Acadiana Food Drive: Showing Up for Our Neighbors

One of the things I’ve always loved about Acadiana is the way people show up for one another. I’ve seen it happen through hurricanes, floods, personal tragedies, and those everyday moments when somebody simply needs a little help. Around here, you don’t have to look very far to find somebody willing to lend a hand.

And I think that’s something worth celebrating.

For the past six years, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of food drives organized alongside Keller Williams Realty of Acadiana. Together, those efforts have helped contribute more than 75,000 pounds of food to organizations serving families throughout Lafayette and the surrounding communities.

When I think about that number, what strikes me isn’t really the weight of the food. It’s the number of people who decided to participate. The families who gathered a few extra cans from their pantry, the people who made a special trip to drop off donations, and the volunteers who gave their time to make sure everything got where it needed to go.

That’s how something small becomes something meaningful.

Our 2026 Acadiana Food Drive

On March 1, 2026, we organized a community food drive at our Keller Williams office in Lafayette with a goal of collecting 1,000 pounds of food in a single day.

We wanted to make participating as simple as possible. People could pull up to our office at 100 Asma Boulevard, drop off nonperishable food items, and go about their day.

The donations were designated for FoodNet Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities of Acadiana that helps provide food assistance to people throughout our community.

At the time we organized the event, FoodNet was distributing hundreds of bags of food every week and supporting a network of partner pantries across the region. Those numbers were a reminder that food insecurity isn’t something happening in some faraway place. It’s happening in communities where we live, work, go to church, and raise our families.

And while we may not always know the people who receive that assistance, they’re our neighbors.

When everything was said and done, we collected 687 pounds of food.

Now, we didn’t quite reach our goal of 1,000 pounds. But I’ve never believed that falling short of a goal means you failed to accomplish something worthwhile. Because 687 pounds of food is still 687 pounds of food that wasn’t there before. It represents people taking time out of their day, making a trip to the grocery store, and choosing to do something for somebody they may never meet.

And that’s worth celebrating.

I’m grateful for every person who donated, helped spread the word, or played a part in making the day happen. We may have fallen short of the number we were chasing, but we certainly didn’t fall short of making a difference.

Why Community Matters to Me

Before I ever got into real estate, I spent nearly twenty years working in youth and family ministry. A big part of that work involved bringing people together, building relationships, and helping others recognize that they belonged to something bigger than themselves.

That part of who I am didn’t disappear when I changed careers.

If anything, real estate has given me another opportunity to live it out.

I get to meet people from all different backgrounds, walk alongside families during some of life’s biggest transitions, and develop relationships that often last long after a closing. And one of the things I’ve come to appreciate is that those relationships give us an opportunity to do some good together.

I don’t want The John Ray Group to simply be a business that helps people buy and sell houses. I want us to be part of the community in a meaningful way.

Sometimes that means hosting an event where families can gather and make memories. Sometimes it means connecting somebody with a person who can help them through a difficult situation. And sometimes it means asking people to bring a few cans of food so another family has something to put on the table.

None of those things is particularly complicated. But I believe they matter.

The Good We Can Do Together

One of the beautiful things about a food drive is that almost everybody can participate in some way.

You don’t have to make a large donation or organize an elaborate fundraiser. Sometimes the contribution is a few items from the grocery store. Sometimes it’s sharing the opportunity with a friend or offering to help collect donations.

And when enough people do those small things together, the impact can be significant.

That’s what I hope people remember about our food drives. Not just the number of pounds collected, but the willingness of our community to respond when there’s a need.

If you’d like to learn more about the ongoing work being done to fight hunger in Acadiana, I encourage you to visit Catholic Charities of Acadiana and explore ways to support FoodNet Food Bank.

I’m grateful to be part of a community that continues to remind me what generosity looks like, and I’m grateful for every person who has supported these efforts over the years.

Real estate is the work I get to do. But the relationships, the people, and the opportunity to serve are what make it meaningful.

Hey Hey, it’s John Ray!