Chief Devon Parfait
Grand Calliou/Dulac Band of the Biloxi-Chitimucha-Choctaw 

"It was truly an honor to have Mike burns come out with the students this summer. Not only did it offer the students an opportunity to learn from our community directly about what it means to live here now and historically, but it was also a chance for them to learn how much generational and trusted partnerships matter, as Mike has now worked closely with 2 generations of leaders within our community.

Mike burns has proven that amazing work is possible by staying connected with community, and working through the communities priorities rather than imposing someone else’s. It was fulfilling to see how fruitful this visit was for everyone involved, and because of that trust, one of our leaders who doesn’t normally present or speak felt comfortable sharing her story and work that gave important context into why we are moving forward with our resilience planning and adaptation strategies.

I am Looking forward to many more years of work with Mike and I am thankful that we had the opportunity to all come together in solidarity with eachother, as we all grapple with how we can contribute our time and resources to improve our lives and communities, and to find the ways that work."

I hope you are doing well! I just wanted to express how grateful I am to you, C2P2, and Voces for giving me the opportunity to volunteer for your organizations this summer. I also recently received an email from Bren about a stipend from C2P2 and Voces, and I just have to say that I'm extremely thankful. 

You once said that the best things you've learned in life didn't come with financial benefits and I truly believe that because this summer experience made me realize that there is so much need in our community. Oftentimes, you have to imagine what it's like to live in other people's shoes to understand their situations, but that only provides a small glimpse of their hardships-- never providing a full scope of what it's like to be them. This makes me want to be a better person, a better advocate, and to use my knowledge as an attempt to voice out their needs. Volunteering with Voces has been a gift and a realization that there is still so much work to be done.

I admire the passion and dedication you have towards the community and the people. I also remember feeling sad when I received the "rejection" email for the Dulac project in Louisiana, but looking at it now, it was the best decision because it allowed me to make a small contribution to a project that now feels very close to home. This, of course, couldn't have been possible without your help and mentorship-- and for that I will always be grateful.