The weekend before Thanksgiving, Love Acadiana achieved a milestone with our largest God-is-Good Gobble Box outreach yet, providing boxes to 650 families and feeding over 4,000 people. With more than 200 volunteers in all, we packed and delivered the boxes to homes all over Acadiana, from Loreauville to Ville Platte, and Henderson to Lake Charles, and all points in between.
This incredible effort was made possible with a collaboration between Love Acadiana and Fezzo’s Seafood & Steakhouse, with generous support from Manuel Companies, Laborde Earles Injury Attorneys, Carmichael’s Honey, and Don’s Automotive Group.
This year’s outreach held special significance as we honored Greg Manuel, our first and annual sponsor of this project, who tragically passed away in September. Greg was a devoted Christian whose faith inspired him to love and serve others. In his memory, we implemented a public nomination process, allowing the community to help us identify those in need. It was a fitting tribute to a man who exemplified the spirit of generosity and service.
This year’s Boxes also included a special gift, The Kindness Challenge, an adventure game created by Jimmy Darts to get families and friends out in the community performing random acts of kindness. We challenged our sponsors and friends and all those who received the Challenge to try out something on the cards. Several local businesses and individuals have already posted some of their challenges online. Our prayer is to spark a movement that will keep going long after Thanksgiving is over. As Jimmy Darts says, kindness is candy.
