Lafayette Dads on a mission to fight childhood hunger

An orthopedic surgeon. A Louisiana Scrap Metal Recycling Sales Manager. A partner in a pool construction and landscaping business. And a Regional Vice President for Acadian Ambulance. What do they have in common?

Fighting hunger.

Brian Etier, Matt Rongey, Guy Harper and Justin Back are young Lafayette- area dads who are taking action to fight childhood hunger in South Louisiana.

“We’re young dads who wanted to find a way to help hungry kids,” Back says. “We often take food for granted, but hunger is a real problem in our community, and we want to help.”

The four men pooled their entrepreneurial skills to support Second Harvest’s children’s feeding programs. They haven’t just donated money, they have raised it — lots of it. $5,000 and counting…

“We saw Second Harvest Summer Feeding and School Pantry programs in action and were impressed,” Harper said. “Donations are used in the most efficient and effective way.”

The group has already raised enough money to fully fund the Lafayette Parish Public Library Summer Feeding Program this year and they are currently fundraising for the School Pantry at Paul Breaux Middle School. They have reached out to their networks of family, friends and co-workers to raise awareness and funds through special events like dinners, tents at local festivals, and more.