Stephen Etienne, executive director of the Iberia Homeless Shelter, speaks with KANE AM-1240 radio Friday morning about the shelter’s raffle fundraiser.

Debbie Taylor, treasurer of the Iberia Homeless Shelter, and Rita Johnson, a shelter board member, were spinning a large metal drum Friday morning in the KANE AM-1240 studios on Main Street. 

A live microphone picked up the sound of the little, white slips of paper tumbling around inside.

One slip of paper held the name of one lucky winner, who’s $10 raffle ticket was about to be plucked from the drum and turned into two tickets for seats at the 50-yard line of the Nov. 25 LSU/Texas A&M game, a paid parking pass at the stadium, an overnight stay at the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino and Hotel and, to stay fed and hydrated on the trip, a $100 gift card.

The shelter’s executive director, Stephen Etienne, was in the studio speaking with Teche Matters substitute host Marti Harrel about the shelter. Harrel was filling in for Jeff Boggs, the regular host of the local morning news show.

“All of the funds generated help operate the Iberia Homeless Shelter,” Etienne said. “The shelter has been operating for 13 years. We house homeless veterans, we offer intake assistance, we run a 24-hour shelter. We provide three meals a day in cooperation with the St. Francis Diner,” Etienne said.

Iberia Parish President Larry Richard, who also was in the studio, declared his support for the shelter’s mission.

“The shelter is such a great service for the parish. Stephen is doing a fantastic job — I can’t say it enough,” Richard said. “It’s a great cause. It’s an extremely good cause.”

Richard has been meeting with the shelter’s leadership and other key players in the parish, including New Iberia Mayor Freddie DeCourt, on a monthly basis working on collaboratively addressing issues surrounding homelessness in the city and in the parish.

“Larry has been at the forefront of combatting homelessness,” Etienne said.

Johnson said she’s been involved with the shelter since the shelter’s beginning.

“It’s a wonderful organization,” she said. “And the problem (of homelessness) is not getting any smaller. We want to give them all the help we can.”

Taylor said the shelter was able to raise about $5,000 from the raffle. Otherwise, the shelter is dependent on local grants and donations, often from churches and church groups. A limited amount of state funding is available.

Just after 11 a.m. Johnson and Taylor stopped spinning the drum. Johnson, on her tippy-toes, reached inside and pinched at a handful of paper. When she pulled her arm out of the drum, one slip remained in her grip, which she handed to Harrel.

Harrel, live on the air, read the name on the paper into her microphone. 

The winner of the Iberia Homeless Shelter’s LSU Getaway was Alex Danos.