What a Christmas Party in Louisiana Taught Me About Gratitude and Giving

Alligators, Biscuits and Christmas Gifts

While investors are thinking about rebalancing their portfolios, I recently attended an event where kids are rebalancing the impact of poverty in real life.

As you drive 90 minutes west of New Orleans, you pass Morgan City, a small town of about 11,000 people. Located in the Acadiana region of Louisiana, the area was initially settled by French Canadian refugees and is considered Cajun Country. Morgan City is one of many small towns nestled between bayous, rivers, and sugar fields. Its economy has long been supported by shrimping and the petroleum industry. As oil companies have pulled out of the area, the local economy has steadily deflated.

As the tax base declined, Morgan City became increasingly dependent on its largest charity, the H&B Young Foundation, to help support essential services. The foundation provides annual funding to nine schools, a preschool, the police and fire departments, and other local charities. As poverty levels have risen, one of the foundation’s primary focuses has become the area’s youth. Approximately 20% of Louisiana’s population lives below the poverty level. The state’s child poverty rate, one of the highest in the nation, ranges between 24% and 27%.

For several years, the Young Foundation supported a small 2,000-square-foot youth center. Last year, local schools and a regional social worker alerted the foundation to a growing need for expanded after-school services for impoverished children. At the beginning of 2025, the foundation converted an existing building on its property into a new 8,000-square-foot youth center. The facility now includes an industrial kitchen, laundry room, library, game room, covered sports arena, and a large outdoor play field.

More about the Young Foundation 👇

Word spread quickly that the new youth center offered free food, fun activities, and adult support for homework. Children had a safe place to spend their afternoons—where they could eat, relax, and simply be kids. Within six months of opening, the center reached maximum capacity.

Christmas has always been a special time at the center. In addition to a festive holiday party with plenty of food, each child receives a gift—up to $50 in value—that they select in the fall. This year, more than 200 children signed up. To accommodate everyone, the youth center hosted two separate Christmas parties.

As the Young Foundation’s investment advisor, I was thrilled by the turnout and decided to attend one of the celebrations.

When I arrived, three buses of excited, noisy kids poured into the main area. They quickly lined up for a feast. Fried chicken and biscuits were the clear favorites, with many kids going back for seconds—and thirds.

After dinner, the noise level soared again as a storyteller made several attempts to begin a Bayou favorite: A Cajun Night Before Christmas—the version where alligators replace the reindeer (“Ha, Gaston! Ha, Tiboy! Ha, Pierre an’ Alcee…”).

The kids, of course, were far more focused on their presents than the story. But first, silly games determined which group would open gifts before the others.

I was deeply humbled as I watched the winning teams open their carefully chosen presents. One girl received her very first doll. A young boy asked only for a $10 box of reeds for his saxophone. Some children had even requested gifts for their mothers. I couldn’t help but think: how often are we dissatisfied with what we receive? How often do we still want more?

This year has been strong for the stock market and for investors. Yet only 62% of Americans own stock. The remaining 38% are struggling financially, many facing increasing difficulty paying for basic necessities like housing and food.

While Christmas gifts may not be essential, food certainly is. Rising food prices have led to one in four households struggling to feed their children. In thirteen states, many of them in the South, more than 30% of households are food insecure.

If you are among the 62% who have seen their investments grow and are not currently giving to a charity, please consider doing so this holiday season. Many adults and children have little or nothing to celebrate. Sharing our blessings helps restore balance, perspective, and purpose in our lives.

More about Michelle Connell and Portia Capital Management