Flyers Feed Over 900 Families

Since 1989, Loyola College Prep students put their faith into action for local families in need during the holiday season. Yesterday, the student-led organization, Flyers Aiding the Hungry (F.Ai.T.H.), provided 920 families with baskets of food with over 67% of the student body participating in the community project. Audrey Dufrene, Ashton Farr and Maggie Hodges served as the chairman for the event.   

This year F.Ai.T.H. is dedicated in loving memory of Jan McIntyre. Jan was a beloved teacher whose dedication to her students, Loyola, and service to all helped make F.Ai.T.H. what it is today.

“We are grateful to the McIntyre family for their support as a Santa Claus sponsor this year and the opportunity to celebrate Mrs. Jan’s memory and legacy here at Loyola,” said Dufrene. 

Jan was a sophomore Theology teacher and had a daily impact on the lives of Loyola students, and she was also very involved in F.Ai.T.H. during her time at the school.

“Sponsoring FAITH is a privilege and we are so grateful to the Loyola community for their love and support,” said Brandy McIntyre, Jan’s daughter-in-law. “Mom was devoted to Catholic education. Her legacy is one of love and service.  This love and service was manifested in a strong academic and spiritual grasp of the Catholic faith and service to the community through corporal acts of mercy like F.Ai.T.H. Academically, spiritually and through service, our mom lived the mission of the school: devoting her life to the greater glory of God through faith in action.”

Each year F.Ai.T.H. works to provide a holiday meal for disadvantaged families in the Shreveport-Bossier area. Supported by fundraisers, donations, and basket sales, the F.Ai.T.H. organization is able to raise the more than $50,000 necessary to sponsor this event. This effort is not done by the three chairmen alone. With 43 officers and 210 members, the F.Ai.T.H. organization at Loyola College Prep works almost year-round to plan, raise money, and organize.

“I am so proud of all of the students who were involved with F.Ai.T.H. this year especially our leaders Audrey, Ashton and Maggie,” said Susan Hymel, F.Ai.T.H. sponsor. “They worked so hard all year, developed new ideas and were so organized. Then to secure so many sponsorships including our top one with such a meaningful connection to our school is incredibly impressive.”

F.Ai.T.H.’s top partners included Strawn’s Eat Shop Too, Southside Animal Hospital, Citizens National Bank and Graf Orthodontics as this year’s Reindeer Sponsors. 

A special thank you to all of the Elf Sponsors who helped make this day possible: Dr. and Mrs. John B. Carmody, John M. Gilmer, Jr., DDS, The Ghali Gang, Dr. Russ Van Norman, Red River Chevrolet, Brammer Engineering, Papa Financial Services, Brookshires, Service to Sawmills, Sheer Technologies, Jeff Johnson ‘84 and Evelyn Johnson SVA ‘87, and David and Claudia Oliver SVA ‘72.

Since its inception, and through the partnerships with area businesses, local elementary schools and middle schools, and the generosity of our many Loyola families and alumni, F.Ai.T.H. has been able to serve over 20,000 families in our community, in its 30+ year history.