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Red Beans ‘N’ Rice Cook-Offs Support Mental Health in St. Tammany Parish

See the winners below!

Community members from across St. Tammany Parish came together once again for the 2026 East and West St. Tammany Red Beans ‘N’ Rice Cook-Offs, proving that a little friendly competition can create lasting impact.

Local businesses, first responders, elected officials, civic organizations, and community teams fired up their pots and shared their favorite recipes with hundreds of attendees, all united by a common purpose: helping more of their neighbors in St. Tammany get on a pathway to prosperity. A special thank you to Camellia Brand Beans, whose generous red bean donation provided every team with the authentic ingredient needed to create award-worthy dishes.

The success of this year’s cook-offs reflects the hard work and generosity of our volunteer committees, cooking teams, sponsors, and supporters. By surpassing last year’s fundraising total, the events’ proceeds will help expand access to suicide prevention, mental health services, and other United Way of Southeast Louisiana programs serving St. Tammany Parish.

Mental health challenges affect people of all ages, and access to care can make all the difference. Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people in Louisiana, underscoring the need for prevention, intervention, and ongoing mental health support. Together, these cook-offs help ensure our neighbors have access to the care and resources they need.

Thank you to everyone who cooked, volunteered, judged, sponsored, attended, and supported this year’s events. Your generosity is helping create a stronger, healthier future for St. Tammany Parish.

Thank You Sponsors

West St. Tammany Sponsors

West Impact Ingredient Sponsors

  • Atmos Energy
  • LOOP LLC
  • St. Tammany Health System
  • Ochsner Health

West Family Recipe Sponsors

  • Aetna Better Health of Louisiana
  • East St. Tammany Red Beans ‘N’ Rice
View the Gallery

East St. Tammany Sponsors

East Impact Ingredient Sponsor

  • Pelican Urgent Care
  • Slidell Memorial Hospital
  • Ochsner Health

East Family Recipe Sponsors

  • Aetna Better Health of Louisiana
  • Audubon Funeral Home
  • Honda of Slidell
View the Gallery

Congratulations to this year’s award winners.

West St. Tammany Winners

Best Beans

  • Judges’ Pick
    • First Place: St. Tammany Parish Assessor’s Office
    • Second Place: Northshore Mandeville Kiwanis Club
    • Third Place: Atmos Energy
  • People’s Choice
    • Best Beans: Aetna Better Health of Louisiana

Best Decorated Booth: St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office

Best Dessert: Atmos Energy

Community Spirit: Loop, LLC

Police Battle of the Badge Award: St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office

Fireman Helmet Award: St. Tammany Fire District #2

East St. Tammany Winners

Best Beans 

  • Judges’ Pick 
    • First Place: Cleco 
    • Second Place: Slidell Police Association 
    • Third Place: Amanda Trosclair for Judge 
  • People’s Choice 
    • Cleco 

Best Decorated Booth: Krewe of Titans 

Best Dessert: Coastal Environmental Services 

Community Spirit: St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office 

Helena Moreno

Campaign Email:  letsgo@helenamorenola.com
Contact Phone Number:  (504) 655-2878


Campaign Website and Social Media Handles
www.helenamorenola.com
@HelenamorenoHQ  |  @helenamorenola

Commitment: If elected, would you dedicate additional funding in the City budget for early care and education?

Yes.

If so, how would you prioritize it in the budget?

Both in the state legislature and city council, I’ve been a strong supporter of bringing early childhood education to New Orleans. In 2018, we allocated the first $1.5M in city funds for additional seats. As Council President, we doubled that to $3M. I was the lead author to put the pre-k millage on the ballot, providing millions more. I will continue this work as mayor. As for additional funding for pre-k, is there anything more important? We have demonstrated to the public that local government can make progress on this issue with increased resources. There are competing priorities, especially when it comes to drainage, but our kids desperately need pre-k, and so do our parents, who are under pressure to be both caregiver and financial provider.

Commitment:  If elected, will you use your power and platform to advocate at the state and federal levels for sustained early childhood funding? If yes, please describe the specific actions you will take to do this.

Yes.

Every leader at the local, state, and federal levels should be working together to provide high-quality early childhood education to our young people. I will always shout from the rooftops about the enormous benefits of Head Start and pre-k, along with Medicaid, SNAP, public housing, and kids’ programming on PBS. As mayor, I will lead a broad intergovernmental relations effort with constant coordination between city leadership, the legislative delegation, and advocates. I don’t think anyone is listening, for now, but that can change. More broadly, this is why the mayoral election is so important. New Orleans needs to stand on its own two feet. No one is coming to rescue us, so we must be strong in the face of unprecedented economic, environmental, and political headwinds.

Commitment: If elected, will you commit to ensuring our early care and education providers can keep their doors open, grow their business, pay a living wage to their teachers, and help ensure families and educators can continue to afford to live in the city? If yes, please describe the specific actions you will take to do this.

Yes.

Child care providers will have a strong supporter in the mayor’s office when I am elected. Our city hall will serve as a hub, connecting needs and resources, with a focus on streamlining red tape for critical service providers, such as those offering child care. It is not enough to have more early childhood seats; we need quality. Even at current levels of local and state funding, pre-K early education programs exist in an environment where low wages are the norm and facilities are often in disrepair. The current climate at the state and federal levels may preclude additional funds. Yet, at the local level, as I mentioned earlier, is there anything more important than pre-k? We have demonstrated to the public that local government can make progress on this issue with increased resources.

Commitment: If elected, would you commit to ensuring essential local workers – including those in city government – can access childcare through local providers, and that private sector employers do their part in ensuring their employees can access the childcare they need to work, be productive, and grow our economy? If yes, please elaborate on how you would fulfill this commitment.

Yes.

I will always advocate amongst employers and at the state level for a real-living wage that can provide for a family. In workplaces across New Orleans and at city hall, I see parents working double time, struggling to keep up due to a lack of child care. Part of the answer is more public school seats for children aged 6 months to 4 years old. For older kids, I want NORD to do more. A lot more. I have been a leader in expanding NORD’s budget to record highs. Now the goal is to maximize services during non-school hours. Summer enrichment is especially crucial to prevent any backslide. In short, I want to usher in a NORD Renaissance, especially after school. This would go a long way, especially for working parents who need a few more critical hours of support before they can leave work.

Commitment: If elected, will you commit to maintaining this office and protecting these investments?

Yes.

How will you ensure these efforts are sustained beyond your term and are prioritized in future budgets?

Yes. I helped lead the effort for early childhood education with Agenda for Children, and I will commit to maintaining and protecting these early childhood investments. They were hard won, and we cannot lose them. If anything, we need an expansion, which will be the key subject of future budgets, which must balance ALL the city’s needs. The bottom line: we must support families, or else they will simply leave, and New Orleans will not have a future.