Service Saturdays

Service Saturdays represent Once Was, Inc.’s commitment to consistent presence and meaningful connection. Through these gatherings, veterans are welcomed, recognized, and supported in ways that honor their service while strengthening community ties that last beyond a single event.

Honoring Service Through Community Care (At the Table)

Service Saturdays are a standing outreach program of Once Was, Inc., designed to address food insecurity and offer a gesture of gratitude for serving. Providing veterans an their immediate families with holiday meal support

Serving Two Parishes

Held on designated Saturdays throughout the year in both Calcasieu and Lafayette parishes, Service Saturdays serve as the framework for several holiday-specific initiatives that ensure veterans are supported, recognized, and remembered.

More than food distributions, these events represent community recognition, gratitude, and tangible care for those who have served.

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Holiday Distributions That Meet Veterans Where They Are

Through Service Saturdays, Once Was Inc. coordinates multiple seasonal meal initiatives, including:

Thanksgiving Distributions

providing holiday turkeys to help veterans and families gather and celebrate together

Hams For Heros

a signature Christmas and Easter initiative supplying high-quality holiday hams

Memorial Day Meal Packs

honoring service and sacrifice during a time of remembrance

Each distribution is planned with respect and care, ensuring veterans are welcomed, acknowledged, and served in an organized, supportive environment. The goal is not only to provide meals, but to reinforce the message that their service continues to be valued—especially during meaningful moments of the year.

Built Through Partnership and Community Support

Impacting Acadiana

Service Saturdays are made possible through the combined efforts of volunteers, sponsors, partner organizations, host locations, and local supporters who believe in honoring veterans through action. These partnerships allow the program to reach hundreds of veteran households each year and to expand its impact across Southwest Louisiana.

Honoring Those Who Served

In recent years alone, holiday distributions coordinated through Service Saturdays have provided meals to nearly 1,000 veterans and veteran families—an achievement rooted in strong collaboration and an unwavering commitment to service.