiving meal kits, students and parishioners at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and School have brought the fight against hunger to life. Their efforts support the Three O’Clock Project, a South Louisiana nonprofit that helps at-risk children and families access nutritious meals year-round. Church parishioners have contributed food and monetary donations, and during a school chapel service, Rev. Bryan Owen offered a blessing over the large collection gathered by students, a generous contribution that directly supports families in need.
The Three O’Clock Project works to address food insecurity among children and families in the region. By offering meals during after-school hours and over the summer, the organization ensures young people have reliable access to the nutrition they need to thrive. Through partnerships with schools, after-school programs and community groups, it provides meals, snacks and educational resources at little or no cost, strengthening both individual well-being and the broader community.
The organization’s work is visible through its after-school meal service, which supplies snacks and suppers to children in enrichment programs during the hours when food insecurity is most likely. When school cafeterias close for the summer, the Three O’Clock Project continues its mission by serving breakfast and lunch across numerous community sites. Now collaborating with more than 30 after-school programs and summer camps, the organization has delivered millions of meals since its founding.
This year, St. Luke’s Episcopal School has deepened its partnership with the Three O’Clock Project through a range of service-learning initiatives. In October, the school hosted a food drive focused on collecting dry beans and pasta, with middle school Shark Houses competing to gather the most. The month long effort resulted in 551 pounds of food,which was blessed during chapel and donated to the organization.The winning house met Executive Chef Jon Breaux, helped package meals and sampled some of his dishes. Students continued to give back throughout the fall. The fifth through eighth grade soccer team used part of a practice to package meals, and seventh graders dedicated a Religion class period to assembling 110 Thanksgiving meal kits for local families. These hands-on opportunities have allowed students not only to donate food, but to actively participate in the fight against hunger in their community.
For Brittany Guelfo, assistant head of St.Luke’s Episcopal School, these service-learning experiences are an essential part of shaping young people who understand their community and their responsibility to it. She hopes students gain "a deeper understanding of our community and the needs of those that are right in our backyard,"adding that opportunities to serve build empathy, social responsibility and awareness of the meaningful impact even young students can make. She explained that this work strengthens the school’s mission of challenging and nurturing mind, body and spirit, and directly supports St. Luke’s Portrait of a Graduate, which highlights critical thinking,servant leadership, teamwork and respectful citizenship. Working alongside the Three O’Clock Project, she said, has helped students develop each of these traits in meaningful, hands-on ways.
Guelfo also emphasized the importance of students seeing firsthand how food insecurity affects families. While St.Luke’s students have long donated canned goods through chapel, having the Three O’Clock Project preparing meals on campus has made the process tangible.Students can see their donations transformed into real meals, not just as abstract numbers but as nourishment for neighbors. Chef Jon’s conversations with students deepen their understanding of what it means not to know when or where their next meal will come from.
Among the most rewarding parts of the partnership for Guelfo has been watching students volunteer directly with Chef Jon and his staff. Their energy and enthusiasm have been striking. Many return because they genuinely enjoy the experience. Students were especially amazed during the Thanksgiving meal kit preparation, forming an assembly line and discovering how many families they could help in just one hour. For many, the realization that they could make a Thanksgiving meal possible for a family who might otherwise go without was deeply impactful.
Executive Chef Jon Breaux also offered insight into the challenges facing Louisiana families and the importance of partnerships like St. Luke’s. Rising food costs and limited access to healthy options remain significant barriers for at-risk youth. Despite these challenges, the organization currently provides meals to 460 families of four each week, which totals about 1,840 individuals. He shared how essential St.Luke’s has been, from hosting food drives to offering kitchen space and providing volunteers. He noted that the organization would not be where it is today without the school’s support. As the Three O’Clock Project plans its upcoming Christmas meal kits, St. Luke’s families have already volunteered to help deliver meals, further deepening the partnership.
Guelfo hopes the relationship will continue to grow, noting that having the Three O’Clock Project on campus has made volunteering accessible and natural. The school expects to continue supporting the organization through food collections, hands-on service and a shared commitment to caring for the local community.