Discover Lafayette

Kade Turner, Executive Director of CASA, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss his passion for serving children. He first became involved with CASA in 2017 through the encouragement of former Lafayette City-Parish Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux who was serving as Executive Director of CASA at that time.

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA advocates are trained community volunteers appointed by a judge to serve as a child’s voice in court. They represent the best interests of abused or neglected children during juvenile court and child protection proceedings. CASA is a nonprofit organization with both private and public funding sources.

CASA works on behalf of foster children within the 15th Judicial District Court which encompasses Lafayette, Acadia, and Vermilion Parishes. The Louisiana Children’s Code lays out the responsibilities of CASA and its trained volunteers who provide independent, third-party, objective assessments of what they see. Funding is provided by the Louisiana Supreme Court CASA Assistance Program, Victims of Crime Act Funding, the Louisiana Children’s Trust Fund, private donations and grants.

Approximately 340 children are being assisted by CASA and overseen by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. Most of the children in need of care are located right here in Lafayette Parish.

Volunteers go through thirty hours of training, serve without compensation, and are appointed by the court exercising juvenile jurisdiction.  The judge will verify the volunteer’s qualifications, training, and ability to serve as a CASA volunteer, including the ability to represent and advocate for the best interest of the children assigned to him.  You must be at least 21 years of age to serve and be able to commit two years of service. No volunteer is assigned until a comprehensive criminal background check has been conducted. 

A CASA Volunteer spends time with their assigned child or sibling group getting to know the child while also gathering information from the child’s family, teachers, doctors, caregivers, and others involved in the child’s life. Approximately every six months, a report is prepared for the judge (with help from an assigned Supervisor) sharing recommendations for the child’s care. Learn more about volunteering with CASA of SoLA at casaofsola.org.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (“DFCS”) which oversees foster care services has lots of turnover and is short-staffed. CASA provides much-needed resources to help families meet the requirements to get their lives back on track. A study showed that only about 23% of families had the necessary resources to meet the requirements placed upon them by the court to be able to emerge from the system. CASA helps parents sign up for classes, arrange childcare so they can attend court-ordered classes, or provide food for the family for those times that the parent must be away.

Kade has also dedicated his life to helping children with health disorders. For 21 years he has been involved with the Louisiana Lions Camp in Vernon Parish for youth in Louisiana with respiratory disorders, special needs, juvenile diabetes, and childhood cancer. Lions Camp is free for qualifying boys and girls of Louisiana. All campers are sponsored by their local Lions Clubs.

Reverend John Cannon, Senior Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church,  is our guest on Discover Lafayette. This is a special rebroadcast of an interview we did in March 2020, right before COVID shut down life as we knew it. We’ll always treasure this inspirational message!

A native of Shreveport, John Cannon graduated from the University of Arkansas and LSU Law School. While working as an Assistant District Attorney in East Baton Rouge, he began to discern a call to pastoral ministry that he had first experienced as a youth in the Episcopal Church. Following that call, John attended the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri. Before joining Asbury as Senior Pastor, John served as the District Superintendent for the 74 churches of the Acadiana District of The United Methodist Church.

Cannon’s first appointment as a pastor was at Church of Our Savior in Junction City, Kansas. Located near U. S. Army Fort Riley, the congregation was multi-ethnic with about fifty members, most of whom were retired military. It was a simple time for Cannon and his wife, Erin, and the church provided a home for them to live in as he commuted twice a week for two hours to attend his theological classes in Kansas City.

Asbury UMC is one of the largest churches in Louisiana, with about 1000 active members attending services in any month. Cannon explained that even in large churches, it is important to maintain a “small church feel” so that people feel connected to one another. Large congregations have to work to create that feel; small groups such as Sunday School classes or adult and children ministries are important so that each individual member can connect with others and share their God-given gifts.

Cannon’s training in his first career as an appellate attorney has many similarities with his work as a pastor. He believes the best lawyers are storytellers and the best stories are the ones that make you think and bring you to a new place of understanding. Today as a pastor, Cannon is a collector of stories….odd, humorous, and interesting stories of real people he finds in the news and saves in a manilla folder for use in his sermons. The congregation enjoys his humorous openings to sermons where the true, offbeat human story is woven into a relevant passage of scripture to more impactfully deliver the message. Cannon believes that is why Jesus used parables as he taught His messages so that the crowds could understand the teaching and relate them to everyday life. You could say that John Cannon makes his closing argument for God each and every week!

Asbury draws a diverse crowd of all ages, socioeconomic backgrounds, and is a place of acceptance for the LGBTQ community. Cannon is proud that the congregation models what it means to be a family, even when all members don’t agree on every societal issue, and stated, “At the end of the day, we love each other, support each other, and have each other’s back.” Ultimately, it’s all about love, the love that Jesus exemplified in His two great commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:35-40.

We thank Reverend John Cannon for his contributions to our faith community. For more information on Asbury United Methodist Church, its worship services and ministries, please visit https://www.asburylafayette.org/

Chubby Carrier joined Discover Lafayette to share his life journey in the Zydeco music world and how he learned the business from his father, Roy Carrier. In a world where artists can be taken advantage of, Chubby is an astute businessman who realized early on that he had to control his own destiny.

Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band’s release in 2010 of Zydeco Junkie won the Grammy in the category of Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album in 2011. Ironically, that was the last year the Grammy’s recognized zydeco and cajun music; after that year, the award has gone to Best Regional Roots Album which can be awarded to any traditional American music.

His band offers a unique blend of traditional Zydeco elements with contemporary influences including elements of rock, blues, and funk. Chubby’s ability to fuse different styles and his captivating stage presence have allowed him to reach a broader audience beyond Zydeco aficionados.

Chubby is a third-generation Zydeco artist following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Warren Carrier, his father, Roy Carrier, and his cousins, Bebe and Calvin Carrier.

His music is so cool, you can’t help but tap your feet and rock when you hear his band’s compelling beat.

Jan Swift met Chubby when they both served as Ambassadors for a Smoke-Free Louisiana. Many musicians have died over the years from exposure to secondhand smoke, including their mutual friend, David Egan. Luckily, Chubby has not gotten cancer and he is looking forward to many more years of sharing his unique musical talents.

When you meet Chubby, you know you are in the presence of greatness. Thank you for listening to this true hero and local talent who is proud to call Acadiana his home.

We ended our interview with his song, Another Pretty Face from his album, Back to My Roots. Please buy his music, and please buy the music of our other local artists. Their livelihoods depend upon us who all enjoy their contributions to our culture.

Our guest is Brenda DesOrmeaux, President and founder of the DesOrmeaux Foundation.

The Desormeaux Foundation is dedicated to defending human life at all stages of development, born and unborn. This includes the infant in the womb, the elderly, the handicapped, the homeless, and all who are threatened by our present culture of death. 

To fulfill its mission, the DesOrmeaux Foundation offers family planning counseling and services at its Women’s Center of Lafayette as well as housing for pregnant women at St. Marguerite D’Youville Maternity Home. All services are offered at no charge to participants. The foundation raises money through various avenues, including its thrift stores Baby & Me Boutique and Mimi’s Attic on Jefferson Street in Lafayette. It also offers teachings through its “Theology of the Body” presentations.

The Women’s Center of Lafayette on Jefferson Street offers alternative pregnancy counseling including family planning counseling, free pregnancy testing, free ultrasounds, and more. For information, call 337-289-9366.

Brenda is sincere and passionate about her mission to protect life at all stages. Her Catholic faith drives her to help others who most need it. She recounts how Mother Teresa was a catalyst for starting Lafayette’s Catholic-based Women’s Pregnancy Clinic after she wrote all the Bishops across the U. S. telling them to send girls to her Missionaries of Charity order in New York if they couldn’t institute their own women’s pregnancy centers.

Brenda implored our local diocese to open such a women’s center and she was told, “If you’re willing to fund it and run it, go ahead and do it.” She traveled to Chicago to study how it was done there and on November 1, 1999, under the umbrella of the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, she opened the Women’s Center of Lafayette. Since then, Brenda has taken over fundraising and operations under the DesOrmeaux Foundation and has instituted a total of five ministries serving our community. When asked how she manages the fundraising for such a Herculean effort, she says, “God always provides.” She has never worried about fundraising and it has always appeared when needed.

The St. Marguerite D’Youville home welcomes homeless pregnant women. Each resident is provided with a place for reflection and re-direction, with the average stay being six months. This refuge is offered at no cost. Currently with an increased demand for services, St. Marguerite D’Youville houses nine residents, up from six.

Funds are raised through a variety of donations and also by the operations of Mimi’s Attic Resale Store and Baby & Me Boutique located on Jefferson at Lamar Streets, near the Women’s Center.

We thank Brenda DesOrmeaux for her community and faith-filled service through the DesOrmeaux Foundation. Please visit https://desormeauxfoundation.org/ for more information.

Traci Pécot, owner of Paws and Paw Paws, and Paws MidCity, joins Discover Lafayette to share her love for all things related to dogs.

Paws and Paw Paws is a dog daycare that opened in 2017 with a mission to combine Traci’s passion for dogs with her love for members of our senior community. Traci brings her work history in healthcare with assisted living, home care, Alzheimer’s and dementia patients to her role in providing top-notch boarding and grooming facilities here in Lafayette.

Paws and Paw Paws is a place where staff remain for the long haul and are treated with respect. Traci still works each day alongside her staff, taking a shift just as everyone else does. She is also responsible for all social media and web inquiries…and not only for Paws and Paw Paws, but also those of her husband, Ryan’s, businesses, Adopted Dog Brewing and Tchoup’s MidCity Smoke House.

Paws and Paw Paws’ cuddle buddy program offers seniors and the retired community the opportunity to spend time with dogs during the week in a rich, stimulating environment. Seniors sign up to lend their time and love to the precious dogs who need love as much as they do in their day-to-day lives.

Traci and her husband, Ryan, own two rescues, Tchoupitoulas and Paws, who remind them daily why they love dogs! And their dogs have played a role in inspiring other businesses, including Adopted Dog Brewing and Tchoup’s MidCity Smoke House.

Traci works to ensure that each dog cared for by Paws and Paw Paws is given the proper stimulation and exposure to other dogs that fits its temperament. Love and care for each pet is of uppermost importance and as you listen to Traci, you will hear this concern in her voice that each dog receive the treatment in the setting it is most comfortable in. Traci loves dogs and dogs love her back!

For more information please visit https://www.pawsandpawpaws.com/.

Brenda Andrus joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the importance of protecting our local senior citizens and providing outlets for socialization and enriching activities. 

Employed by Home Healthcare 2000, Brenda is engaged in providing resources and enriching activities to elders and also keeps up with what is offered locally by civic and government agencies. She partners with Lafayette Consolidated Government’s two senior centers, The Greenhouse Art Studio and The Rosehouse, both of which recently reopened in April 2023.

Brenda is an inspirational woman who has never met a challenge she could not overcome. Her passion is in helping our elderly neighbors and she works to ensure that no one is forgotten or neglected. During COVID, she cooked weekly meals for seniors who may not otherwise have gotten a nutritious hot meal. She has also organized an annual bus trip since 2009 to various locales throughout the South which affords the opportunity for local seniors to hear good music and visit historic sites such as the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN where Dr. Martin Luther King was shot. She keeps the trip affordable and interesting, always inviting a Lafayette-based performing artist to join the bus tour so that they can play at an out-of-town venue.

We love a recent quote of Brenda’s that is the epitome of her life story: “Giving to our elders with food, games and healthy educational materials is a wonderful way to show appreciation and respect for their contributions to our communities and society. For many seniors, social isolation and loneliness can be major challenges, and spending time with them can be incredibly meaningful and beneficial.” She has lived out this mission of giving both as a dedicated volunteer in the community and as an employee with Home Health Care 2000.

For more information on how you can volunteer or get involved, please call Brenda Andrus at (337)258-1666. For more information on Lafayette’s Senior Centers, visit https://www.lafayettela.gov/ParksRecreation/Centers-Activities/senior-centers.

The founders of C’est La Joie Academy, Charlotte Cobb and Mamie Perkins, join Discover Lafayette to share their drive to offer three-year-olds a safe place to have fun while they develop a lifelong quest for learning and exploration.

C’est La Joie Academy offers a play-based, nurturing, French Immersion environment where three-year-olds are surrounded by the arts and the natural world. Charlotte and Mamie share the power of joyful investigation as a way to guide a child’s inner scholar, even before they learn letters and numbers.

Mamie studied French and Spanish while at UL-Lafayette and partnered with CODIFIL, having the opportunity to travel to France to earn a Masters degree as part of its Escadrille program, a two-year graduate program. She then taught for a total of six years at Evangeline Elementary and Prairie Elementary in their French Immersion programs. This experience taught her the value of “trust-based relational intervention” which still guides her teaching style. She dreamed of ‘what could be’ in a smaller classroom for younger students, something holistic and organic for little ones.

Mamie Perkins, left, pictured with Charlotte Cobb, her business partner in C’est La Joie Learning Academy. Mamie is the lead teacher and the academy’s business details are handled by Charlotte. 90% of the conversations and lessons are in French.

Research suggests that a high-quality learning experience serves as a catalyst for children’s long-term success. Exposing children to a second language at 3 years old is the optimal time to learn without having to study….it is organic. And as Mamie says, “Play resets the brain.” Learning takes place optimally when conducted in a fun, relaxed setting.

Located on a 1.5-acre lot near Rue de Belier at Mamie’s home in Lafayette, the academy will open during the school year from 9 am to 12 pm. Tuition is $600 per month. For more information, visit https://www.cestlajoieacademy.com/

Heidi McDonald of Foodies of Lafayette joins Discover Lafayette to discuss her passion for sharing positive news about all things related to good food.

Foodies of Lafayette is a group that supports local restaurants while cultivating a positive experience for its members.  It is promoted via its Facebook page where local restaurants can post daily and weekly specials, members post queries about eating establishments, learn where to source ingredients, and share recipes or photos of their kitchen creations. 

Foodies of Lafayette’s FB page is not a food critique page and does not allow negativity or bad reviews—it’s a positive place. There’s no advertising, politics, drama or anything else complicating it. Four moderators help in keeping the FB page clear of harsh words as the group endeavors to promote wonderful food offered everywhere from gas stations to high-end restaurants. With social media being a magnet for rude and mean words, this Foodies page is a site for sore eyes and a delightful experience in how to uplift others as the good news is shared.

Jason Stoner, unavailable for taping this episode, joined the group in January 2020 and was appointed moderator shortly after.  His contributions to the page have been significant.  Jason & Stephen’s Sunday Dinners are over the top and they currently host different Foodies of Lafayette members once a month, never repeating a Sunday Dinner.  Much planning and passion from the atmosphere, playlist, table, and food prove their love for entertaining guests through a fabulous dining experience.  Jason assists with the day-to-day operations of the page and planning Foodies of Lafayette events.

Heidi’s experience at Fuji Sushi, 4416 Johnston Street, Suite A, in Lafayette, sparked her vision to create Foodies of Lafayette.  She identified the pure passion that Fuji brings to the table and found it troubling that few people knew about them. Their food and service were second to none, but like many restaurants, they had little or no budget for advertising.  Heidi started Foodies of Lafayette in December 2019, thus creating an accessible place for establishments to get the word out about their restaurants and Foodies to get the information they’re looking for without advertising, politics, drama or anything else complicating it. Her vision worked in a big way. Fuji Sushi and others now have a forum to post daily and weekly specials, new menu items, and photos. Heidi thought a few of her friends would join and is mind-blown by all the responses the page now generates.  The page currently has approximately 49,000 members and is growing at a rate of 500 per week. 

Foodies of Lafayette’s success has led Heidi and Jason Stoner to take the group’s reach one step further. Plans are in the works to create a line of merchandise such as ball caps, t-shirts, backpacks, and koozies emblazoned with the logo so that fellow “foodies can quickly identify their peeps in a crowd,” as Heidi puts it.

Notre Dame Football Coach Lewis Cook, Jr. and Gaylon White, the author of the soon-to-be-released book, Coach of a Lifetime: The Story of Lewis Cook Jr., Legendary High School Football Coach, join Discover Lafayette to discuss Louie’s incredible and historical journey in coaching over the past 50 years.

Coach Louie Cook is renowned for being among the best high school football coaches ever and for his winning teams. He has been inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana High School Sports Hall of Fame. In 2019, the New Orleans Saints honored him as their High School Coach of the Year.

Getting to the top of Coach Cook’s field has involved staying true to the three F’s: Faith, Family, and Football, in that order. Young men learn that character, discipline, and doing the right thing will lead to a bright future.

Coach Cook’s mission is to build young men into adults who respect others, follow the rules, and develop discipline in all areas of life. It’s not about winning….it’s about the process, about showing up and doing the right thing. All the other things, such as winning, take care of themselves if you get the fundamentals down. And Coach Cook motivates his young players to do the right thing by treating them as people who are capable of doing the right thing! We wish all young men had mentors such as Coach Louie Cook who took the time to look them in the eye when they are talking….and treat them as they were the only person in the room…in the world!

One of his proteges was the outstanding Orlando Thomas who played under Coach Cook at Crowley High School and then USL, before going on to play for the Minnesota Vikings. Coach Cook and Thomas enjoyed a bond that was unbreakable and full of love. Orlando Thomas was one of many stars that Cook coached, including Brandon Stokley and Jake Delhomme.

“The one word you hear the least from our staff is ‘winning.’ We preach more to the kids that if you do the right thing, if you work hard, everything takes care of itself. We don’t harp on the outcome of what they are doing. A winning record doesn’t make you a winner. A losing record doesn’t make you a loser. It’s how you go about doing the things you do every day. We preach to the kids, just do things right.”

There are 160 young men at Notre Dame High School this year….and in this summer’s first practice on June 5th at 5:30 a.m., 73 boys showed up. By 6 am, when everyone was present for practice, there were 121 boys. They average between 110 and 115 for seven days now! The coach doesn’t cut players; anyone who wants to play is on the team.

We first met Gaylon White a couple of years ago on this podcast when he released a book entitled, The Best Little Baseball Town in the World” which highlighted Crowley LA and the Evangeline Baseball League. His writing style is impeccable and he pulls the reader in with his attention to detail and ability to become a part of the story being shared. He is also able to solicit well-known sportsmen and coaches who vouch for the stories he tells. Interestingly, this is Gaylon’s first book on football, although he did cover Oklahoma Football back in the day when he was in college. His publisher, Roman & Littlefield, told him they had never seen a book dedicated to a high school football coach. It’s about time! Congratulations, Gaylon. Thanks for being a supporter of Discover Lafayette and our community!

We hope you enjoy this interview as much as we have!

Erica Melancon Fox, Executive Director of the Maison Freetown African American History Museum, joins us today to share her incredible journey. A musician, a historian, and a lover of a good story, Erica shares stories that are golden. Her parents always supported her journey in music, dance, and all things that allowed her to share her spirit. Our community is so much better off because of their investment in her talent!

Highly accomplished in the world of performing arts, Erica is a professional songwriter who has sung with Rice University’s Orchestra, served for eight weeks as lead actress and singer in “Ain’t Misbehavin” at the National World War 2 Museum, and toured with various national musical companies.

Erica Melancon moved to LA right after high school and attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, acquiring a record deal right off the bat. She had a college sponsorship, but no money to speak of but wanted to follow her dream of being a recording artist. She had no manager, and knew no one, but was guided by God to follow her calling. She learned very early on how to be a business person as she also learned what it was like to be ‘canned!’

She was discovered when she sang the National Anthem at the Staple Center in Los Angeles. Her journey led her to be a part of the Motown productions of the Funk Brothers, a talent trove that wrote all the classic songs we love.

Erica is classically trained but loves all types of music, including Country! Erica has opened for shows at Acadiana Center for the Arts and Festival International de Louisiane. She received a 2020 Grammy Consideration for Best R&B song: “I Still Love You” on her This is 2020 album.

“I feel like I’ve lived many lifetimes. My life is a song. That is the basis of everything I do. I have always loved sound and writing and literature since I was a four-year-old kid. I was always outside singing and didn’t realize I was writing songs when I was singing to the trees and the birds and making shows and performing with my imaginary friends. My love for literature for song came from my father who appreciated all types of music.

She had the opportunity to interview Calvin Moret, the last surviving Louisiana member of World War II’s famed Tuskegee Airmen, an accomplished soldier and woodworker who played down what his talents were. “It makes you wonder what are my talents…what more can I do?”

Erica learned that Lafayette still had a surviving member of the WWII Battalion, all-black Female soldier of the 6888th  (SIX TRIPLE EIGHT) Central Postal Directory Battalion, Major Fannie Melancon, and pursued interviewing her to pursue the knowledge of people of that time period.

We ran into each other recently at a tribute of the WWII all-black Female soldiers of the 6888th  (SIX TRIPLE EIGHT) Central Postal Directory Battalion at the Freetown Maison museum. Erica makes incredible contributions to our community each and every day and it is a pleasure to share her story!