La Belle Maison: The Duhon Home
They say that home is where the heart is; and for Tracy and Troy Duhon, that statement is just the tip of the iceberg. For the couple, home is not only where they live and raise their family—it’s the hub of their charitable organizations and the place where so many people have come to minister to one another and share their testimonies.
Built in 2005, the Duhon’s home was ready for them to move in when Katrina hit, displacing them until 2006. “Like many people, we had to rebuild many areas of our home,” says Tracy. “Once it was done, I wanted to make our beautiful home a place of love for our family as well as others. What better way to get to know your neighbors than to open your home and serve them? I began with a Christmas luncheon in December of 2006; and I realized that, when women are brought together, they can do great things.”
That luncheon was the first of many, and the women who gathered started combining forces to reach out and help the Slidell Crisis Pregnancy Center and battered women’s shelter. Since then, the three-story Mediterranean style home has been filled with love, hope, and faith—though it has come with both challenges and heartaches. The proud mother of four children—Joshua, 24; Abigail, 21; Avah Hope, 10; and Annahstasia Grace, 9—Tracy has also lost three babies, two of which were born without kidneys. It was when the couple adopted Annahstasia Grace from an orphanage in China that Tracy saw the conditions and was given the inspiration for a new project. “Seeing all of these children in the orphanage who needed a family, I began Hope for a Home through our home luncheons, which then became one of the eight pillars of our non-profit, Giving Hope Nola,” says Tracy. “Going forward, each year we have helped as many as four families bring home their children.”
