LAPLACE — The St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District came together Feb. 27 at Emily C. Watkins Elementary School to feed those impacted by the tornado.

School Board member Shawn Wallace, whose home missed being hit by the tornado by a block, said he looked around in the days after and knew he needed to do something.

That’s when he contacted fellow School Board member Rodney Nicholas and the two began putting the Feb. 27 event together.

“We were fortunate enough not to get hit but we saw the turmoil and knew we needed to do something for these people,” Wallace said.

With the community eager to help, Wallace said it didn’t take long to get enough donations for the needed supplies.

“I just want to thank everybody for their help and the supplies,” he said. “We couldn’t have done it without everybody. This was just a way for the school district to give back to the community.”

About 700 meals were distributed to affected families, as well as those doing cleanup and rebuilding. Volunteers — including current and former employees, School Board members and students — cooked, served and delivered meals that included fried fish, white beans and jambalaya.

Following the tornado, Emily C. Watkins Elementary School was also used as a shelter for those whose homes were damaged. LaPlace Elementary School was used as a staging area for relief efforts and the school district also provided buses to transport storm victims.