Don Dupuis is a Louisiana technology pioneer whose work quietly shaped how businesses across Acadiana and far beyond learned to operate in the early days of the digital age.

Don founded Acadiana Computer Systems in 1969, at a time when most offices still relied on adding machines, paper ledgers, and manual calculations. Long before “IT services” was a common phrase, Don saw that businesses, especially medical practices, needed help navigating billing, coding, payroll, and data management.

What began as a small, homegrown operation became a regional force, supporting doctors, lawyers, oilfield companies, universities, public offices, and even the horse racing industry.

In this conversation, Don walks us through a remarkable journey that begins in Carencro, where he grew up and still lives on the very property where he was born.

He shares stories from his early career in banking, including helping launch the credit card business in central Louisiana, complete with a secret U-Haul trip to Baton Rouge to retrieve credit cards during a rainstorm, and how that experience opened his eyes to the power of automation.

Without a formal computer science degree, Don built his company by pairing business insight with technical brilliance. He credits early partner Roy Arwood, a mathematician and programmer, as “a genius” who wrote the software while Don sold, ran, and personally operated the systems. Together, they computerized payrolls with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of employees, ultimately processing more than one million W-2s in a single year.

Don explains how Acadiana Computer Systems served a wide range of clients:

In medical billing, Don describes uncovering widespread inefficiencies, and sometimes outright fraud, costing physician practices tens of thousands of dollars each month. His company didn’t just process claims; it helped doctors understand diagnosis codes, CPT procedures, and compliance, often recovering revenue that would otherwise be lost. “A doctor’s bill is one of the most complicated things to produce,” he explains, emphasizing how critical accuracy became once Medicare and government oversight entered the picture.

The episode also captures the culture of Lafayette’s boom years. Don recalls a time when oil money flooded the region, businesses were expanding rapidly, and opportunity felt “wide open.” He also speaks candidly about downturns, particularly the late-1970s and early-1980s oil collapse, when many left Lafayette in search of work elsewhere.

After decades of growth, Don sold Acadiana Computer Systems in 2021, staying on briefly before stepping away for good. He reflects on the realities of modern consolidation, offshore labor, and automation, noting that while technology keeps advancing, it often comes at the expense of long-term employees.

In late 2025, Don made local news again when he sold the former ACS’ headquarters (nearly 30,000-square-foot building on Dulles Drive) for $3.6-million deal to South Louisiana Community College, allowing the campus to expand classrooms, offices, and student services.

Beyond business, Don shares stories of generosity and community, from housing Lafayette’s mounted police horses on his rural property to building lifelong relationships based on handshakes rather than contracts. “If you’re nice to somebody, it comes back,” he says, reflecting on clients who became partners simply because he helped when they needed it most.

The conversation closes with Don’s thoughts on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the future of work. Having witnessed the evolution from mainframes to personal computers to AI, he sees enormous potential, particularly in medicine, alongside serious risks if technology is used carelessly. He also laments the massive shift of jobs to foreign countries where people making $2.50 per hour are gladly taking jobs once held by America’s talented workforce.

This episode is a rare oral history of Acadiana’s early technology era, told by someone who helped build it: one payroll run, one program, and one handshake at a time.

We thank our dear friend, Don Dupuis, for his generous spirit and the contributions he has made to our business climate in Acadiana. Avec beaucoup d’amour!

Discover Lafayette welcomes Melissa Bonin, celebrated artist, poet, lyricist, and author whose work is deeply rooted in the landscape, language, and spirit of South Louisiana.

A native of New Iberia with French and Acadian ancestry, Melissa is widely recognized as one of Louisiana’s leading contemporary landscape painters. Her work weaves together emotion, mythology, nature, and memory—often inspired by bayous, waterways, mist, and the movement of water.

Melissa’s multidisciplinary voice is beautifully expressed in her 160-page book, When Bayous Speak, which pairs poetry and paintings spanning more than two decades of her artistic career. The poetry in the book reflects five to six years of work, while the paintings represent some of her most personal and enduring visual pieces. The cover image, Dances on Water, embodies the themes that recur throughout her work—flow, reflection, and deep connection to place.

Melissa shared that she was painfully shy as a child and struggled to communicate with others. Her earliest breakthrough came on the last day of kindergarten, when a teacher handed her a chalkboard. “There was something I was able to express myself with, without speaking,” she recalled. That moment marked the beginning of a lifelong relationship with art as language.

Her grandfather, a horse trainer, would sit with her and draw simple figures, unknowingly nurturing her creative instincts. Even early recognition came with challenges; after entering a poster contest as a young child she didn’t win. She was told she couldn’t have drawn the winning work herself. “But I did,” she said.

Melissa’s artistic path was shaped by extraordinary mentorship. At Mount Carmel in New Iberia, teacher James Edmunds and his wife Susan exposed her to museums, music, and culture, taking her to the King Tut exhibit and the symphony in New Orleans. Edmunds introduced her to Elemore Morgan, Jr., who became a lifelong mentor.

Through these mentors, Melissa began taking fine art classes at UL Lafayette while still in high school at only 15 years of age. Edmunds even received permission from the nuns to continue teaching her privately at his home. “The greatest thing he ever did for me was to get out of my way,” she said.

Reflecting back on her early mentor in high school, Melissa says, “James Edmunds would have different media there. It would be watercolor or whatever. He’d say, I’ll be back in an hour. Then he’d come back and we’d discuss it. Then I’d go back to school.”

Melissa went on to earn her degree in Fine Arts at USL (now UL Lafayette), studying under influential artists including Elemore Morgan Jr., Herman Mhire, and Bill Moreland.

Melissa’s love for the French language developed alongside her art. Her parents belonged to what she called the “shamed generation” who did not speak French, yet her grandmother spoke only French. Wanting to communicate with her, Melissa taught herself French using a Bible she found in an armoire.

Her academic journey led her abroad through scholarships from CODOFIL and LSU. She studied in Angers and Paris and described her first experience in France simply as “I’m home.” That connection continues to influence her work, which is often presented in both English and French.

Melissa described the moment she truly “found her voice” as an artist after her first major New Orleans show, when Elemore Morgan Jr. left her a message repeating, “Melissa, you have found your voice.” Her distinctive surface treatment—polished like “a gemstone or a precious metal”—became a defining element of her work.

When asked how long it takes to create a painting, she quoted Picasso’s famous response: “All my life.” Some works move quickly; others are painted over dozens of times. “The canvas tells you,” she said. “It’s when you try to impose your will upon the canvas that you don’t get too far.”

Melissa Bonin shared on Facebook, “So happy to see this in Moncus Park today on my walk. What a lovely job the Haynie Family has done incorporating one of my wildflower paintings and one of my poems into their display along Lake Reaux.”

Melissa’s work is deeply inspired by the natural world—water, mist, humidity, plant life, wildflowers, and birds. During a period of heartbreak, she began paddling her canoe on the bayou every afternoon. “When I got on the water, everything fell away,” she shared. That experience sparked her lifelong exploration of bayous as both subject and sanctuary.

Today, birding has become part of her daily life and creative process. “Being out there and hearing the sounds of nature and the calls—I love it,” she said.

Melissa’s poetry has reached international audiences, with residencies in Montreal and current opportunities in France. Reflecting on a defining moment at the Congrès Mondial in Canada—where she was the first woman to present—she recalled a comment from a well-known figure who told her, “They will always remember your painting, but your poetry will get you nowhere.”

Her response was resolute: “I must have had some really good poetry to make a person have to formulate that kind of sentence.” Since then, her poetry has appeared in parks in Belgium, installations in Lafayette, and residencies across borders. “My advice is filter what people tell you,” she said.

Melissa spoke candidly about choosing to become a full-time artist after realizing her art income had surpassed her teaching salary. “I wish I would have done it sooner,” she said. Her advice to young creatives: trust the inner voice and begin before you feel completely ready.

She also shared that meditation, movement, and dance—another lifelong love—play a vital role in her creative process. “When I’m really stuck, I move,” she said. “And then sometimes the answers come.”

“Arianna Huffington had a quote that I love to live by. She said, “Go forward as if all the cards are stacked in your favor. And so for anyone who has a desire to paint or write, I encourage that. There’s something that happens to a person when they dig deep within themselves and really become acquainted with themselves. In that way, something beautiful happens and everyone around can feel it.”

Melissa will be featured in Bulles littéraires, a literary evening hosted by Alliance Française de Lafayette.

📍 Centre International de Lafayette
735 Jefferson Street (enter on Jefferson side)
🗓️ 6:00–7:00 p.m. | Free event
Melissa will present When Bayous Speak in English, French, or both.
RSVP online through Alliance Française de Lafayette.

Melissa Bonin’s work reminds us that art is not separate from life—it is life, observed deeply, felt honestly, and expressed with courage.

Discover Lafayette welcomes Heather Borges, owner of Bee Organized Lafayette, a professional organizing and life-transition company serving the Lafayette area.

January is National Organizing Month, and this first conversation of 2026 kicks off the new year with practical insight into why organization is so personal and so powerful.

Heather shares her path from nursing to professional organizing. A graduate of UL-Lafayette  in 2009, she spent 16 years as a nurse, including work as a dialysis nurse, in home health, and as a school nurse for Lafayette Parish for 11 years.

Heather explains that home health nursing, in particular, exposed her to how people actually live in their homes and how clutter can affect safety and daily functioning.

Burned out after COVID but still wanting to serve with compassion, she began researching professional organizing and discovered Bee Organized, a nationally based franchise that is locally owned and operated. After years of prayer and discernment, she made the leap, supported by her family and husband, calling it a step away from security but toward purpose.

Heather describes Bee Organized as a tight knit franchise community based out of Kansas City, Kansas, with regular Zoom meetings and a strong culture of encouragement. She explains that the company’s approach is grounded in compassion, sustainability, and truly understanding how each client functions in their space. As she puts it, “We’re not just going to make things look pretty on the shelf. We’re really listening to you and seeing how you function, how you want it to function.”

A recurring theme of the conversation is how overwhelmed people feel by their belongings. Heather says many clients tell her they feel paralyzed, explaining, “They go into the room, and then they just back out and close the door… ‘I can’t. I don’t know where to start.’” Her response is reassurance and process: “Nope, we got it. We are going to help you go through it.”

Bee Organized prefers clients to be present during sessions so the systems created are realistic and maintainable. “Our goal is for you to be able to maintain it,” she says.

Heather walks through Bee Organized’s complimentary in-home consultation process, where she assesses personalities, volume of belongings, and how a client wants a space to work. She emphasizes that square footage alone doesn’t tell the story: “A 1,400-square-foot home may have double the stuff as the 1,400-square-foot home across the street.” During consultations, she takes notes, photos, and measurements, and provides an estimate within 24 hours. She also offers flexible options for those who prefer to send photos or videos instead of an in-person visit.

A key part of Bee Organized’s philosophy is recognizing different organizing personalities. Heather explains several types, including the “Crammer Jammer Stacker,” which she describes as “organized chaos,” where someone has a lot in one space but knows exactly where everything is. She also discusses the “Aspire,” who buys supplies for hobbies they hope to do someday; the “Just in Case” person who stocks up out of caution; the “Memory Keeper,” who holds onto sentimental items; and the “Money Minded,” who struggles to part with expensive purchases. These insights help her team, called “the Bees,” approach each job with empathy and strategy.

Some of the most moving moments come when Heather talks about memory-based organizing. She shares stories of helping clients preserve meaning without forcing them to discard cherished items. One example involved turning her own late grandfather’s Western shirts into teddy bears for grandchildren, with the remaining shirts donated to a nursing home. “We do not force you to get rid of things because those memories are special to you,” she says.

Bee Organized also offers keepsake boxes, memory albums, T-shirt quilts, and access to a local vendor list to support these projects.

Beyond home organization, Bee Organized Lafayette provides packing and unpacking for moves, downsizing support, commercial organization for spaces like coffee shops and spas, donation drop-offs, help selling items online, and pre-estate-sale organization. Heather notes, “We’re not an estate sale company… we’re charging you our hourly rate,” emphasizing transparency and flexibility. Concierge services include holiday decorating, gift wrapping, personal shopping, and seasonal setup and takedown.

Heather also shares practical advice listeners can use immediately. One of her favorite tips is the “this-and-that bucket,” where items that accumulate during the day go into one container and must be dealt with within 24 hours. “Everything has a home,” she repeats throughout the conversation, explaining that visual clutter often becomes mental clutter. She encourages people to finish the task of grocery shopping by putting groceries away, rather than leaving them on the counter to become a source of stress.

Reflecting on what surprised her most about this work, Heather says she didn’t expect the emotional impact. “I’ve had people cry, and they tell me they can breathe again.” She describes seeing clients feel lighter, calmer, and energized by their spaces, sometimes comparing the experience to a “fresh start.”

Heather invites listeners to take advantage of National Organizing Month in January and begin decluttering, one space at a time.

Bee Organized Lafayette can be reached at https://beeorganized.com/pages/lafayette, [email protected], or you can call Heather at (337) 341-2025. As Heather reminds us, “One box at a time. One spot at a time.”

Discover Lafayette welcomes a true living legend of service to Acadiana: Dr. Mary B. Neiheisel.

Dr. Neiheisel was the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Lafayette Civic Cup, one of the highest honors for civic service in our community. Her journey in Lafayette began in 1966, when she started teaching at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL Lafayette), launching 59 years of impact in education, healthcare, and community leadership.

With quiet determination, Dr. Neiheisel helped build UL Lafayette’s Nurse Practitioner Program, serving as its first coordinator and director and laying the foundation for graduate nursing education across the region.

Beyond academia, her heart for service shines through her long-standing work at Faith House of Acadiana, where she serves as a nurse practitioner and advocate for survivors of domestic violence. Her legacy of compassion is now honored through the Mary B. Neiheisel Patron of Hope Award, created in her name to recognize extraordinary servant leadership in our community.

From South Texas to Lafayette

“I grew up in a very small town in South Texas, about 40 miles from San Antonio, called Stockdale.”

Dr. Neiheisel traces her path into nursing back to her mother’s influence. “My mother always said that she concentrated on me being a nurse when she was pregnant. She said it was implanted. Consequently, she bought me the Cherry Ames nursing books when I was very young. Any medical shows on TV? We watched them. My mother started out to be a nurse, but she wanted to get married. And in those days, they did not allow the nurses to be married. So I think, you know, it was just her wish on me.”

Dr. Neiheisel received her early education in San Antonio, completing her baccalaureate degree at the University of the Incarnate Word before moving to Austin and later earning her master’s degree at the University of Colorado in 1965. She shares how she met her husband, Richard Neiheisel, then a USL history professor, and how that connection ultimately brought her to Lafayette in 1966.

USL in the 1960s

Reflecting on her early years on campus, Dr. Neiheisel recalls the realities of nursing education at the time: “We were actually in a condemned building.” She describes a small campus, modest facilities, and close-knit classes, noting how both the university and its nursing program have evolved into institutions that are now nationally known.

Answering the Call to Teach

Dr. Neiheisel explains what drew her to nursing education: “I felt like there was a real need for more faculty, more teachers in nursing, to help students learn the things that would be best in caring for their patients.”

She speaks candidly about advocating for nursing education in what was largely a male-dominated academic environment, addressing disparities in pay and recognition while helping shape curriculum, meet state board standards, and recruit new faculty.

“In 1984, Acadian Ambulance came to our college to ask about starting an EMT program in our college. And I had worked some in emergency room. Not that much, but I had actually taught some emergency room classes. So I was asked to work with Acadian Ambulance on that program. That was a great experience, Acadian Ambulance is really the business model. They knew what they wanted, and we put this together and then we needed a coordinator for that program in our college. Since I had been working with it, the dean asked me if I would be the coordinator of that program. And I said, no, I’m waiting for the graduate program. And she kind of looked at me like, you’re dreaming. But we continued to talk about our graduate program, and probably it was 1988, we actually were given permission to open our nursing graduate program, and I was offered the position of the first graduate nursing coordinator, which that was really exciting.

Building the Nurse Practitioner Program

Inspired by Dr. Loretta Ford, whom she calls “the mother of nurse practitioners,” Dr. Neiheisel carried a long-held vision for advanced nursing practice.

Dr. Neiheisel says, “The year that I graduated with my master’s degree, Dr. Loretta Ford, who is considered the mother of nurse practitioners, the superwoman of nurse practitioners, actually came to our class and told us about the nurse practitioner program that she was starting, and she was a pediatric nurse. So it would be a pediatric nurse practitioner program. I was fascinated by the description that she gave for nurse practitioners and the independence that they would have and the way that they would be able to help patients, help people, help the population, not only in illness but in health, to maintain their health, to prevent disease. And I continued to kind of follow Dr. Ford and read what she was doing and seeing these programs opened. And she did start her program at the University of Colorado. She had six nurse practitioner students that year. There was, again, a lot of opposition to another role for nurses, but there was also a lot of support. She went on a national news. She went all over the country talking about the nurse practitioner program. She went from the University of Colorado to New York, started nurse practitioner programs there. And by that time they were really spreading across the country. In 1988, we finally were able to start our graduate nursing program at USL.”

She describes the early challenges, resistance from some physicians, and the persistence required to establish the program. Dr. Neiheisel went back to school herself to become a family nurse practitioner, helping launch the nurse practitioner track and graduating the program’s first students in 1995. “It wasn’t long before the physicians were employing the nurse practitioners, and now they’re employed in clinics and hospitals.”

High Standards and Lasting Impact

Addressing her reputation as a demanding instructor, Dr. Neiheisel reflects: “I guess I did have high expectations knowing that one day I was going to need their assistance, perhaps played a role in it.”

She speaks with pride about her students’ success and the responsibility of preparing nurses to be confident, capable, and compassionate professionals.

The Evolution of Nursing

From glass medicine cups and manual dosage calculations to electronic health records and patient portals, Dr. Neiheisel walks through six decades of change: “Technology has changed things in many ways… but we have lost some of that more personal touch.” She noted that nurse practitioners often help bridge that gap by spending more time with patients and answering their questions.

Retirement — and Staying Connected

Though she recently retired, Dr. Neiheisel emphasizes that she remains deeply connected to both nursing and the university: “It’s not like a total separation. I’m still very proud of our university and my years there.”

She continues part-time work at Faith House, attends concerts on campus, and remains engaged with the humanities and music communities.

A Life of Civic and Cultural Service

Dr. Neiheisel reflects on decades of civic involvement, including United Way of Acadiana, Rotary Club of Lafayette, the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana, Acadiana Center for the Arts, Zonta International, Foundation for Wellness, and the Lafayette Public Library Foundation. Of all her commitments, she says simply: “Faith House is my love.”

She shares candidly about learning the realities of domestic violence, supporting women and children, fundraising for shelter operations, and recognizing community leaders through the Mary B. Neiheisel Patron of Hope Award.

Teaching, Challenges, and Why She Stayed

On the most rewarding part of teaching: “Meeting students is a blessing, watching them learn. That ‘aha’ moment is just so rewarding.”

On the greatest challenge of teaching: “Keeping up. It seems like it’s changing every five minutes.”

And on why she chose to build her life in Lafayette: “The people. The atmosphere, the culture. I feel like I have several Louisiana families.”

Life Beyond the Classroom

In closing, Dr. Neiheisel shared her love of music, reading, travel, and the arts, along with a lighthearted story about an unsuccessful tomato garden that led her to grow zinnias instead. She speaks fondly of trips to Colorado, visiting her grandchild in Boston, and appreciating both travel and home.

Andre Michot, a driving force behind Louisiana’s cultural soundscape and a founding member of the Grammy-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss Michot Accordions.

Widely known for pushing Cajun music forward while remaining deeply rooted in tradition, Andre’s influence extends well beyond the stage. He is also the proprietor and craftsman behind Michot Accordions, where he builds, restores, and customizes traditional Cajun accordions entirely by hand, creating instruments that don’t just make music, but carry culture.

We sat down with Andre right before Christmas 2025, inspired in part by a recent Acadiana Profile article highlighting local craftsmen who help preserve the region’s musical heritage. Andre reflected on the shrinking number of Cajun accordion builders, noting that while there are now “maybe 10 or 12 accordion builders in South Louisiana,” there were once “30 or more in the 70s and 80s.”

Andre’s musical roots run deep. He grew up surrounded by Cajun music through his father and uncles, who started playing together as Les Frères Michot, an all-brothers Cajun band, in 1986. The individual musicians have played with each other and with numerous other groups since then.

Although accordion music was always present in his home, Andre didn’t begin playing the instrument himself until age 24. Before that, he filled in on guitar with his family’s band in the mid-to-late 1980s.

“That’s what I play with Lost Bayou Ramblers,” Andre shared, explaining that he learned accordion by borrowing instruments from his father, uncles, and anyone else who would lend him one. In 1998, Andre and his brother Louis formed Lost Bayou Ramblers, with Louis playing fiddle at the same time Andre took up accordion.

Andre’s path to accordion building began through curiosity and mentorship. A pivotal moment came when his friend Ray Abshire encouraged him to learn tuning from Randy Falcon, a respected accordion builder known for a sound associated with Cajun music from the 1930s through the 1970s.

“There’s probably no playbook,” Andre explained. “It’s mostly done by ear.” While machines help with precision, tuning ultimately depends on feel: air pressure, reed response, and how notes interact when played together.

Andre described the Cajun accordion as “quite a feat of engineering,” with “a hundred little metal reeds” held in place by beeswax. Unlike guitars, which rely on resonance, the accordion produces sound through air compression, making it both mechanical and deeply physical to play.

Technically known as a melodeon, the Cajun accordion features ten buttons on the melody side and two bass buttons for rhythm. Pressing a single button opens air channels to four sets of reeds across different octaves, producing layered sound from one note. The bellows, expanding and contracting, drive both airflow and rhythm.

“It’s very physical,” Andre said. “When I started, I would get halfway through a song and be out of breath.” He later realized he had been breathing in and out with the bellows themselves.

Cajun accordions are diatonic, meaning each button produces different notes depending on whether the bellows are pushed or pulled. This design creates the distinctive rhythmic pulse central to Cajun music.

Andre’s transition from tuning and repair to full instrument building came when Randy Falcon offered to teach him how to build rather than sell him an accordion. With a background in carpentry and furniture-making, Andre found the process both challenging and deeply satisfying.

After building his first accordion, word spread, especially as audiences learned of his craft through Lost Bayou Ramblers’ performances. Orders followed from family, fellow musicians, and fans.

“That gives the accordion its soul,” Andre said of the delicate reed work. “That part has got to be right.”

Most accordion components can be sourced locally, including wood, often cypress, sometimes supplied by customers themselves. Certain parts come from Italy, where Andre says, “80 to 90% of the accordions and accordion parts in the world” are produced, particularly reeds and bellows, which require a highly specialized manufacturing process.

Andre customizes each instrument based on how a musician plays. He listens to recordings, watches hand positioning of the artist, and considers tonal preferences. Differences in reed materials, zinc versus aluminum plates, steel reeds, block shaping, and tuning style, all can dramatically affect sound.

“It helps playing the accordion in addition to building them,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to put those two together.”

Building an accordion takes Andre an estimated 80 to 100 hours, from cutting raw wood to final tuning. As he approaches the final stages, installing reeds, buttons, and bellows, he describes entering a kind of creative frenzy.

“I can’t wait to hear how it sounds,” he said. “I’ve built over 50 accordions now, and I still feel that way.”

Properly made, an accordion can last decades. Andre plays an instrument that is over 100 years old, including one built in the early 1900s that passed through the hands of Ray Abshire and family members before reaching him.

Andre sees his work as cultural preservation. By continuing the tuning methods and building styles passed down by mentors like Randy Falcon, he maintains a sound closely tied to a specific era of Cajun music.

“You can play a Cajun accordion built and tuned here,” he explained, “and it’s going to sound and feel different than one built elsewhere.”

That sense of lineage—of sound shaped by place—is central to his work.

Andre described music as a constant presence. “I’m constantly waking up with songs in my head,” he said, sometimes humming melodies into his I-phone voice memos late at night and sending them to Louis, his brother and fellow band mates. Lost Bayou Ramblers’ sound reflects not only traditional Cajun influences but also blues, rock, and other genres the band members grew up playing.

Lost Bayou Ramblers recently performed at Moncus Park’s Christmas event, with upcoming shows at The Blue Moon (December 26) and The Broadside in New Orleans (December 27). The band is also beginning work on a new studio album, following several recent live recordings, including their collaboration with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

For a more thorough history on the accordion’s history in South Louisiana, visit Lafayette Travel at https://www.lafayettetravel.com/blog/stories/post/cajun-creole-instruments-accordion/

Visit https://www.michotaccordions.com/ for more information on Andre Michot’s offerings.

In this episode, Adam Daigle, Business Editor of The Acadiana Advocate, returns to break down Lafayette and Acadiana’s top five business stories of 2025. With years of experience tracking economic trends, major developments, and the people shaping our community, Adam offers an inside look at what’s driving growth—and what challenges remain.

From the long-awaited arrival of Trader Joe’s to manufacturing growth, real estate trends, and the future of North Lafayette, this conversation is packed with insight.

Adam notes that Acadiana has mostly returned to pre-pandemic normalcy, but some sectors continue to adjust:

While Acadiana added thousands of manufacturing jobs since 2020, the closure of SafeSource Direct was a painful blow. The PPE manufacturer, built during the pandemic, couldn’t compete with ultra-low-cost Chinese imports. The result: 700 local jobs lost, many held by women and graduates of drug court programs.

Even so, Adam emphasizes that manufacturing remains a major growth engine. Companies continue to diversify away from oil and gas, and Louisiana’s industrial corridor—from I-49 to Hwy 90—remains active and expanding.

Adam continues to follow Lafayette’s housing market closely:

The market is tight—but not dangerously overbuilt.

The biggest story of the year: Trader Joe’s is officially in the works for the corner of Bluebird Drive and Camellia Blvd. in Lafayette.

Because the company is notoriously secretive, even the appearance of a permit created excitement. The land deal is expected to be finalized soon, with construction likely leading to an opening in late 2026 or early 2027.

Fun fact: Lafayette will become one of only three cities in the U. S. that have both a Buc-ee’s and a Trader Joe’s.

North Lafayette’s aging Northgate Mall has new life ahead. Entrepreneur Jacoby Landry purchased the property with a long-term vision for transforming the site—not simply filling it with retail, but creating a mixed-use redevelopment with potential for office, residential, and community uses.

Jacoby is rebranding Northgate Mall as “The Hub,” inspired by Lafayette’s nickname, Hub City, and the I-10/I-49 cloverleaf, which will be reflected in its new logo. The redevelopment will focus on mixed-use commerce, green spaces, and lighting to ensure safety and create a welcoming atmosphere.

Years of deferred maintenance mean slow, steady work ahead, but the project is finally backed by a local owner committed to revitalization.

The first major opening recently announced is Xtreme Health Club, a full-service fitness facility taking over the former Planet Fitness space. Owned and operated by Jacoby Landry’s sister, Rachel McCorvey, the facility will feature a nutritionist, weight management services, Botox, IV drips, sauna, hot tub, salt room, cold plunge, a health bar, and two indoor pickleball courts. Pilates and boxing fitness will also be offered, bringing Red’s Health Club-like amenities to North Lafayette on a smaller, community-focused scale. It’s expected to open in early 2026.

The massive travel center planned for I-10 is still happening, but Buc-ee’s has pushed back construction. The company is re-evaluating store designs nationwide, impacting multiple projects—not just Lafayette’s. The new projected opening is 2028.

Even with delays, the development will be a major economic catalyst, generating hundreds of jobs and significant sales-tax revenue.

One of the biggest economic losses of the year was the shutdown of SafeSource Direct’s facilities in Broussard and Lafayette Parish. Global PPE competition, especially from China, made U.S. glove manufacturing unsustainable.

Key impacts:

Lafayette lost an icon with the death of Red Lerille, founder of Red Lerille’s Health & Racquet Club and beloved community figure.

Adam reflected on:

Red’s influence on local fitness, business, and civic life is irreplaceable. Yet, his family follows in his loving footsteps and Red Lerille’s Health Club will remain a bedrock of our local fitness community.

Adam highlights Mandi Mitchell, CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, as one of the region’s most impactful leaders. “She’s got an incredible background working as an Assistant Secretary with the Louisiana Economic Development. It was a great grab to get her back here in Lafayette.”

Her accomplishments include:

Mandi Mitchell’s philosophy that has inspired Adam Daigle and his favorite quote of the year: “If you want to change Lafayette, you have to build the people here to do it. The cavalry’s not coming.”

Adam anticipates several big developments in the coming year:

A massive mixed-use expansion planned south of Chemin Metairie—bigger than Sugar Mill Pond.

Projects like First Solar’s facility in New Iberia and partnerships with companies such as Noble Plastics will bring hundreds of new jobs and long-term growth.

An 84-room boutique hotel breaking ground at the former Don’s Seafood site—adding much-needed lodging to downtown Lafayette.

Two drone companies, DMR Technologies and Drone Institute, LLC, are moving into the former Reptile Tannery Facility which was originally the L. A. Frey Meat packing plant building at 105 Dorset Avenue, positioning Lafayette as a future leader in drone manufacturing, training, and emergency-response tech.

A public–private partnership near the Cajundome and Cajun Field could bring a regional-scale sports facility to Lafayette, boosting tourism and event hosting.

Lafayette continues to lose 20–30 restaurants per year—a typical number, but Adam notes rising oversaturation and operating costs. Fast-casual and takeout remain strong, but dine-in restaurants face higher risk and shrinking margins. Even kitchen-ready restaurant spaces are sitting vacant longer than usual.

Despite frequent headlines about dilapidated hotels and blighted property, Adam does not expect major redevelopment along Pinhook Road in the short term. LCG is focusing instead on stabilizing the city’s expanding “empty urban core,” particularly the Evangeline Thruway and Johnson Street corridor near UL

Adam continues to document Acadiana’s economic story through:

You can subscribe to the Acadiana Advocate either digitally and/or print editions here.

Adam Daigle’s work combines hard data with human stories—spotlighting the entrepreneurs, workers, and leaders shaping Lafayette’s future. We thank him and the Acadiana Advocate for our valued partnership. Each Monday morning, the Business online newsletter shares Discover Lafayette’s latest podcast news.

Discover Lafayette welcomes Hans Nelsen, known on air as “Fast,” who co-hosts the morning show on Big 102.1 from 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. each weekday with CJ Clements.

Hans has been on the air in South Louisiana since 1985, starting as a USL student working the graveyard shift at a new urban contemporary station and going on to serve as on-air talent, program director, account executive, and sales manager at several top local stations.

He also spent years as a stadium voice and play-by-play broadcaster, and his career has become intertwined with the story of local broadcasting in Acadiana.

Hans was joined by his lifelong friend Sean Trcalek, General Manager of KATC TV-3, who was once known on radio as “Charlie Roberts.”  The two reminisce about their early days as radio co-hosts and their lifelong friendship.

Early Love of Music and the Magic of Radio

Hans grew up in a home filled with very different kinds of music, from German organ to big show tunes, and a little boy’s transistor radio became his portal to the wider world of sound.

He recalls: “I grew up in a household where my dad listened to German organ music and would play it throughout the house on Sunday afternoons. We had to listen to it whether we wanted to or not. My mom was really into big show tunes. ‘I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair” and “The Sound of Music.”

But his own soundtrack lived on his bike: “As a little boy, I had a transistor radio that I taped to the handlebars of my bike, and I would listen to top 40 in one way or another. 1972.” He loved the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and pop hits like “Billy, Don’t Be a Hero.”

As he got older, he says, “I really wanted to be a musician, and I wanted to be a singer, and I can’t really do any of that. I can play a little guitar, but radio was this next opportunity, though I didn’t really know you could turn it into a career. I just thought it would be something I did for fun.”

Learning Radio on the Graveyard Shift

Hans’ first job was at an urban contemporary station, Foxy 106.3 (KFXZ). Growing up in New Iberia, he already knew some of the music: “It’s funny, you could be a rock guy, but also listen to the Gap Band and Kool and the Gang.”

Even so, he had to go deeper into that catalog for a targeted audience: “This was deeper and a more targeted ethnic audience. But it was a piece of cake, because I loved music.”

Being alone on the air at night was intimidating: “Well, I’d listen to so much radio. You try to imitate or emulate Casey Kasem, but I was so terrible. The fact that they let me stay past the first night…It was the middle of the night miracle.”

He also remembers the mind games of that lonely studio: “You’re in a room by yourself and you can play mind games because you can either convince yourself that no one hears you, or that everyone’s listening. That one mistake, everybody’s going to hear it.”

Hustling Through College Radio and 24-Hour Weekends

Still in school, Hans got a weekend job at KVOL (1330 AM) and was quickly recruited by KSMB: “On my second shift, Scott Seagraves called me from KSMB and said, I’m listening to you. Do you want to come work for me?”

He was “so hungry” to be on the air that he took on extraordinary hours. ““I would do six to noon on KSMB on Saturday and Sunday, and quickly added noon to six on weekends at KXKW. So, I worked 24 hours in two days and worked at a bar both nights. But I knew that I had the bug, and I turn it into a job!”

That building is where he and Sean first truly connected and eventually became a morning team:

“And Sean comes into that building, we end up being the morning team and here we are.”

Teaming Up with Sean: Voices, Characters, and Parodies

Sean came in as a young newsreader, hired to do newscasts in the morning and afternoon. Their chemistry led to a two-man show that blurred the lines between straight news and wild characters.

Sean explains: “It started as you and Debbie Ray and me in news. Well, when Debbie left, it was you and me doing news. And I think it was just kind of like. Why do we need a third guy? You know, I still did the newscast, but it was a two man show.”

Hans recalls the “credibility issue”: “Sean’s doing the ‘17 people were killed today’ delivering the news and then he’s doing this crazy voice five minutes later and people knew it was the same guy. But we somehow just moved past that.”

The two displayed a gift for spontaneous skits and song parodies: “We both could really rewrite song lyrics. We could make custom versions of big songs at the time. Remember Michael Johnson’s ‘Give me wings, gimme wings.”  It would end up, “Don’t give me legs. Breasts or thighs!”

Hans says the creativity often felt effortless. “What was special about us? A special talent we both had was that there was no prep. We would sometimes do stuff and turn the microphone off. We’d look at each other thinking, that’s good. How did we just do that?”

Humor, Changing Sensibilities, and Wanting Everyone to Feel Welcome

Looking back at their 1980s material, Hans is candid about how much humor standards have changed: “Yeah, it was humor, but let’s just say sensibilities are different, right?”

He offered a vivid analogy from pro wrestling to show how certain stereotypes were once normalized and now are not: “The character development in the 70s and 80s was the Iranian guy or the Nazi guy was the bad guy. It was what they did. You just don’t do that now, right?”

Hans shared his personal compass: “I always wanted everybody to like me. I need as many listeners as I can get. They don’t have to look like me. They don’t have to vote like me. They don’t have to drive the same kind of car as me. But I want everybody to say, ‘I like listening to that guy on the radio.”

Music, Memory, and Nostalgia of Radio

For both Hans and Sean, music is deeply emotional and geographically specific; certain songs instantly bring them back to particular corners of their childhoods. Hans shared, “Some songs. What I’ve always been amazed by is when you hear a song and it brings you to a specific place. I mean, like a certain corner in your hometown and you’re like, why am I thinking of that when I hear  Sammy John’s “Chevy Van?” He offers another vivid memory: “Saturday in the Park by Chicago reminds me of standing in line at Saint Edward’s Catholic School for the cafeteria. I don’t know why.”

Becoming “Fast Eddie” and Then Simply “Fast”

A big turning point came when KSMB’s sister station needed a music director and night disc jockey. The job came with a new name Hans disliked: “They tell me, your name is going to be Fast Eddie.” He tried to negotiate the name away, but wouldn’t get the job if he didn’t accept the on-air name. KSMB was too big to walk away from:

Later, when he was put in charge of a new station and morning show, he pushed to shorten the name: “When we put the morning show on, it was the rude awakening with ‘Fast Eddie and Rob.’ We could have done it. It just didn’t sound right. Fast is a speed, not a name, but it ended up being I can’t go anywhere and people yell it out like it’s normal. When I hear Hans, it’s heartwarming. I love being Hans, I wish I could be Hans on air.”

The Power and Future of Local Broadcasting

Both Hans and Sean describe themselves first and foremost as broadcasters: “What we have always had in common and still have in common is we’re broadcasters. People say, what do you do? I don’t say I’m the general manager of a TV station, or I’m a broadcaster. We’re local broadcasters and we’re passionate about it. We have been since the day we met, and to this day, we’re passionate about the impact that local radio and television can have on a market.”

For Hans, that impact includes everything from playing nostalgia-filled music to public service in storms: “By impact, I mean moving people. When you play music, when you tell them what the weather’s going to be like, but also telling people where to go pick up sandbags.”

Hans reminds us, “During a hurricane, we’re still the last man standing. TV stations may go down… but I have been on the air during hurricanes when I was the only voice available on the air in this market.”

Sean highlights the advocacy role broadcasters have played in keeping AM radio in cars:

“We are big advocates, and were successful this past year in advocating that automakers continue to be required to put AM radios in new cars. The reason to keep AM radio is that its infrastructure often remains operational when power grids fail and cell networks are overloaded or damaged, providing a core part of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). During events like hurricanes, AM stations became the primary way people received verified, real-time information, coordinated help, and connected with the outside world when phones and internet were down.

They both reject the idea that streaming will wipe out local media: Hans says, “I’ll wrap that up with saying, Satellite radio and Netflix are not going to mean the end of local radio and local TV.”

A Morning Show Today: Competing With Phones, Not Just Stations

Hans reflects on what it’s like doing a local morning show in 2020s Lafayette:

“Technologically, it’s very different. Audience participation and reception is very different. We compete with many more things. I believe my biggest competitor in drive time is the telephone.”

Listeners no longer call to check school closures, they get texts, but live local radio still plays a crucial role, especially in emergencies.

Hans and his long-time friend CJ now host a show built on deep local roots: “We put this show together with almost a hundred years of Lafayette radio experience in one room for four hours a morning. There’s nothing that has happened here since the 60s that we don’t know about. We know where every street is. We know where the schools are. We know it. To me, it is a gift.”

Big 102.1 has embraced app listening while staying “radio-first”: “On big 102.1, we’ve had over 1,000,000 hours of listening on our app. We’re still a radio station first. So if that many people are listening, that’s why we’re still effective… we do everything we can to stay connected to the audience, to do relevant things, provide relevant content and make it fun.”

Voice of the Ragin’ Cajuns

From 2009 to 2017, Hans served as the stadium voice for UL Lafayette football and basketball, a role that grew out of his lifelong fandom: “I was such a fan. I was a Ragin Cajun as a kid. I wasn’t an LSU kid or a Tulane kid. It was USL.”

Eventually, security protocols and family priorities pushed him to step away so he could watch games in the stands with his daughter: “Because of security protocol, she could not come in the press box. So when it was my weekend, I lost the whole Saturday and I said I would rather be in the stands with her watching the game.” His last act as stadium voice was a memorable one:

“So my last duty was to introduce Billy Napier as the head coach. And I resigned that day.”

Christian’s Story, Organ Donation, and a Legacy of Life

In one of the most moving parts of our conversation, Hans shares the story of his son Christian, who died after a workplace accident in 2013. Christian fell from a picker truck in a warehouse, and although doctors did everything they could, the injury was catastrophic. “He fell 20 feet. When you say 20 feet, you think broken ankle, maybe broken arm, but somehow, on the way down, his feet hit the forklift and flipped him. And he landed on his head.”

At the hospital, after a brief brain surgery, the doctor came in and said, “Call your family.”

When representatives from Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency arrived, Hans initially felt overwhelmed and resistant: “I’m like, heck no, I’m dealing with too much.” His ex-wife, Jenn, reminded him of Christian’s own wishes when he got his license. “She said he would want to do it because he asked about it when he got his driver’s license.”

That decision changed everything; “I realized he was going to save somebody’s life.

We ended up saving four lives and it was life changing for us.”  Christian’s heart went to a teenage male that had been waiting for a heart for 18 months with time running out. Christian’s right kidney and pancreas went to a female in her 30s. His liver went to a female in her 40s, and his left kidney went to a little boy. His corneas were donated, which gave sight to 2 people. 

Hans began speaking to civic groups and driver’s ed classes about organ donation:

“We would tell kids at Driver’s Ed like, they’re going to ask you about this when you get your license, you should know what it means. Most people can’t be an organ donor, even if they want to. You have to die a certain way.”

He and Jenn started the Christian’s Legacy Foundation to create awareness of the importance of organ donation and to provide support to donor families.

Stories of other young donors continue to touch him deeply: “All these years later, those stories touch me in a different way. And I would not have read that story the same way had I not gone through that.”

Is Broadcasting Still a Good Career?

Asked if he would still recommend a career in broadcasting, Hans doesn’t hesitate, though he acknowledges the landscape has changed: “I’m always going to recommend a career in broadcast.

Sean explains that media sales in particular remain a strong path, even as technology and products evolve: “Your competition is different. Your products might be different. But of all we do, that’s probably changed the least.” There are fewer jobs, but better pay and more efficiency:

“KATC had 100 employees not long ago. Our building was built for 120 people and we’ve got 52 now. And it’s not just because of efficiencies. Our cameras are robotic now

Hans still longs to see young people with the same hunger he and Sean had: “I would love to see some young person who was like me or Sean who was willing to work 24 hours in two days when I was at KSMB. They fired the janitor, and for nine months I cleaned the building every night after I did my show, because I wanted them to see that I was willing to do anything to make it. And that’s not beneath me.”

Through stories of late-night graveyard shifts, irreverent morning shows, hurricane coverage, stadium announcing, heartbreaking loss, and renewed purpose, Hans Nelson, “Fast,” reminds us why local broadcasting still matters. As he and Sean put it, they are, above all, local broadcasters, passionate about “the impact that local radio and television can have on a market” and the ways music, stories, and community can move people.

You can contact Hans Nelson at [email protected].

We welcome Lafayette’s own master of illusion, Devon Faul, one of Acadiana’s most captivating magicians. Devon is known for blending sleight of hand with a deep sense of showmanship to create experiences that leave audiences spellbound. From close-up moments to full stage performances, Devon brings a unique blend of creativity, humor, and heart to his craft.

We explore his journey into magic, the discipline required to master illusion, and the universal connection he creates through wonder and surprise.

Devon says that people of all ages speak the universal language of wonder and awe. In today’s world, he believes many people don’t get that feeling as often as they used to because everyone’s kind of in survival mode. Magic, for him, is a way to reach out to people in a universal way and give them a feeling that they haven’t had before, one that reaches you on a deeper level. Magic for Devon is “the human condition, psychology, philosophy, struggles, triumph.”

Devon’s day job is work at Stuller, the largest jewelry manufacturer and distributor in North America headquartered in Lafayette. He calls it “kind of a dream,” explaining that they take people seriously and foster an environment where employees “feel like you can be a person. I’m super lucky to be working with them.”

Devon began devoloping his magic craft at age ten years of age, but not in the traditional way. He didn’t get hooked by a magic kit or a grandparent pulling a coin from behind his ear. Instead, he says “it actually started because my dad was in the oil field, so we moved a lot”—Wyoming, Louisiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas.”

“I was always the weird, quiet, out-of-state kid. You know, Wyoming people are very different than Louisiana people, who are very different from Virginia people. It’s like their own countries. Each state is its own territory.” Frequent moves and feeling out of place led to bullying: “People want to tear down that which they do not understand.”

As a ten-year-old, he imagined that maybe people wouldn’t bully him “if I had superpowers, if I could become Superman.” Magic became “the closest thing to superpowers,” a way to bridge gaps, build confidence, and connect.

Devon started with card tricks, “kind of everyone’s entry point.” He explained that card magic involves numbers, memory, psychology, and timing. “It’s getting used to handling a deck of cards just like any tool.”

He shares one of the mathematical realities that inspired him: If you shuffle a 52-card deck, “no deck has ever been in that exact order, and statistically, no deck in the future ever will be.” The concept mesmerized him: “It’s math, science and statistics and psychology.”

“You get into, like, this weird area of random knowledge. For example, if you have a deck of 52 cards, figure out numerically how many possibilities are on a deck of cards. It is mathematically 52 factorial, which is 52 times 51 times 50, all the way down to one. Which means if you shuffle a deck of cards in the history of a deck of cards, no deck has ever been in that exact order. And statistically, no deck in the future ever will be in that exact order. It is a deck of cards and magic, but it’s also math, science and statistics. So, you start off with card tricks and then you branch into anything and everything from there.”

While some magicians use trick decks, Devon says, “I pride myself on my sleight of hand. I don’t ever want to be reliant on any kind of apparatus. That’s not magic.” He wants spectators to be able to inspect anything he uses.

“Magic will come for those who seek it. I’ve always told people I don’t have any special capabilities that anyone else can’t develop. I just put in the time, the energy and the effort. Everyone wants the view from the top of the mountain, but very few people want to actually climb the mountain. And so it’s the destination, but it’s also more so the journey. So once you get the knack for cards and you develop that dexterity, then you see other things that are maybe more visual.”

Devon began learning magic through YouTube “when I was like 9 or 10.” Some tricks came easily; others took relentless practice. “The cool thing about magic is that it kind of compounds a little bit… it builds the dexterity in your hand to then be able to do something totally different.”

Devon performs with cards, coins, rings, ropes, and also does mentalism—“reading minds.” He studied reading systems and even tarot, not spiritually, but “as a way to understand it for what it is.”

He notes that ancient magicians, including shamans and the oracle at Delphi, used magic to bring people spiritual well-being and peace of mind, much like the psychological effects we recognize today.

Devon believes magic belongs alongside poetry, storytelling, and painting. “Magic is so pervasive through human history,” he says, describing innovators like Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin and the famed Light and Heavy Chest illusion. “The effect would be that the magician might be able to lift the box. But when the box is set back down, no other spectator could lift it. Or maybe a child could lift it, but no adult could.“ This magician has been rumored to have stopped a violent revolt in Algeria that threatened to erupt into a full-scale war with France. In 1856, the French government commissioned him to perform his magic for Algerian tribal chiefs, who were being incited to rebellion by religious leaders claiming magical powers. Houdin’s show of superior illusion, including catching a bullet and the light and heavy chest trick, demoralized the rival magicians and quelled the uprising. 

Devon sees magic as the art of altering perception: “Magic is about perception… because perception is reality.”

While science says matter cannot be created or destroyed, “a magician pulls a coin out of thin air.” The illusion forces us to confront the gap between what is real and what seems real.

Devon explains that magicians often specialize in:

He prefers close-up and parlor for the “intimacy” they create.

Devon admires Penn & Teller. Teller doesn’t speak because “he found that the magic would speak for itself.” Devon notes that magicians unconsciously build misdirection into speech patterns, but Teller proves that “you could say absolutely nothing and let the magic speak for itself.”

Devon loves connecting with people: “We all have stories… we’re like screaming, this is me, this is who I am.”

Magic allows him to meet people and share meaningful experiences, because “none of us make it out alive… we’re all in the same playing field.”

His signature maroon velvet suit and handlebar mustache? It’s intentional: “I love the vaudeville style of magic.”

And yes—he wears velvet suit to work: “Oh, absolutely.”

Devon says: “Being a magician is not necessarily just a career choice… It’s a mindset.”

A magician is “someone who creates their universe,” seeks knowledge, solves problems from new angles, and explores what is “possible versus impossible.”

Magic teaches him to “tear open the fabric of reality for just a split second.”

Devon explains that magic at corporate events can make “two people who have been working together for ten years and just never seen each other” suddenly bond. Magic creates conversations that lead to genuine connection. “Magic speaks to everyone… it’s arguably unmatched in that regard.”

Devon once hypnotized his cousin after practicing from YouTube tutorials. Her hand stuck to the wall—so convincingly that “the genuine look of concern in her eyes told me, oh wait, this might be real.”

When he released her, “you could hear the sound of her hand coming off the wall.” She told him, “my brain was telling my hand to move and it wouldn’t respond.”

He explains that hypnosis is misunderstood but real, sharing examples like highway hypnosis while driving and gut-level decisions.

Devon discusses how the same psychological tools magicians use were once used by pickpockets and con artists. He references a historic painting depicting the cups and balls trick—“the oldest trick in the book”—where someone is performing magic while a thief steals a nearby spectator’s purse.”
“In the ancient times of the Pharaoh, slaves would do magic tricks to distract the Pharaoh while others would sneak in and steal food. Some of the oldest magic tricks were removing the head of a goose and then reattaching it. And then the goose would walk or fly away.”

Devon also discussed a modern day master of deception, Apollo Robbins, who is one of the world’s leading experts on pickpockets and confidence crimes. Robbins made national news as the man who pick-pocketed the Secret Service while entertaining former U.S. president Jimmy Carter. He uses pick-pocketing and sleight-of-hand to demonstrate proximity manipulation, diversion techniques and attention control. Devon explained the science behind misdirection used by magicians: “There’s this little guy in your head and he’s running the security cameras and he sees everything, but he still has blind spots. You can only take in so much information at one time, and you don’t know what you don’t know. You can’t see what you can’t see. So there are times where if you’re looking here, something is happening elsewhere, or I’m setting something up in ten minutes, but because you don’t know what’s happening, you don’t know that me rubbing my nose is going to be something that helps me in like ten minutes. So there is like a core tool set, psychology.”

Visit https://devonfaul.com/ or call 337-366-2014 to contact Devon Faul.

Our guest is Teri Dupuy-Gore, Executive Director of Hub Lafayette Urban Ministries, a Christ-centered outreach serving our neighbors experiencing homelessness, chronic poverty, hunger, and difficult life transitions.

Teri shares how The Hub and its Lovewell Center at 1515 W. University Avenue in Lafayette, create a place to be present in our community and love people right where they are, offering not only practical resources but dignity, relationship, and restored hope.

Teri explains that Hub Lafayette Urban Ministries “actually unifies two separate ministries,” and that this conversation focuses on The Lovewell Center at 1515 W. University

Within the Lovewell, members access four resource “stores”:

All of these resources are available to members of the Lovewell Center.

Becoming a member is intentionally simple: “To be a member, you simply have to walk in and say, hey, I want to be a member. There’s no criteria.”

When someone joins, the team takes basic information: name, phone number (if they have one), address (or notes if they’re living on the streets), and next of kin — “because we want to become your family… we want to be your family anyway.” New members “automatically get 20 points for just joining us.”

The Lovewell uses a points system instead of cash so people can actively participate in their own progress: “You earn points by taking classes because we believe in healing and helping yourself… or you’d bring us your check stub from a job that you have now.”

Teri explains that this model is particularly powerful “for people who are struggling in chronic poverty, because we can help you offset the cost of everyday life without using money, but using points… you get to make decisions.” Members can choose to “earn points and store them up, or earn points and spend them,” and that freedom is central to their approach:

“We instill dignity and value in you… it’s a beautiful, beautiful opportunity for us to be able to be present in our community and love people right where they are.”

At the heart of Lovewell are the classes that help people earn points and, more importantly, work toward inner healing:

“Our classes are geared around broken relationships that we feel everyone has or will have — a broken relationship with God, a broken relationship with yourself, a broken relationship with others, or a broken relationship with creation. So our classes are all geared around healing in those areas.”

Classes typically run for eight weeks and meet for one hour, once a week. Facilitators are often people who have personally wrestled with the same issues they’re teaching about:

“I may overcome something and say, I would love to teach this class… using the experiences that I have and the healing that I’ve received… and share that with others. Giving them hope.”

Communication classes are a key example: “For some of our members… it’s very natural to have a confrontational conversation. It’s not natural to scale that down to where it is speaking truth with grace. It’s usually just truth in your face.”

The goal is to help everyone “have a voice and be heard” in “a polite and generous way.” Teri calls these classes “really the heart of the Lovewell Center” and “the heart of the mission of The Hub.”

She sums up their mission this way: “Our mission statement is, “We’re on a mission to offer everyone in our city access to restored life. And we believe in what we call the four R’s: Rescue, Relationships, Resources and Recovery.”

The Lovewell Center is open Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the yard open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:35 p.m.

For neighbors experiencing homelessness, it’s a safe place simply to belong: “If our friends experiencing homelessness need a place to go, they come and hang out with us, because they are wanted and belong.”

Every Tuesday night a community meal is offerred “Every Tuesday night we have community meal, which means we all get together and eat dinner together. Anyone in the community is invited… We start at 6:00 and we’re usually finished by 7:15–7:30 p.m.”

From 6:00–6:25 p.m., there are large-group activities — bingo, class time, or worship — and if you participate in those events as big group events, you earn ten points for that.”

Teri shares that on Tuesday nights they see 125–150 people, and during the day they have “90 to 100 people every day” coming through for services, community, and support.

Teri is deeply intentional about not harming the people they serve: “The core of the program is about empowering people through relationships to see themselves the way Christ sees them and to empower them to be all that God has called them to be.”

She speaks candidly about common pitfalls in helping: “In a world of ministry where we all feel called to give, at some point giving hurts. We then take from the person and we steal their dignity and their value because we want to do for them what they can do for themselves.” That’s why she describes The Hub’s posture as, “We are a hand up, not a hand out. We are not there to be sympathetic, we are there to be empathetic. We want to sit in it with you and encourage you and remind you that you’re not alone.”

Hub Lafayette Urban Ministries is 100% funded by donations by individuals, churches, grants, and in-kind gifts. Teri says: “Money is always welcome. It keeps the lights on. It keeps the coffee in the pots. It allows us to keep food on the shelves.”

They also always need physical donations, especially:

Meals for Tuesday night community dinners and Wednesday morning breakfasts are donated and served by volunteers, including local partners and cooks like Kent Zerangue, who prepares “the most fabulous meal ever from homemade ice cream… and shrimp stew.”

Teri emphasizes that everyone can do something: “Not everyone has the capacity to donate money. Not everyone has the capacity to donate their time… But everyone has the capacity to pray. Everyone has the capacity to pass on the word.”

For more information on donating, volunteering, providing meals, or inviting Teri to speak, listeners can visit Hub Lafayette Urban Ministries at https://www.hublafayette.org/or connect via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thehuburbanministrieslafayette or their Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/thehublafayette/?hl=en

Discover Lafayette welcomes Kent Zerangue, the founder of Food With Love, “a heart centered ministry of Hospice of Acadiana” that he first began in July 2017 when he offered to cook for a former classmate whose son had been diagnosed with a brain bleed.

Kent had retired in March of 2017 with plans to open a catering business, but he experienced an epiphany that overshadowed any need to make money. He shares in our interview how his parents were devout followers of Jesus Christ and consistently demonstrated love to their family, neighbors, and community through their actions in helping and praying for others.

Kent’s culinary journey with Hospice of Acadiana was jumpstarted by a simple meal of shrimp and okra gumbo. When he was 18, a neighbor’s daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. The young woman loved the delicious shrimp and okra gumbo Kent’s mom would make, and he said, “I can still see my mom walking through the thick St. Augustine grass to bring Debra her shrimp and okra gumbo, and more importantly, to be present for a family in need.” Fast forward years later when Kent’s dad was in hospice care and a family friend came over with “shrimp and okra gumbo. The comfort that meal delivered was indescribable. This gumbo filled my stomach, but more importantly, this meal—this simple act of bringing food—placed unspeakable joy in my heart during a most difficult time.” Kent knew his retirement plans had to change. He decided to put aside notions of making a profit and begin cooking for families in need.

Since then, Food with Love has grown dramatically in its outreach, mobilizing volunteers to prepare and deliver “delicious, comforting, home cooked meals to patients and their families,” providing nourishment, dignity, and what Kent describes as “a tangible that our community cares about.”

Kent Zerangue assisted a longtime friend, Claire from his school days, when her 34-year old son was diagnosed with a brain bleed. He provided meals for the family while her son was in treatment in Houston. Kent shared that afterward, he began cooking for other families in need. By the end of his first year in cooking service, several other families were added to the food chain. When he saw Claire in person for the first time in 40 years she said “Kent, you are providing food with love!” Thus the name of the ministry was born.

Kent began by cooking for one family, and within months, support and demand grew:

By February 2018, Kent approached Hospice of Acadiana to officially offer meals:
“I kind of got my sea legs under me a little bit. And then they started giving me families.” By the end of 2018, he served about 60 families.

Today, Food With Love serves about 135 families, preparing approximately 800 meals a week. The simple, profound message is “Jesus loves you. Jesus has always loved you. Jesus will never abandon you.“

For over 7 years, Kent cooked from his backyard commercial kitchen. Volunteers arrived naturally—
“I had this lady call me one day…‘I’ve been watching you for about a year… Can I come volunteer?’ I didn’t even know I needed a volunteer.”

Eventually he approached then-CEO Kacee Thompson of Hospice of Acadiana: “Do we want food with love to be something that continues for the long term? Her response was, “Absolutely.” She later called him saying, “Are you ready to start fundraising?” A space had become available on the side of Hospice of Acadiana, on the corner of Johnston and Christopher Street. Kent shared: “In less than 11 weeks, we had raised $1 million.”

The kitchen is now fully paid for, USDA-approved, and equipped with the finest of equipment.

On the day we recorded our podcast, Kent shared: “Today we cooked loaded baked potato soup. 40 gallons of it. And we will put it in individual meals tomorrow. We had 18 volunteers in the kitchen this morning helping cook bacon. We cooked 25 pounds of bacon and potatoes just to get the soup ready.

We’re going to bag it, put it in bags, vacuum seal it, label it, freeze it. And then what a family does when they receive it, when they’re ready to eat it, put it in hot water, boil it for about five minutes and it’s ready to eat.

Food With Love has about 115 volunteers:

Volunteers handle everything from chopping and baking to making ice cream.

Kent emphasized the spiritual dimension: “No one thinks that they own it because it doesn’t belong to any of us. It’s his. It’s God’s.”

Kent cooks the foods he loves:

For Christmas:
“We make them a full plate lunch… rice dressing, the pork and all the sides.”

Food with Love’s beloved spaghetti is named Sadie Spaghetti and Meat Sauce, honoring Sadie, a teen whose hospice story is included in his book. Sadie loved Kent’s spaghetti sauce and insisted on eating only Kent’s version. (He did admit to adding brown sugar to the concoction!) Now, Kent says, “When I visit new families, I bring then Sadie’s spaghetti….I share her life, her purpose, and her journey home. Sadie’s mom insists: “Kent, never stop telling Sadie’s story. It keeps her alive.”

Kent said, “For the first four years, my wife and I paid for the food costs.” As the ministry grew, Hospice of Acadiana began supporting food expenses. Community donors and partners like David Puckett of Café Sydnie Mae have also played a major role. Food costs now total $50,000 to $60,000 per year. Kent explained, “It’s important to me that the community backs what we do monetarily, because it helps Hospice of Acadiana to be able to supply this God driven mission.” And of course, beyond food, there are costs for bags, equipment repairs, utilities, insurance, and more.

To volunteer:

To donate:

Kent Zerangue wrote and published Holy Moments on the Journey Home: Food With Love Stories, a book that honors hospice families and highlights “insights about holiness at the end of life while emphasizing the importance of being present to the sick and dying.” All profits benefit Food With Love. You can purchase a copy for $20 at Hospice of Acadiana, Cafe Sydnie Mae in Breaux Bridge, or on Amazon here.

Kent wakes daily at 3:30 a.m., spending two hours in prayer before starting his day:
“My own relationship with Jesus and my prayer time.” He cherishes his grandchildren, loves sports, and is always thinking about food.

Kent also shared deep admiration for his cousin, Father Floyd Calais, saying, “He was just the holiest of priests. The people’s priest. He was there for all of us.” There is a full chapter about him in Kent’s book.

Kent was clear about the ministry’s greatest need: “I need more delivery angels.”Not every one is a cook, but you can still help. He also explained the importance of prayer during visits: “Because when you pray with people, your relationship changes.” And he encourages volunteers not to fear the prayer aspect: “Don’t let that stop you. God has a plan for you. And it might be being a delivery angel. And we will help you with the prayer.”