Catholic Foundation Announces First Elementary School Tuition Assistance Endowment

The Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana announced today the first endowment to provide Catholic elementary school tuition assistance to its families. Named in memory of Nell Talbot Legendre, Catholic elementary school principals can request grant funds for tuition assistance for students starting in the spring of 2020. 

A native of Franklin, LA, Nell’s family moved to Houma when she was in fifth grade. Preparing to attend St. Francis, a kind storekeeper noticed her outside his closed store on a Sunday. He not only allowed her in the closed store, but also generously extended a discount to her family for her full set of uniforms. Mrs. Nell fondly recalled that act the rest of her life, and now her family wants to reciprocate to help other families requiring assistance. 

Mrs. Nell graduated from St. Francis and Vandebilt Catholic, and then sent her own children to St. Genevieve and E.D. White. Through her nursery school Building Blocks, she nurtured hundreds of children over the years. 

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux educate over 5,000 students each year, making it the largest evangelization ministry in the diocese. Those interested in contributing to the elementary school assistance fund, please contact Amy Ponson at (985) 850-3116, or aponson@htdiocese.org. 

PICTURE CUTLINE: Nell Talbot Legendre (center) is pictured with her four children. Her children have partnered with the Catholic Foundation of South Louisiana to create the Nell Talbot Legendre Tuition Endowment in her memory.