VCHS Announces Charitable Donation of $500,000 for Cafeteria Renovations

Vandebilt Catholic High School is pleased to announce a charitable contribution to the renovations and improvements of the Vandebilt Catholic cafeteria in the amount of $500,000 from the Richard “Dickie” Barker Family. With this generous donation and the blessings of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, we will be able to begin the process of converting the facility to a more collegiate environment for our students and faculty. Upon completion, the facility will be renamed the Richard “Dickie” Barker Student Union, in honor of the patriarch of the Barker family here in Houma.

As part of the 2021 Terrier Blueprint, the redesign renderings by Duplantis Design Group for the cafeteria includes more flexible seating options, multiple serving stations, and space to use for gatherings and events. Recently, Vandebilt Catholic moved forward with the transition to running their own food services utilizing SYSCO products. They will begin the 22-23 school year with a menu that provides students with a variety of options, including healthy choices and a-la-cart items and snacks.

Richard Barker is the father of 8 children, all of whom attended Vandebilt Catholic High School; Lisa ‘74, Ann ‘75, Richard ‘77, Michael ‘78, Kelly ‘79, Keith ‘80, Brett ‘82, and Chris ‘85. Several of the Barker families have also extended the tradition of a Catholic education to their children and even fourth generation grandchildren.

Without donors, such as the Barker family, Vandebilt Catholic could not complete many of the much-needed projects on campus. The school’s commitment to constant improvement and developing strong donor partnerships is a perfect way to realize visions of an ever-improving environment for our students and future generations of terriers. We are so grateful for this partnership with the Barker family.

Official groundbreaking will be announced at a future date and time.

Mike Barker, on behalf of the entire Barker family, stated, “ Vandebilt Catholic High School has been a devotion of our father for decades. It is appropriate that this donation demonstrates the commitment to Vandebilt’s past and future administration, faculty and students.”

Jeremy Gueldner, VCHS President, stated, “The values of Vandebilt Catholic and the Barker family are the same… faith, family, and excellence. We’re honored for our student union to carry the name of Mr. Dickie Barker for generations to come. We believe that this updated student union will become the heart of our campus for students, faculty, and community members.”