The last name “Copeland” is legendary when it comes to feeding the people of Louisiana. It should come as no surprise that the foundation, named for the family patriarch Al Copeland, is doing just that as our state experiences an unprecedented time in history. In operation since 2008, The Al Copeland Foundation has temporarily switched gears from supporting cancer research to feeding and providing supplies for Louisiana’s front-line healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus.
The Al Copeland Foundation launched their fund raising campaign “Be a Hero, Thank a Hero” with a $10,000 donation to provide supplies to local hospitals desperately in need of items such as paper products, cleaning supplies and of course, food for health care workers. “We will continue to support those that are fighting for us for as long as necessary,” said Al Copeland, Jr., CEO and chairman of the Al Copeland Foundation. “They are in this for the long haul and we will stand beside them with whatever needs they have to keep them going.”
The foundation has raised an impressive $100,000 from individual donors and has commitments to match up to $30,000 from several local philanthropists. These funds will continue to be used to purchase supplies from vendors that work with the local family’s famous restaurants.
To date, 17 Louisiana institutions have received donations from the foundation’s campaign, including LCMC’s Touro, Ochsner Baptist, Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Lafayette General Medical, East Jefferson General Hospital and West Jefferson Medical Center. With the help of local tech company Hippomatic, the Al Copeland Foundation has established a website (www.BeAHeroThankAHero.com) where interested parties can learn more and donate to support the campaign.