Mother Theodore Guerin lived a life of “loving the children first.”  It is her example that our Mother Theodore Catholic Academies (MTCA) follow as we care for and instruct our students. As Nutrition Program Manager for MTCA, I feel continuously blessed to be in the position where I can love our young people by serving them. Alongside a dedicated and compassionate nutrition staff, we serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner each school day.

In addition to meal service during the school day, our nutrition program has had the opportunity to send home weekend meals with students in need for the past few years. Thanks to the generosity of donors, we have recently been able to expand our weekend meals program. We have joined with community partners such as St. Vincent de Paul and Gleaners Food Bank to be able to open a food pantry within each of our MTCA schools. We are grateful to be in a position where we can address the needs and serve the “whole” student. By providing greater access to food and household items for the family, we are better supporting our children. In turn, our students will be able to come to school focused on learning and growing.

Each of our food pantries will be accessible to all school families. Each pantry has regularly scheduled “open” hours where food can be accessed. Families in crisis are also able to be served any day upon request.  

I am so very grateful to our MTCA donors and our community partners. With their support, and with the hard work of our nutrition staff, our social workers, and our school staff, we strive to follow in the footsteps of St. Theodore Guerin while being blessed to be able to “love the children first.”