Discover Lafayette

Kimberly James Boudreaux, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Acadiana, shares the expansion of services offered by her organization on this episode of Discover Lafayette.

Kim has dedicated her life to being in service to others. As a young adult, she sold all her possessions and traveled abroad to work as a missionary, including time spent with Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity.

Our community has been blessed to have Kim Boudreaux at the helm of Catholic Charities of Acadiana, while she raises her young family with her husband, Matt. This is our second interview with Kim; you can hear our first podcast here.

In the three years since our first talk, Catholic Charities has greatly expanded the services it offers, having opened the doors to The Emily House in 2018 which offers an emergency shelter for homeless women and children. They have added new responsibilities by taking over the Immigration Services and Deaf Action Center formerly run by the Diocese, as well as assuming management of FoodNet Food Bank and Rebuilding Together Acadiana.  In 2019, Catholic Charities also became entrepreneurs by taking over ownership of Crossroads Catholic Bookstore, which is now known as Crossroads Collective. 

The organization has traditionally taken care of our most vulnerable neighbors through outreach efforts such as disaster response, as well St. Joseph Diner, St. Joseph Shelter for Men, St. Michael Center for Veterans, the Stella Maris Center, and the Monsignor Sigur Center.

Between the COVID shutdown and the disastrous hurricanes that hit Southwest Louisiana, the detrimental effects upon incomes, employment, and housing stability have been devastating. The face of homelessness changed significantly in 2020. While we traditionally related homelessness to a mental illness or substance abuse disorder, today the homeless look vastly different.

Before COVID, people could move to a family member's home when tough times hit, perhaps keeping their employment while temporarily looking for alternative housing. But the combination of COVID and job losses associated with the shutdown have greatly impacted their struggles. In many cases, doubling up with family members has been found to be unsustainable: it can feel impossible to have multiple families juggling their children's online Zoom classes while the adults attempt to work from home.

In March 2020, Catholic Charities counted 166 people in their homeless program. Unsheltered homelessness had been at an all-time low as the organization did not turn people away when they were in need and would provide a place to sleep even if it was on the floor. But the social distancing required by the pandemic proved to be too great a challenge given the existing shelter space available for sleeping quarters. And, for the first time since the 1970s, St. Joseph's Diner had to be closed because the group could not meet the legal requirements for indoor seating or keep the revolving groups of diners and volunteers safe from contracting the virus.

The decision was initially made to convert St. Joseph's Diner into a shelter and Catholic Charities continued to feed the 166 clients under their care daily. (Kim noted that others were also fed through the back door when in need.) Once the stay-at-home order was lifted, the organization worried about COVID spreading throughout its community as most people in the programs are medically vulnerable. The clients were transitioned into hotels, and Catholic Charities' staff are present on-site at the hotels 24/7, operating the same services they always have, working to maintain a safe and stable environment.

Since January 2020, the Acadiana region has experienced an 82% increase in homelessness (with family hom...

Stephen Handwerk, longest-serving Executive Director for the Louisiana Democratic party (2012 - 2020) and currently the Managing Partner of Garrison Strategies, met with Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to talk about today's political climate. Taylor Marie Swift, Jan's daughter, also joined in the discussion, bringing the perspective of a young, Independent voter in Louisiana.

During Stephen's tenure at the Louisiana Democratic Party office, the state party more than quadrupled its fundraising totals and vastly expanded its operational staff. Of note, they won two Gubernatorial races with the successful election and re-election of Governor John Bel Edwards.

Stephen brings more than 20 years of experience fighting for Democratic values at the local, state, and national level, including 6 years serving as Co-Chair of the National Stonewall Democrats PAC.

He lives in Lafayette with his husband of two decades and their two Great Danes - Whiskey and Mojito.

We taped this episode a few days after the siege on the U. S. Capitol, something we never would have dreamed possible when we scheduled the interview a month prior.

Stephen Handwerk joined Discover Lafayette's Jan Swift and her daughter, Taylor Marie Swift, speaking of current political events that have shaken our nation.

During this week, President Donald J. Trump was impeached by the U. S. House of Representatives for the second time, something that has never happened in the history of the United States.

Handwerk made no bones about it; he feels that the country will not be able to heal and move on unless Trump is held accountable for his actions in inciting the siege on the U. S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, the day that Congress met to approve the Electoral College votes confirming the election of Joseph Biden as our next President.

Trump supporters fight security officers at the U. S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Photo by Roberto Schmidt of Getty Images

The repercussions are great as not only are some people blaming Trump for the riot, but Trump staffers are facing the prospect of not getting jobs as they move on from the current administration, and several large corporations have backed off of giving political contributions to the elected officials who opposed the Electoral College vote affirmation.

Past Democratic elections which came up short led the party to research how they could ensure it would not happen again. With COVID, Democrats couldn't go door to door speaking with voters, but Democrats reached out to get more people to register to vote and get involved.

We spoke of the razor-close race between Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000 where Gore conceded quickly after he lost his challenge at the Supreme Court hearing. Additionally,Handwerk recalled the gracious concession speeches made by statesmen such as John McCain and Mitt Romney when they lost their Presidential races, "calling to our better angels and holding people accountable for a world where we can look for ways to agree on 'what we agree on.'"

The national Democratic Party has a well-defined platform that helps the average working man and woman: adopting a $15 minimum wage by 2026, addressing climate change, fighting the COVID pandemic, and other issues that impact the day to day lives of the average citizen. In contrast, the national Republican Party did not adopt a national platform in 2020 but fell back upon principles of the 2016 Platform.

Demographics in Louisiana have shifted in voting tendencies in the past few years. While Democrats used to represent the majority of registered voters in Louisiana, they have slipped a bit. Today,

Anya Burgess, owner of Sola Violins, a full-service violin shop in downtown Lafayette, Louisiana joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss her journey and career in music.

Anya moved to Acadiana in 2000 as a Teach for America instructor. Growing up in Winchester, Massachusetts, she knew very little about our region. But her desire to "land somewhere different" led her to teach at Washington Elementary School in St. Landry Parish, and she has remained here ever since.

Growing up playing classical music, she was exposed to more traditional Appalachian and Irish music when she studied folklore at Indiana University. She picked up the violin during her college days, after being trained in piano in her younger days.

Anya settled in the Arnaudville area and still lives in the region on five acres on the Bayou Teche with her two boys and her husband, Richard Burgess. She loves the space they have which allows the kids to run around. She also maintains a shop behind her home where she originally repaired and built violins until she opened a full-service shop, Sola Violins, in downtown Lafayette. The moves allowed for the expansion of inventory and services and great accessibility for most of her clientele who travel from Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Alexandria, and beyond.

One of the only violin shops in the state, Sola Violins specializes in the restoration, rentals, and sales of violin family instruments. Their clientele includes everyone from students to professionals and Cajun to classical players. 

Anya is also a violinmaker, having learned how to make violins in college. Surprisingly, our area has a great number of violin players, and as Anya says, "In this region, we may have one of the most per capita of violin players!" She is a board member of the Violin Society of America. 

Anya Burgess' tools of the trade in violin making and repair.

A great deal of Sola Violins' business involves the complete restoration of instruments. Symphony players, people who inherit instruments, and people bringing in instruments damaged by the elements are included in her clientele. She works on all instruments included in the violin family including the viola and cello, as well as the occasional member of the bass family of instruments. The store also offers accessories, books and other accouterments needed to play the instruments. Sola Violins offers guidance for teachers and you can reference the list of local string teachers here.

Anya at her store, Sola Violins, in Lafayette, LA. Anya Burgess makes and plays violins. "I have an elegant presentation, but I want my store to be a welcoming place. I want it to have a living room vibe. My goal is that more people play music It's my number one goal." Photo by: Christina Clusiau

Interestingly, COVID has affected the type of business Sola Violins attracts, but not the volume of business. Anya has found herself just as busy in 2020 as in years past, but this year has seen more rentals of instruments than sales, as people have picked up instruments to pass the time. Anya rents to people of all ages and notes it is very affordable to rent an instrument as you determine before purchasing if the choice was the right fit.

A lifelong musician, Anya plays the fiddle with two Grammy-nominated Cajun bands, Bonsoir Catin and the Magnolia Sisters. She is the newest member of Magnolia Sisters, which she joined eighteen years ago. The band was first nominated for a Grammy in 2010 and again in 2015. Fellow band members include Anne Savoy, Jane Vidrine, and Lisa Trahan. She also plays alongside Bonsoir, Catin band members Kristi Guillory, Christine Balfa, Maegan Berard, Ashley Hayes Steele, and Danny DeVillier. Bonsoir,

Adam Daigle, Business Editor of the Acadiana Advocate joined Jan Swift to discuss the biggest business news of 2020 and the Advocate’s upcoming Economic Summit to be held virtually on January 13, 2021.

While our interview last year with Adam focused on the out-migration of Louisiana residents, this year's interview provides an interesting take on how Acadiana has survived amidst the incredible economic turmoil brought on by the pandemic.

The newspaper industry took a hit in income along with all other industries and for a while, the Advocate staff experienced furlow days and a reduction in staff as the tourism drop led to the cancellation of events and the ensuing drop in advertising dollars. Yet, the Advocate held true to its 178-year-old history and has remained a reliable source of up-to-date news. Adam and his fellow journalists work both virtually from home and in the office as they continue to provide top-notch journalism from offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette.

The top business story of 2020, of course, is COVID and its impact on the economy. While unemployment never hit the 25% level predicted by LEDA's Gregg Gothreaux, the region still lost double the amount of jobs experienced after Hurricane Katrina. Tourism jobs in the hotel and restaurant industries were devastated. Yet, the community rallied to support restaurants, even if just for pickup meals, to help keep the industry afloat.

The hotel industry was greatly assisted by the natural disaster wreaked by Hurricane Laura. At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, hotel receipts were a mere $1 million; in September and October 2020, hotel receipts registered as one of the best ever at $9 million.

The oil and gas industry took its lumps this year, with the price of oil reaching negative numbers at one point. While our regional economy has diversified and has not experienced as hard a hit as in the past, the loss of the oil and gas folks has greatly impacted our quality of life. Their absence impacts not only the economy but trickles down to support generated for the non-profit sector.

There were big job gains to celebrate. SchoolMint, an educational technology firm, moved here from San Francisco. With the high price of doing business in the Silicon Valley area, Louisiana is an attractive alternative. Another big win for the region was the news of Westfield Hydraulics and the company’s affiliate, Westfield Fluid Controls, making a $5.1 million capital investment to establish a manufacturing facility in Lafayette. This is anticipated to create 67 new jobs with salaries of approximately $50,000 per year, as well as 106 new indirect jobs.

In late December it was confirmed that Amazon is building a 1 million square foot distribution facility in Carencro behind the former Evangeline Downs Racetrack. According to a press release by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, "more than 14,500 small and medium-sized businesses in the state participate in Amazon’s fulfillment network. From June 2019 through May 2020, those Louisiana entrepreneurs recorded a 49 percent growth in year-over-year sales." Carencro has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years with new subdivisions and retail establishments flourishing. Adam shared that the town will record #300 million in sales in 2020, a first for Carencro.

Downtown Lafayette has made a lot of progress considering the impact of COVID and the resulting economic downturn. Adam thought it would be "the year of downtown," as there has been great anticipation of the redevelopment work to be done on the old Federal Courthouse site which has been long vacant; the project has been delayed, first due to the need for environmental cleanup and then the ensuing COVID shutdown and demise of the energy secto...

Just nine months ago, Laurel Hess launched hampr, an on-demand laundry service designed to take the stress out of busy families' lives. Who could have predicted the pandemic would hit the U. S. that same month and upend our normal way of life?

Laurel Hess joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss her newest endeavor, Presto Health, a prescription delivery service made possible via an investment by Ochsner Lafayette General's Healthcare Innovation Fund II. The service launched on the 1st of December, 2020, and delivers medications to the patient’s home or preferred destination upon their discharge from Ochsner Lafayette General urgent care centers, emergency rooms, clinics, and telemedicine visits held in Lafayette Parish. The service is offered at no cost to the patient.

In early March 2020, hampr's ideal client was a busy young mom with kids, who needed a break from the incessant laundry chores. By late March 2020, everything in the U. S. was shut down and the ideal demographic quickly shifted to the "young bachelor who needed help." At that same time, Ochsner Lafayette General's Cian Robinson (who has since moved on to McLeod Health in South Carolina) approached Hess to see if hampr could deliver prescriptions. Laurel recalls her first thought was "No, we're a laundry service." But she reexamined her platform and saw that they offered a "last mile delivery platform....we can deliver anything from A to B." We said, "Absolutely Yes!!"

Hampr's team duplicated its platform and was able to get it up and running in six months. Called "Presto Health," the new prescription delivery service is a division of hampr. Having to stay HIPAA certified, its drivers are W2 salaried employees, unlike the contract laundry service workers hampr utilizes.

Presto Health employees don't handle any personal health information on the patients they assist and are only given information as to the name of the patient and their address. "We are literally just a delivery platform," says Hess. Presto Health is notified by the pharmacy once a prescription is filled and paid for, and compensated per delivery on a volume-based scale. The service is currently operating in Lafayette Parish at this time and looks to expand into the broader Ochsner network statewide as well as other areas of the U. S.

With a focus on patient and delivery driver safety, health the patient is texted when the prescription has arrived at their home and there is no interpersonal interaction. There is no need to sign for acceptance of the delivery, but Presto Health workers take a photo to prove the delivery has been completed successfully.

Hospitals across the country are looking into similar prescription delivery programs, referred to as "Meds to Beds." With a big push on improving healthcare and patient outcomes, healthcare professionals are working to ensure that healthcare is delivered to people efficiently no matter where they are. It's always in the best interest of the hospitals to keep people on their prescribed medications to keep healthcare issues in check. Hess says, "A lot of people upon discharge from the hospital may not have access to a vehicle or may not be well enough to go pick up their medication. So making sure they stay on their prescribed medication is very important. It reduces recidivism rates for the hospital....so people aren't coming back with the same issue they just left with." Presto Health is the newest wave of healthcare reform.

Ochsner Lafayette General providers are aware of the program and our hope is to get the word out to patients who will benefit from this service.

To learn more about Oschner Lafayette General's Innovation Fund, visit https://www.lafayettegeneral.com/healthcare-innovation-fund.

Casey Hoyt and Michael Moore, founders of VieMed Healthcare, Inc., the largest independent non-invasive ventilation therapy provider in the U S., joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss their journey. They were joined by Casey's dad, Max Hoyt, who has been a mentor, investor, and V. P. of Governmental Relations for VieMed until recently. They shared their journey in building a highly successful organization based upon mutual respect of their partner's talents as well as having each other's back at all times.

Close friends since their college years, they met through their mutual friend, the late Brad Dunphy. Even while hanging out in college, Casey and Mike always enjoyed talking business.

Casey learned at an early age how to work with others and for others, having grown up under the tutelage of his dad, Max Hoyt, who had started several businesses of his own, most notably Pixus Digital Printing. Starting in the work force at 15 years of age at Hub City Diner, Casey was always working and gained invaluable experience in the sales field selling alarms for ADT and "learned how to get 25 'No's' for each 'Yes'." He had found success running NimLock Louisiana (now VOXX), an exhibit and trade show service company.

Michael Moore had gotten into respiratory therapy sales at the age of 17. He found he enjoyed working with patients and loved the fundamental of sales. He had worked for a mom and pop durable medical equipment business and had built strong relationships in the healthcare industry and with local physicians.

By 2006, both Casey and Mike were ready for a new challenge and knew they could effectively combine their skills in business management (Casey) and sales (Mike.) Wanting to keep respiratory medicine front and center, the resulting endeavor was a new company, Sleep Management, which originally provided CPAPs for physicians' sleep labs.

A change in Medicare rules in 2008 allowed for home-based sleep apnea testing, and they first worked to get physician-run sleep labs to opt in to this new at-home treatment for patients. As Mike says, "It really failed!"

So they took a leap of faith and opened their own sleep apnea testing company called "Home Sleep Delivery," the first of its kind in Louisiana and only one of five in the country at the time. Payers weren't even covering the procedure at that time, but they knew it was just a matter of time before the home sleep treatment industry would be transformed and become mainstream. As Casey says, "Mike was always a good salesperson. We had a tiger by the tail the minute we turned on the light switch."

Test devices are mailed to patients and then mailed back to Home Sleep Delivery; thereafter therapy for the patient is delivered via mail and the device set up by video call with assistance from the company. That business has continued to grow and Casey and Mike look back on that early home therapy option as a precursor of how people are now successfully operating remotely during COVID times.

Casey and Mike have stayed focus on respiratory issues as their business has grown and branched out. While most people locally still look upon their business as focused on sleep apnea testing and treatment, that market is actually only 5% of their revenue. Yet, that sleep market is what led them into treating sick patients with lung disease.

VieMed provides equipment and home-based healthcare to serve patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and other respiratory issues. It was in 2012 that they entered the non-invasive ventilator (NIV) therapy arm of their business as a distributor when Philips brought this life-changing device onto the market. In 2014, they rebranded to "VieMed" to more accurately reflect their business mission...

Lafayette Parish Mayor-President Josh Guillory joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss his first year of service to the community. Guillory took office on January 6, 2020, and has faced unprecedented challenges this year as the coronavirus rolled in with its ensuing physical and economic chaos, the oil and gas market collapsed, several hurricanes hit our region, and civil unrest erupted after the fatal police shooting of Trayford Pellerin.

A young man who will turn 38 on January 8, 2021­­­­­­, Guillory is a graduate of the U. S. Airborne School and earned his wings in 2004. He comes from a family who proudly served, harking back to his paternal grandfather who was a WWI Vet, his maternal grandfather who was a WWII Vet, and his brother who served in the Air Force. Guillory served in Baghdad, Iraq as a Cavalry platoon leader. He credits his time in the military for teaching him how to make decisions, saying he was told in Officer Candidate School, "If you'll learn anything, you will learn how to make decisions!"

While working as a pharmaceutical representative and juggling the responsibilities of raising three young children with his wife, Guillory earned his law degree from Southern University Law Center while working full time and attending school at night. He credits his work in pharmaceuticals for equipping him to better understand medical issues associated with the pandemic.

Hospitals are once again at surge capacity, and immediately prior to our interview, Guillory hosted a press conference with hospital officials who reiterated that the community must follow COVID guidelines such as mask-wearing, washing hands, social distancing, and quarantining if exposed to someone with the virus. Guillory has realized that a small percentage of the people think everything should be shut down in order to get a grip on the pandemic, another small percentage think it is a hoax, and an overwhelming majority just want to strike a balance so that we can keep going. "Personal responsibility is the absolute # 1 tool in fighting COVID-19. We all know what to do and we should comply. Wash your hands like you are cleaning up after eating crawfish and putting in your contact lens," Guillory says.

"Personal responsibility is the absolute # 1 tool in fighting COVID-19. We all know what to do and we should comply. Wear your mask. Wash your hands like you are cleaning up after eating crawfish and taking out your contact lens," Guillory says.

Guillory has remained steadfast in his commitment to do more with less while not raising taxes and to focus on his core priorities of improving drainage, roads, and public safety.

Handling the pandemic has been an all-consuming priority and has also resulted in delaying the hiring of a few key hires such as permanent directors for LUS, LUS Fiber, and the Parks Department. While Guillory prefers to hire local, he also wants to ensure that the best possible candidates are vetted and the pandemic has made interviewing tough. The new Lafayette City Chief of Police is about to be named, and Guillory is proud that two local people were hired to oversee the newly created Drainage and Transportation, Roads and Bridges Departments, which were carved out of the former Public Works Department. This year's budget adds 11 positions to the Drainage Department, which fulfills Guillory's promise to prioritize improving drainage.

When asked to address the cuts made to arts and culture, Guillory stressed the importance of tapping into all stakeholder groups with an interest in maintaining the quality of offerings while also taking into consideration the constraints of the budget. With the recent defeat of the two tax propositions which would have allowed greater budget flexibility in spending operating fund (discretionary) dollars,

Jim Dore, Executive Business Coach with Vistage, the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his career and passion for helping business people become leaders in their field. Jim's role in serving as Vistage Chair is to lead and challenge executives from small and midsize businesses as they learn how to make thoughtful decisions and become accountable for their actions among their peer advisory group, thereby increasing overall business results.

For most of his professional life, Jim Dore worked with Global Industries, the oilfield service and diving company started by his brother, Bill Dore, in 1973, that grew into a billion-dollar company. First hired as a teenager, Jim worked alongside his brother and grew his management skills over the years. He led teams and established markets in the U.S., Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Mexico. During his time with Global, he finished his higher education, earning an MBA from UL-Lafayette as well as attending classes at Harvard Business School's Strategic Marketing Management Program.

As Global Industries grew, the company purchased other companies that facilitated their growth and success. One in particular that Jim remembers with pride is the purchase of The Red Adair Service and Marine Company which Global Industries purchased in 1993. Adair had a worldwide reputation for excellence and wanted to sell his company (which specialized in extinguishing and capping oil well blowouts) to someone he could trust....and he trusted Bill Dore. On Red's worldwide exit tour as he introduced the Global Industries' team, the company gained great recognition and trust within the industry which significantly helped their company achieve widespread renown and acceptance in the oilfield patch.

Working with family members can be tough and Jim shared that his brother could be a taskmaster but always had the company's best interest at heart. Bill Dore had predicted in the early 1990s that Global Industries would become a billion-dollar company one day, and sure enough, it did! Bill Dore retired at the age of 60 years after netting $700 million dollars according to published reports, and Jim, his younger brother, retired at the age of 55.

The Vistage process involves several avenues of working with executives who are looking to finetune their operations for success. There are one on one private sessions that Jim Dore holds with each executive to discuss their concerns. The CEO peer advisory members also meet monthly to discuss common issues that all of the execs face, even as they hail from such diverse backgrounds as insurance, oil and gas, engineering, and until recently, Ruffin Rodrigue of the restaurant industry. Dore stressed that some of the best questions come from people outside the field of expertise of the CEO asking for guidance. Group sessions allow the members to discuss issues openly while retaining the understanding that what is said in the room stays in the room. Privacy and trust are paramount.

Having the ability to talk with other business leaders is important mentally and physically according to Dore. Significant emotional events can throw anyone for a loop and it is important to have a safe outlet in which to discuss your problems. Jim encourages people to join a group with other CEOs, even if it's not Vistage to be able to let off steam and bounce your ideas off other trusted individuals.

Vistage Group sessions allow for open discussions. "You may get questions which make you uncomfortable but accountability is important. If you don't do what you say you will, the group will call you on it. If you've been talking about a topic for six months and haven't acted on it, the group may challenge you and say it must not be important to you!"

Discover Lafayette welcomes Amanda Landers, Regional Director of Vitalant.

Vitalant, formed in 1943, was formally known as United Blood Services and is one of the nation's largest non-profit blood transfusion organizations. Vitalant has served as our area’s community blood provider since 1954, serving the blood needs of patients in over 27 parishes and 31 hospitals in Louisiana.  

Landers has worked at Vitalant since her college intern days when she was studying public relations at UL - Lafayette. Originally from Victoria, British Columbia, Landers came to Lafayette in 1998 to play tennis on a four-year scholarship. She fell in love with the people and culture and has made this her permanent home along with her husband and three children.

Amanda Landers and family. A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Landers came to Lafayette in 1998 to play tennis on a four-year scholarship at UL - Lafayette. She fell in love with the people and culture and has made this her permanent home along with her husband and three children.

Most people don't think about donating blood until they have a family member or friend in need. Yet, as Landers puts it, "The blood on the shelf is what saves lives at the time of need." By the time you can donate blood, your loved one has already been supplied with what they need from existing donor blood on the shelf.

Blood and its components have a very limited shelf life. Red blood cells have a refrigerated shelf life of 42 days. Platelets last five days, and plasma can be frozen for up to one year. Anyone over the age of 16 can donate blood, with the average donor being between the ages of 36 to 55 years old; some healthy people give blood well into their 90s, knowing that their contribution is saving lives.

Jennifer LeMeunier, a local resident, giving blood at Vitalant. It takes about seven minutes to give blood, and 45 minutes of your time from start to finish to be screened and complete the donor process. Visit Vitalant to sign up and enlist your family and friends to join you!

Vitalant is encouraging youth to build the habit of giving with the hope of building the next generation of loyal donors. Donors can give red blood cells every eight weeks and platelets can be donated every seven days.

Donor blood is screened and processed for infectious diseases. As of June 1, 2020, all blood is tested for COVID antibodies. After your donation, you can visit Vitalant's donor profile to determine if you have antibodies to COVID which means you have recovered from the disease. Many people have not even known they've had the disease. If you are identified as one who has had COVID, you will be encouraged to donate convalescent plasma to help others who are struggling with COVID. This plasma has been found particularly helpful in treating patients with early-stage coronavirus.

The COVID shutdown and resulting behavioral changes and school shutdowns have drastically affected the blood donations being collected nationwide. Most hospitals don't "self-collect" blood, plasma, and platelets, and are dependent on the supply kept on hand by blood banks around the U. S.

Most of the nation's blood supply, 60% on average, is collected at mobile sites, with 40% of those donations coming from drives held at educational institutions such as elementary, middle school, high school, and college campuses. With most campuses shut down due to COVID, this avenue of collecting donations has dwindled dramatically.

This trend in reduced blood donations has been alarming apparent here in South Louisiana where it is expected that there will be 12,000 to 14,000 fewer red cell pints collected in 2020 than in a typical year pre-COVID.

3rd Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Jonathan Perry joined Discover Lafayette to share his journey of public service.

From his days growing up in Kaplan in a single-parent household with little money to the achievement of a law degree, service in the Legislature as a State Representative and Senator, and now as a Judge on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, his inspirational message is of the importance of hard work and perseverance in achieving your dreams.

A native and lifelong resident of Kaplan, Judge Perry received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Northeast Louisiana University, which is now the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Perry always wanted to be a Louisiana State Trooper, but it hadn't worked out for him. So, at the age of 25, he joined the Kaplan Police Department where his uncle and politically savvy Police Chief Steve Perry had been trying to hire him. While a cadet in training at A.L.E.T.A. (Acadiana Law Enforcement Training Academy) in New Iberia, he was elected Cadet President and received The John “Dooley” Hardy award which is bestowed to the Hardest Working Cadet. While at the Academy, he was also inspired by a visiting Assistant U. S. District Attorney who "lit a fire in him" and who encouraged him to pursue a career in law.

Judge Perry has the utmost respect for law enforcement and its professionals who serve with low pay and high risk, and he proudly rose to the rank of Sergeant during his service. "I loved being a police officer more than anything I've ever done up to this point in my life. I loved the interaction, being with people, and serving." Yet he was one of the few officers that had a college degree which defied the norm at that time; he decided to pursue higher education and took the LSAT (Law School Admission Test), studying while continuing to work with the department. When he didn't make a high enough score on the LSAT the first time, he became determined to pass and studied even harder, thereafter being accepted into Southern Law School.

During his third year of law school, he began his political career when he was elected to the Kaplan City Council at the age of 28. He jumped into politics because he saw that many young people in Acadiana were leaving small towns, including Kaplan, and he explained, "There were no young people in elected positions, no young professionals. Who was going to represent the young families? Who's going to represent me? They were moving out and I wanted to stay home. We need someone with fire."

Before the COVID shutdown, Judge Perry would teach a yearly Civics class on how the judicial system works, "Court in the Classroom," at N. Vermilion and Abbeville High Schools.

In 2007, Perry, a conservative Republican, was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives to serve District 47, representing Cameron and Vermilion Parishes. At that time, he was shocked to see how he was received by other House members. As a former police officer, Assistant D. A, with a flat top hairstyle, people assumed they couldn't work with him. "It was such a disappointment, I can be friends with everyone and be empathetic to their views. I don't judge based upon color, party affiliation."

Then in 2011, he won a special election for Senate District 26, which covers portions of Acadia, Lafayette, St. Landry, and Vermilion Parishes. He calls the Senate "the Country Club." It's quiet in the Senate chambers, with only 39 members and the desks spread out. There is a sense of decorum as members have to walk down to the well and face the other Senators as they share their thoughts. Perry believes that service in both chambers is beneficial and "your better legislators serve first in the House and then the Senate. They know the rules and procedures on both sides.