A group of Haitian-American attorneys in South Florida personally funded a Thanksgiving initiative that provided $100 grocery gift cards to 100 families in need — a meaningful alternative to traditional holiday giveaways financed with taxpayer dollars. Inspired by Attorney Beatrice Cazeau, the group “Lawyers Giving Back” partnered with Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center to ensure struggling families could celebrate with dignity and choose their own holiday meals. The effort exemplifies the value of community-driven leadership and calls for more initiatives rooted in genuine compassion rather than political visibility.
By Dessalines Ferdinand, Editor-in-Chief
During the Thanksgiving season, many elected officials are often seen distributing turkeys or meals purchased with public funds — or with donations received from lobbyists and business owners who may later seek favorable support in return. While such efforts are appreciated, they rely on taxpayer dollars rather than personal sacrifice. This year, however, a group of Haitian-American attorneys in South Florida offered a more powerful example of community commitment: giving back directly from their own pockets to ensure families could celebrate with dignity and choice.
In a post shared on her personal Facebook page (@cazeaulawfirm), Attorney Beatrice Cazeau described how she reached out to four of her colleagues — Kertch Conze, Frandley Julien, Stephanie Ducheine-Welsh, and Byrnes Guillaume — with a simple proposal:
“Let’s pull our money together and feed 50 families for Thanksgiving.”
The response was immediate and unanimous. Recognizing the growing financial hardship many Haitian families are facing, the group increased its goal: providing 100 families with $100 grocery gift cards — a total of $10,000 in direct support, funded entirely by the attorneys, friends, and supporters.
The initiative, named “Lawyers Giving Back,” was launched in partnership with Sant La — Haitian Neighborhood Center, which identified households in urgent need. Sixty cards were distributed Tuesday and the remainder the following day, ensuring families could shop for their own Thanksgiving meals.
Unlike traditional donation drives, where families receive pre-selected food items, this effort restored agency. Families could decide what to cook, honor their cultural traditions, and gather around a table that reflected their own celebration.
The impact was made clear through a message Sant La shared with the group: A mother of four, including a four-month-old baby, came in seeking to reinstate her SNAP benefits. Her two older sons were crying from hunger and the infant lacked formula. When she received a gift card, she was overcome with relief and gratitude.
Moments like these are the heartbeat of true community leadership, not staged photo-ops, not campaign-season outreach, and not charitable acts funded by taxpayers. Rather, this is neighbors supporting neighbors, grounded in empathy.
For attorneys whose firms largely serve Haitian-American families, the gesture also reflects a meaningful reciprocity: a commitment to uplift the very community that sustains them.
South Florida needs more efforts like Lawyers Giving Back — grassroots, compassionate, and focused on restoring dignity to families who need a hand, not a spotlight.
This Thanksgiving, these attorneys embodied the biblical lesson that those blessed with much are called to give much in return.
