11/26/2025
Approximately three weeks ago, I pitched an idea to four of my colleagues Stephanie Ducheine-Welsh, : “Let’s all pull our money together and feed 50 families for Thanksgiving.” The responses were an immediate yes. We knew many in our Haitian community were hurting financially.
So the idea grew: why not feed 100 families by gifting each of them a $100 grocery gift card? In just a short time and thanks to the generous contributions of colleagues, friends, and family we were able to reach that goal.
We called ourselves Lawyers Giving Back and we partnered with the Haitian Neighborhood Center, Sant La, who identified families in need. Yesterday, we distributed gift cards to 60 families, and today we distributed the remaining cards. This afternoon, we received this message:
“A mother of four, including a four-month-old baby, came in to reinstate her SNAP benefits because Florida now requires some SNAP recipients to reapply. When her two older boys began to cry, they said they were hungry. Mom confirmed they had not eaten since the day before, and even the baby had no formula. We secured food and formula right away, but our supply of gift cards had already run out. When this mother received one of your $100 gift cards, she was stunned and thanked God for providing a way to feed her children.”
Stories like this are exactly why Lawyers Giving Back was created. To whom much is given, much is required.
