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The Obama Foundation Honors Chicago Chef Latrice McArthur For Donating Dinners To Students

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Obama Foundation has recognized a community leader making a big difference in the lives of Chicago public school students one meal at a time.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago Chef Latrice McArthur's nonprofit organization, Wellness with Bella, has been providing dinners for CPS and charter school students from 22 different Chicago area schools.

The Obama Foundation recognized her for giving 855 families dinner every week.

"It's the highest honor that you could really think of," said McArthur, executive director of Wellness with Bella. "The work that I do, I don't do it for the recognition, but to have such a wonderful organization like the Obama Foundation reach out to us, it was amazing."

Chicago Public School is still able to provide students with breakfast and lunch, but McArthur was concerned they're not getting dinner.

"So many of our students would go to bed hungry on nights and weekends, so we figured out a way to mobilize, to be able to deliver a week's worth of meals for all of our students and their families," she said.

The children receiving the meals are part of McArthur's after school program, where they receive dinner and learn about the importance of healthy eating.

To prepare nearly 900 meals each week, River Roast Restaurant Executive Chef Cedric Harden has partnered with McArthur to provide gourmet dinners at half the cost to her nonprofit to feed all fo the families in need.

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