Andrew and Kaitlyn Yeates on Investing in New Orleans’ Future
Every community needs people willing to invest in its future.
For Andrew and Kaitlyn Yeates, philanthropy is about creating opportunities, strengthening communities, and inspiring others to do the same, a belief that led them to become passionate supporters of Emeril Lagasse Foundation.
As long-time supporters of youth-focused initiatives in New Orleans, the Yeates were introduced to Emeril Lagasse Foundation through their friendship with E.J. Lagasse, chef, restaurateur, and son of Foundation co-founders Chef Emeril and Alden Lagasse. In 2023, E.J. invited Andrew and Kaitlyn to attend Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s Carnivale du Vin. What began as a personal invitation quickly grew into a meaningful connection with a community of people who shared their belief in investing in the future of New Orleans’ youth.
“The one thing that made me feel at home was right when we walked into our first Carnivale du Vin,” Andrew recalled. “One of the first people that we saw was Sonny Lee, who is the CEO and founder of Son of a Saint.”
Having supported Son of a Saint since 2020, Andrew and Kaitlyn were inspired to learn that the New Orleans nonprofit was also an Emeril Lagasse Foundation Community Grants beneficiary. Seeing firsthand how the Foundation’s support helped strengthen an organization they already believed in gave them a deeper appreciation for its approach to investing in youth. As they learned more about the Foundation’s work, they saw how its mission to create opportunities for young people aligned with their own values – making the decision to get involved a natural next step.
Since attending their first Carnivale du Vin, the couple has returned to the event annually, building lasting relationships with fellow supporters, chefs, and philanthropists from around the world — connections that have come to mean as much as the mission itself.
“From the beginning, all of the great people who support Emeril Lagasse Foundation nationally and internationally took us in as family,” they said. “It has been really rewarding — not only for the great work we are doing, but because of the great people we get to do it alongside.”
As avid food lovers, the couple has also come to appreciate the role food can play in shaping confidence, independence, and opportunity for young people. “We think of food as a learning opportunity,” they shared. Reflecting on his own childhood, Andrew remembers the sense of responsibility that came from learning to cook at a young age.
“I was 9 or 10 years old when I started learning to cook, and I remember how much that gave me a sense of responsibility and empowerment. It’s great to see that work being done through the Foundation.”
Building brighter futures for youth takes shape through the Foundation’s programs, from Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen, which brings hands-on food education into schools, to the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, that uplifts the lives of Latino youth through food, to Community Grants providing programmatic and capital support to nonprofit organizations delivering life skills, education, and basic needs to young people across the country.
Over the years, Andrew and Kaitlyn have watched Emeril Lagasse Foundation grow steadily in reach and impact. “Every year, there are more stakeholders in the room. We’re inspired by the growing community coming together around the Foundation’s mission. It’s clear that more and more people are investing in the future of youth and the organizations that support them,” the couple shared. For the couple, that momentum is something everyone in the Emeril Lagasse Foundation community can help sustain.
“There is always room for all of us to bring more people into the Foundation as donors. We can collectively do a better job of spreading the good news.”
“What would New Orleans be without organizations like this?” Andrew said. “Think about if Emeril didn’t do this — how many lives wouldn’t have been touched and helped. It’s just a great part of living in New Orleans that we have people like him that care so much and do so much for others.”
Through its programs and the generosity it inspires, the Foundation helps shape a stronger future for New Orleans and beyond — one changed life, one shared commitment, and one act of care at a time.
