BATON ROUGE - Last week, bulk health and cleaning supplies intended for child care facilities were dropped off at various locations around the state. This week, volunteers spent hours sorting and arranging those supplies so they can be given to all 1,649 child care providers in Louisiana.

"Providers have told us how difficult it is to find these supplies and it's just such an isolating time for so many of us, this pandemic, and it's the same for child care providers," Volunteers of America Director Karen Powell said.

Volunteers of America's early childhood program, Partnerships in Child Care, is partnering with the Louisiana Department of Education to help with the statewide initiative, as these facilities reopen following the Stay-at-Home order. Supplies such as no-touch thermometers, masks and gloves, hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfectant were purchased with federal emergency relief funds.

"They want to have a normal work environment again," Powell said. "They want to see their children and families again. They want to do their part for our community to serve these children and families so that families can go back to work and our economy can recover."

Child care providers lined up at the Greater Baton Rouge Food to receive their allotment of supplies. The food bank is housing the distribution center out of its warehouse and it will continue through June 5.