Mr and Mrs. Jackson’s house has been in their family since 1940. His wife was born and raised in the house. Both Mr. and Mrs Jackson are retired, but their house is full of pictures and mementos that remind them of the accomplishments they have achieved in their lives. Mrs Jackson was a school teacher and her love of education is obvious in the bookcase full of books of various subjects. In the same room, a framed caricature of Mr. Jackson’s hangs with a caption underneath, “Chef Stanley Jackson invites you to do lunch on the river 11am-2pm daily. “ We asked about the poster, and Mr. Jackson said not only was he a chef, but he was the head chef at the riverfront Hilton for 30 years. He talked about the joys of teaching others to cook, and traveling to places like England, Switzerland, and Australia to open restaurants. Mr. Jackson admitted to us that while he did train at culinary school, he learned most of his cooking skills on his own. It is evident that he had a natural talent in selecting spices and mixing flavors. Over the course of his career, he created many recipes and even invented the peanut butter cheesecake. His accomplishments have been noted in the encyclopedia of Cajun cooking, which his wife proudly brought out for us to see. There was a great sense of pride in the Jackson household. This extended to their children, whom are all pursuing their own dreams after attending various colleges.

The Jacksons received 15 bulbs from Green Light New Orleans. This will help them save over 6700 pounds of CO2 over the next few years. In terms of CO2 benefits, that has the same effect as planting 80 trees.

– Story by Laura Barrera, with help from the United Way alternative spring break Gates Millennium Scholars