About

Our mission is to equip the underserved community with resources that will  positively impact their lives.

We aim to focus on those vulnerable people in our community who may be experiencing hardship due to homelessness, unemployment, food insecurity, or domestic abuse. We plan to provide basic needs including clothing and food while educating the community about job training, shelters, transportation, health, education, and nutritional resources.

Our work is rooted in community development and building the neighborhood identity McComb and the 12th Street Corridor. Over the past three years, we have fostered fellowship through food and basic need distributions for the homeless (2019-2022), community movie nights (2022), back to school drives (2021-2022), environmental support through agricultural training (2021-2022), and economic development of small businesses (2022). This year, we collaborated with the McComb-Veazey Neighborhood Coterie and Gethsemane Church of God in Christ (COGIC) to host our first annual McComb-Veazey Fall Festival. Prior partners include KJCB, Duncan Realty Professionals, CVS, Acts of Love COGIC, Potty Girl, F.I.R.E. Expressions Performing Arts Conservatory, Home Depot, and Walmart.

To date, our programs have directly impacted 500 unduplicated individuals with support services and activations. Through community engagement, we have connected with over 2500 individuals. As we continue our mission, our goal is to focus on those vulnerable to hardship due to homelessness, under- or unemployment, food insecurity, or domestic abuse and grow the avenues through which we provide basic needs, shelter, outreach, and community-strengthening activities.

Ashmay’s Seeds of Abraham is the vision of William Ashmay Duncan Jr. An army veteran and son of the McComb neighborhood in Lafayette, Louisiana, he was passionate about creating a space for the community, supported by its people. He dedicated his life to helping the youth and the homeless of Lafayette. Ashmay’s Seeds of Abraham bears the names of William Ashmay Duncan Sr., father of William Jr., railroad worker, and avid gardener, and Abraham Spikes, great-grandfather of co-founder Paula Duncan, farmer and beloved family man.

The work done through this organization will honor the legacies of each of these giants among men. We welcome you to support us on this journey through your donations and volunteerism.

Meet the Team

  • Aundrietta Duncan-Broussard

    PRESIDENT

  • Paula A. Duncan

    FOUNDER

  • Cherrelle Ducnan

    DIRECTOR

  • Destiny Moore

    DIRECTOR

OUR SIGNATURE PROGRAMS

  • Falling In Love With Acadiana

    Our original Fall program designed to provide support to those experiencing homelessness in Lafayette. We've provided Thanksgiving meals. blessing bags, non- perishable food items, blankets, and flu shots.

  • Youth Engagement

    We aim to foster fellowship and provide a safe space for members of the McComb- Veazey community, especially it's youth, through our programming. To date we have hosted a School Supply Distribution and Field day and two movie nights.

  • McComb-Veazey Fall Festival

    In Fall 2022, we partnered with the McComb-Veazey Neighborhood Coterie and Gethsemane COGIC to host our first annual Fall Festival. We welcomed families from around the community to partake in crafts, enjoy free food, a vendor show, games, and two live musical performances.

Starting in 2020, we have focused our efforts on developing Ashmay’s Orchard, a green space in the historical 12th Street corridor. Our green space provides a recreational area for residents and helps to enhance the beauty and environmental quality of the neighborhood. We enhance neighborhood livability and connectivity by curating events and increasing pedestrian access and safety. We also protect surface and groundwater resources, cultivate fresh produce, and increase sustainability practices of neighbors. We aim for Ashmay’s Orchard to be viewed as a gathering spot, where neighbors feel safe and comfortable meeting there to commune with one another, read, exercise, meditate, and take pride in their neighborhood and their legacy. Ultimately, our greenspace provides health, wellbeing and ecological benefits to the 12th Street Corridor.

ASHMAY’S ORCHARD