Parish approves $100,000 one‑time payment to TCU Food Bank and CDBG after‑school agreement; director says need is rising

The Community Development & Planning Committee on April 13 authorized a one‑time $100,000 agreement with the Terrebonne Churches United (TCU) Food Bank to reimburse increased food and labor costs, and it approved a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) subrecipient agreement for an after‑school program.

Housing and Human Services Director Kelly Vonadeau told council members the $100,000 would be a one‑time upfront payment and would carry required quarterly reporting. Daisy Shermy (speaker 10), executive director of the TCU Food Bank, thanked the council and said the food bank’s recent mass distributions have served more than 9,000 people in the past quarter and that — counting partner nonprofits — the effort has reached about 27,000 people in the last three months.

On the CDBG after‑school agreement, council members asked whether the subrecipient could receive funds upfront rather than operate entirely on reimbursement. Staff said they will reimburse eligible expenditures back to March 1 for prior quarter costs once the agreement is executed and are exploring options to reduce cash‑flow stress for service providers. The after‑school and food‑security items passed unanimously (8–0).

Next steps: the food‑bank agreement requires quarterly reporting through Dec. 31, 2026; staff will finalize the CDBG agreement and reimburse eligible March 1 expenditures once documentation is complete.