Back To ListOne of my favorite nonprofits is the Barnwell Garden and Art Center. This truly is a group of people who can take lemons and make lemonade. With two staff members and a dedicated board of directors, they have reinvigorated that stuffy old building and breathed life into it.
Now, the community can go and enjoy Hot Jazz on the Red every Thursday night in the months of May and June. They added the laser light show during the holidays and for the first time this year, they added a Mardi Gras exhibit.
They certainly have always had a focus on the arts, but if no one is enjoying the arts then the beauty isn’t relevant. So they have made this building relevant again, by repurposing the arts and attracting a new group of residents and visitors to appreciate it.
Currently, the Barnwell and its friends would love to update the building and make it even more attractive for groups. A grant from Insty Prints would allow them to further reach those who appreciate the arts and introduce to others who don’t, an updated Barnwell Garden and Art Center.
Since they have such little budget, I know the organization would utilize these dollars and maximize their effectiveness. So it is with great pleasure that I submit the Barnwell Garden and Art Center.
Submitted by: Brandy Evans, Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau
Back To ListWhat do nuns and bikers have in common? Well, most have black wardrobes…most love the great outdoors…most love the fast-lane…but all love to help children. That’s the premise behind our annual benefit called Run with the Nuns (RWTN). It’s our fifth year and it’s a motorcycle ride and rally!
RWTN V is Saturday, October 22, 2011, and will be located in a new venue…historic downtown Shreveport! Every penny from this fundraiser is spent on children’s health programs in our own community. We have donated proceeds to Gingerbread House and Cara Center for abused children, Sutton Children’s Hospital, School-based Health Centers at Atkins Elementary, Linwood Middle, and Woodlawn High Schools, PROJECT 5210 (a fitness and weight management program for kids), and more. Last year, we purchased nearly $40,000 in vital medical equipment that will help sick children who are homebound or in the emergency room. We ride and work for all of our children!! More than 20 people from the area serve on our planning committee. We are sponsored by CHRISTUS Schumpert Health System.
They work year-round to make the event a fun day not only for bikers, but for families as well. We have games, IHOP breakfast on site, BBQ lunch, a bike show, blessing of the bikes, live auction, and even a tattoo contest!! More than 1,200 people participated last year! The Shreveport Times called us “one of the most unique benefits in the area!” And yes, even the Sisters participate!
Most importantly, we honor someone (a person or organization) from our community who makes a difference in the lives of children. This year’s recipient is BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse). This international organization does great things for abused and neglected children in Shreveport-Bossier. They will be presented with our 2011 RWTN Humanitarian Award. With such a unique and widely known event, we could certainly use help with our marketing and graphics communications. Not only do we have one of the most popular event posters (as soon as we put them up people take them down as souvenirs!), but we also have a great t-shirt with a fresh new design every year. Those have also become collectibles and we sell out every event! We especially need help with this design and planning.
Please check out our website at www.runwiththenuns.com. It is still being prepped for this year, but you can see photos of the event and learn more about what we do. Thanks again for this opportunity! Come Run with the Nuns for the children!!
Sr. Sharon Rambin, CHRISTUS Schumpert Health System
Back To ListThe mission of the Bossier Council on Aging is to provide services to seniors while enabling them to live independently and with dignity. When a person agrees to lend a helping hand, often times, the responsibility that lies ahead is uncertain. However, we at the Bossier Council on Aging are more than willing to accept this responsibility wholeheartedly. Regardless of ethnicity or financial status, all seniors are treated with respect and without prejudice. We are careful not to take anything for granted and mindful that each homebound senior is precious in his/her own way. Our organization offers transportation to and from doctors’ appointments as well as the grocery store. Our Nutritional Directors serve breakfast and lunch daily, while our Activity Director schedules various events for our seniors to attend. These events range from trips to the casino to week- long vacations! What do we receive for these services? Our reward is instant gratification when we are able to enrich the lives of our seniors well into their "Silver Years". While charitable donations and contributions help to keep our organization afloat, it is the seniors of Bossier Parish that we must credit for doing so as well!
Submitted by: Karla L. Hampton BCOA
Back To ListPam Morgan walked the streets of Shreveport's Allendale neighborhood, searching for drugs, seeking the next high that would deaden the open wounds in her life.
"I had no hope at all,” she said.
Stacy Davis wandered through Shreveport's Cedar Grove neighborhood, drifting from block to block, not finding a purpose in his life.
“I was a lonely person and I felt like a prisoner on the streets," he said.
But today Pam, Stacy and many others do have hope, do have purpose, because of the life-changing impact of Community Renewal International, a Shreveport-based nonprofit founded in 1994.
Community Renewal brings together caring partners to make our community a home where every single child is safe and loved. In neighborhoods where violence and fear once reigned, there is now safety and trust. Playgrounds are replacing battlegrounds. Former gang members and drug addicts are renewing their lives, returning to school and giving back to the community instead of taking from it. Communities are revitalized through three strategies: the Renewal Team, which connects individuals, businesses, churches and others to create a more caring community; Haven House, which enlists residents to reach out to neighbors on the street where they live; and Friendship House, which brings hope to long-neglected neighborhoods struggling with crime, drugs and unemployment.
Since its founding in 1994, more than 2,700 children and teens have participated in Friendship House activities. More than 160 are active on a regular basis. More than 48,000 people have joined the We Care team and more than 1,170 have been trained to serve as Haven House leaders who help renew the city one neighbor and one city block at a time. As a result of these efforts, major crime in Shreveport’s four Friendship House neighborhoods has dropped by an average of 50 percent.
“Many people have had their dreams crushed and through the power of friendship we give them the courage to dream again,” said Community Renewal Founder and Coordinator Mack McCarter.
Unique in its approach to help at-risk youth and families, Community Renewal does more than just visit struggling inner-city neighborhoods. Community Renewal takes up residence as a caring neighbor, earns the trust of residents and becomes a light on a hill. Sherry Brown moved with her husband, Norm, and two sons into a Friendship House in Shreveport’s Allendale neighborhood in the spring of 2002 to work with teens and their families. She admits now that she was not quite sure what she was getting herself into at the time. Shreveport Police has advised Community Renewal not to build Friendship Houses in Allendale because it was too dangerous.
“When we first moved here it was very depressing. All the houses were deteriorating and people didn’t have the means to make their situation better,” she said. “There was a lot of drug activity and I was often in fear for me and my children. We prayed day after day after day.”
Sherry, who served in the U.S. Air Force for more than five years, says her heart went out to the children in the neighborhood who lacked the family support that her two sons have. She knew they needed help and she felt God calling her to provide it.
“A lot of them don’t have support and they get discouraged and drop out. They don’t think they can make it. Many were falling through the cracks,” she said.
Today, though, Sherry can see the impact of Community Renewal in the neighborhood. She sees new houses that have been built through a partnership with The Fuller Center for Housing.
And she sees something that was missing from the faces there a few years ago – hope.
“Even just to see them smile now when they have a million things to worry about is very rewarding,” she said. “Before, people didn’t even want to look out the window and now it’s beautiful.
“We have hope and before there was nothing. Now there is definitely a sense of hope. Something beautiful is happening before our eyes.”
The two Friendship Houses in Allendale are also an anchor for the Building on Higher Ground initiative started after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. Community Renewal partnered with The Fuller Center for Housing in the construction of modest, quality homes for hurricane evacuees and other residents in need. To date, 43 houses have been built and the neighborhood has experienced a marvelous transformation.
“Even when my family was not there, you let me know people cared. You helped me have hope when there was no hope,” said Phyllis Davis, one of the new homeowners.
Young people throughout the city can bear witness to the impact Community Renewal has on their lives:
- “Without the Friendship House, I could have been shot dead or be in jail,” said Carl Hines, who grew up in a high-crime area.
- “I am an evacuee from New Orleans and I felt lonely and sad about what had happened to my family after the hurricane. The Friendship House helped me cope with my loneliness, loss of friends, sad feelings and my parents’ worries. The Friendship House has made me laugh again,” said teenager Sherlyn Quillens.
- “The Friendship House is more than just a place to go after school. It’s like a shelter from a terrible storm. I was a shy little boy who was afraid and now I’ve grown spiritually, physically and mentally. I could never be what I am today without the Friendship House,” said teenager Ja’Marjay Tooke.
Success stories like Pam Morgan and Stacy Davis, whose rare talent for art was discovered in the Community Renewal Adult Renewal Academy, show caring neighbors working together can have a positive impact. One of Pam's top goals now is to strengthen families, involve parents in their children's activities and show the same love that helped change her life.
"I love to encourage people and do for others what people have done for me. I do it every single day, even with people I don't know. I have the heart now to help anybody," she said.
Pam says her neighbors are not the only ones surprised by her new attitude. She's surprised herself, too.
"I'm amazed I am doing this. Before, I never spoke to my neighbors. This wasn't my thing to do. I cared about me, my four and no more," she says.
"I've seen myself grow in a lot of ways and I've overcome a lot of things. I am a brand new woman."
For more information about Community Renewal and how you can support this outreach and help it grow, go to www.communityrenewal.us.
Submitted by: David Westerfield, Community Renewal
Back To ListMy favorite non-profit is the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana. I am on the Board, and have learned firsthand about the wonderful work they do.
The Council is one of the few organizations left in Louisiana providing services to people suffering from addictions. Because of drastic state budget cuts (the Council has been cut over $600,000 this fiscal year by the state), most of the other non-profits providing these services have closed. The Council is now serving clients from all over Louisiana, regardless of their ability to pay.
The Council has 14 programs and 3 residential facilities, serving women who are asked to bring their children to live with them while in treatment, adolescent boys and girls (we have addicts and alcoholics as young as age 12 in treatment here), homeless men and women, and many others.
People with alcoholism and other addictions have a disease – it is not a matter of will power. Often the relentless path of addiction leaves people with no possessions, no family, no self-esteem, no hope. The Council gives people who have lost everything hope again. And help. Because most of our staff are recovering alcoholics and addicts themselves, they can offer an example of hope and success.
The number of suicides among the population of people with alcoholism and addictions is too great. Just as we have compassion for those suffering from cancer or diabetes, we have compassion too for those suffering from this disease.
Who among us does not have a friend, family member or colleague who falls into this category? I help because my friends and family have also been affected. I used to think “There but for the grace of God go I.” Now I think “There with the grace of God I go.” It is my privilege and honor to help, and I hope you will consider the Council as the recipient of your generous offer.
Submitted by: Judy O. Williams Williams, Creative Group, Inc.
Back To ListSherryl Ford can laugh about going shopping with her friends. After all, it’s just shopping and good times.
There were plenty of other times when Sherryl wasn’t laughing. There was the time when she learned her 14 year old son died in a car accident on his way back from New Orleans to their Jackson, Mississippi home. Or the time when after more than a dozen years of being drug free, she felt a sense of suffocating loneliness and she began using again. Or the two times she attempted suicide. “The first time I tried to drive off the bridge,” she said. “The second time I tried to cut my wrists while I was staying in the hospital. I cried and cried all night. I didn’t really want to die.”
She began using drugs again on New Year’s Eve 2006, after 13 ½ years of sobriety, when an overwhelming feeling of loneliness enveloped her. “I woke up and it was there,” she said, “I felt so miserable. I didn’t want to be in my own skin. I just wanted to be of the world, to just zone out. But when you get out of that, everything hits you in the face,” she said.
After a four month binge, her employer helped her get into a treatment program where she was transferred from Mississippi to Louisiana. Sherryl stayed committed to the program for two years but wasn’t ready to transition back. She believed she needed a place that transitioned her back into society and at a higher level of self sufficiency. She had a lot of issues dealing with family dynamics and didn’t feel she was strong enough to express her feelings and needs. Less structure is what Sherryl needed to gain trust in herself and the future decisions she would make.
Sherryl moved in to the Easter Seals Transitional Housing Facility (Mid City) on Jordan Street in Shreveport in November 2009. This program is different than a group home – it’s significantly less structured in its provision of temporary housing opportunities for the mentally ill. There is no length of stay requirement; each resident moves at his or her own pace. The 10 unit residence has a common area with couches, a flat screen television, a kitchen and washer and dryer, accommodations much like home.
Time at the facility gave Cheryl breathing room – she worked on herself and issues that clouded her all her life. One example was being in large crowds. Sherryl could handle small crowds, but with more than 25 people in a room she would find herself confined. The setting at Mid City allows the small group of residents the opportunity for casual group interactions, which worked well for Cheryl.
Now this mother and grandmother has learned to overcome every day challenges and has embraced sobriety. She is a graduate of a treatment program and is working every day. She is now enjoying life and living it to the fullest!
Oh! Did I say she was working?? I am proud to say Sherryl is a wonderful employee of Easter Seals and through the help from Easter Seals she moved into her own apartment after completing all of her goals at Mid-City.
While a resident at Mid City, Sherryl had a lot of potential and she was nominated to become a Peer Support Counselor at the Office of Behavioral Health. Peer Support Counselors are Mental Health Consumers who go through extensive training and are used to help ease the anxiety of other consumers during treatment at a Mental Health Center or at Psychiatric Hospitals.
Sherryl is also a residential advisor at Mid City, being a Mental Health consumer herself; Sherryl realizes the daily obstacles the residents face and is able to apply what coping skills she learned to assist them to become more independent. When presented with her name badge and her keys to Mid City she stated that this was one of the proudest moments of her life and that she could not have done this without the help from Easter Seals!
“Sherryl has come full circle in her recovery from being homeless to having her own home and being employed by Easter Seals Louisiana and she is truly a role model for others.
Submitted by: Bernadette "Bernie" Bitting, Easter Seals Louisiana
Back To ListEnable Skills Support Service (ESSS), is an organization who is trying to help ex-offenders find jobs, enhance their skills, make them over and offer transitional housing. All this to help inmates to becoming productive and better citizens to help keep down the recidivism rates. Our organization is fairly new and we are in desperate need of printing, copies, faxes, etc., so that we would be better able to get the word out about who we are and what we do, so far we have done all this with no budget and our own personal money. We greatly need something like this and will be much appreciated.
Submitted by: Rev. Emanuel P. McIntyre
Back To ListEvergreen Presbyterian Ministries, Inc. provides quality care to individuals with disabilities and assists them in building better lives. Below is just one example of how Evergreen impacts the life of individuals with disabilities and their families.
If there is one thing that Garland Cates understands, that is the importance of an organization such as Evergreen. He knows first-hand the benefits and quality of care that Evergreen clients receive. Garland has been an Evergreen Board Member for many years. Garland and his wife Bobbie’s story begins in 1968, when Bobbie was attending a Mother of Twins Club meeting, they were told the police were keeping children without families in the city jail until they could be moved. The Cates’ told the city that if they needed emergency care for children, to call them. The next morning, they received a call that said there was a tiny baby found only in a diaper, in an unlined plastic baby seat, in the misty rain, abandoned at a local truck stop. The city brought the baby to the Cates’ household; they immediately took her to the doctor to have her examined. The doctor stated that other than a broken nose and a hernia at six-pounds and two ounces, the baby was in good health. However, the doctor told them that the baby did have a mental disability. The Cates’ named the baby Darla and kept her for several weeks, when as a family they decided to see if they could adopt her rather than see her in foster care. The Cates’ family already consisted of four children ranging from age 11 to 16, and they would absolutely have loved the new addition to their family.
After several weeks of caring for Darla, the city called and said that they were picking Darla up the next morning, because a city judge stated that the Cates’ could not adopt her. The Cates’ family was very saddened by the news. To get her mind off the situation, Bobbie went to play Bridge that night at some friend’s house. At the Bridge game, she explained the situation of caring for Darla all this time and now; they were told they could not adopt Darla. A visitor was at the Bridge game that Bobbie had never seen before, after hearing the story the visitor said, “I am going home, I live next door to the judge and he will be hearing from me tonight.” The next day the judge stated that he had never heard of the case before and put a halt to Darla being picked up. Soon afterward, the Cates’ finished the paperwork and legally adopted Darla into their family.
When Darla was three years old, she began to have seizures, and her behavior became unmanageable. By the time she was six it was almost impossible to control her. Her seizures continually increased in number and type. When she was seven, she had a grand mall seizure. The family had to call an ambulance, where Darla was sent to the Children’s Hospital in Dallas, Texas. While she was there, she was given the dual diagnosis of autism and brain damage. Darla was in the hospital for 18 months before they were able to get the seizures under control. Years past and her behavior coupled with her seizures continued to become out of control. The Cates’ family took her to several doctors, but nothing seemed to help. By this time, all of the Cates’ children were grown and Darla was a teenager. The Cates’ were needing assistance with maintaining the level of care required for Darla’s condition and behaviors. They wanted to provide the care that she needed, but soon realized that they needed help. The family searched all over Texas, visiting homes for over a year trying to find a placement for her; but because of her diagnosis, they would not take her.
After years of searching for a place that could care for Darla the family received a call from a friend that told them about a place called, Evergreen. The family immediately called Evergreen and setup a meeting. After going through the paperwork and getting the state requirements fulfilled, the Cates’ family brought Darla to Evergreen at age 17, on September 12, 1985. The Cates’ family say that Evergreen was the biggest miracle of all. Evergreen has taught Darla to control her behaviors, get control of her seizures, and learn basic life skills to help her live more independently. Darla goes home at least four times a year for a visit; she is now a big help with the Cates’ great grandchildren. Darla lives in a group home with five other women. She will tell you that she has two homes, one in Denton and one at Evergreen. “We know that she feels much loved by all the staff and she loves them,” Garland says. Garland goes on to say, “We couldn’t be more pleased with the care she receives. We thank God every day for all the miracles in Darla’s life and for all the friends that have helped her along the way.”
As a parent and a board member of Evergreen, I want to thank people like you who give to the mission of Evergreen. It is important that we have an organization like Evergreen to help people live the fullest life possible. I would encourage you to open your heart to the Evergreen and help sustain this important mission!
Submitted by: Corey Shadd, MBA Development Specialist
Back To ListI am writing this letter on behalf of ‘Health, Hope & Attitude’, a company founded by Cindy Kelley. Ms. Kelley is a certified Personal Trainer, certified Zumba Instructor and a Lifestyle Coach. Her vision is to provide a warm, Christian environment in which women can feel free to pursue their goals of being the best they can be. Her mission is to promote self-esteem, hopeful attitudes, strength, flexibility, fitness and endurance in people with busy schedules for an affordable price.
Ms. Kelley has been teaching Zumba classes for several years and has realized her mission with many customers who have lost weight, regained their energy and renewed their spirit through her classes. The environment she provides is unassuming, warm and caring which keeps her customers coming back week after week, unlike the cold and impersonal impression a normal fitness center or Gym presents.
Although there are multitudes of aerobics and Zumba instructors teaching classes throughout the region, in addition to its ambiance, Health, Hope & Attitude offers between 14-16 class times each week and the option of a discounted month by month membership. With 4 additional certified Zumba Instructors teaching some of the weekly classes Health, Hope & Attitude brings a mixture of dance styles and variety to its classes.
As one of the certified Zumba Instructors I have seen the results that Zumba produces and the motivation that customers feel as a result of their association with Health, Hope & Attitude and engagement with other women who are trying to reach similar goals. To watch these women come out of their shells and bloom the way they do is so gratifying.
The high cost of leasing or renting a suitable space for classes, in addition to such operating expenses as utilities, insurance, licensing, etc. has made Ms. Kelley’s vision a real challenge. She is not looking to make a profit; only to continue her vision. There are never funds for printing brochures or flyers or advertising which makes it very difficult to grow and reach others who would benefit from these classes. Health, Hope & Attitude would greatly benefit from this generous offer should it be chosen.
Submitted by: Valerie P. Sterkx, Avant Properties, LLC
Back To ListHOPE for the Homeless Outreach team works hard each day to connect people with much needed services, with the hopes that these services combined, with case management will enable clients to move towards permanent housing. Each client that is encountered has a story to tell about their experience with homelessness. Here is one of the many that exist in our own backyard.
Tina and Peggy (a mother and daughter) had been living in their van for over 12 months before they found out about HOPE for the Homeless. The Outreach Team met them in the Hope House, a day shelter for homeless individuals that provides bathing and laundry facilities, temporary mailing address and telephone use. After several engagement contacts, the team found out that the pair had struggled with mental health and substance abuse barriers, unemployment and failed relationships. This complicated set of issues contributed to their status as homeless.
During the next couple of months, the team worked hard to coordinate mental health and substance abuse services, while obtaining permanent housing vouchers. Today, both ladies live independently in permanent housing and participate in monthly behavioral health appointments, as well as a weekly housing support group. By acknowledging their personal stories and barriers, we acknowledge their lack of "choice" in being homeless. By moving them into self-sufficiency, we acknowledge their struggle. Housing placement does not signify the end to their story...it is just the beginning.
Each day, HOPE for the Homeless is confronted with the Myth of Choice and are forced to reconcile the disparities between choices and consequences. “People, who are homeless, choose to be homeless.” But do they really?
HOPE for the Homeless believe that homelessness is NOT a choice. Homelessness, rather, is a consequence of unique sets of barriers. Each homeless person has a complicated set of issues that define their experience: mental health problems, substance abuse issues, family conflicts, and lack of employment or underemployment... the list goes on and on. HOPE for the Homeless works diligently to tear down these barriers and replace them with the installation of “HOPE”. The next time that someone asks you what you think of this, do your part in educating them on the complex factors of homelessness….is homelessness a choice….NO.
Submitted by: Lynn Stevens, United Way of Northwest Louisiana
Back To ListEstablished in 1927, Louisiana Association for the Blind (LAB) is a private not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization providing stable employment, vocational training and rehabilitative services to individuals who are blind and visually impaired in Louisiana.
LAB's core values of respect for individual abilities, honesty, and integrity create an environment that encourages personal growth and independence. At LAB our focus is on a person's capabilities not disabilities. Excellence in all that we do is our goal. Quality is the end result: in products, in training, and in employment opportunities.
LAB employs people who are blind in manufacturing, administrative, training and a variety of job positions that match an individual's goals and potential. The Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act (JWOD) allows LAB and other agencies employing the blind to secure contracts to provide products and services to the Federal government. The JWOD program helps to ensure steady, long-term employment for people who are blind. LAB is a member of the National Association for Employment of People Who are Blind (NAEPB) and affiliated with National Industries for the Blind (NIB). Additionally, LAB is licensed by the Department of Social Services and recognized by Louisiana Rehabilitation Services as a rehabilitative facility.
*Orientation and Adjustment to Blindness - prepares people who are visually impaired and legally blind for employment by developing the personal, social and transferable work skills required for obtaining and sustaining meaningful, gainful employment. The program normally takes 6-9 months to complete. Students learn orientation and mobility or cane travel, computer skills, independent living skills. They also gain job readiness skills learning customer support and sales support training. Clients are referred to this program through the Louisiana Rehabilitation Services.
This is a comprehensive program for adults wanting to enter the workforce or to continue working after vision loss.
The program incorporates orientation and mobility skills for ease of travel using cane and other assistive low vision devices. Individuals will gain the confidence to access public transportation and navigate unfamiliar surroundings in a safe manner. Outings to restaurants, recreational facilities and other public areas provide a comfort level for the individual to independently seek other outlets that may be of specific interest to that person.
Communication skills are taught throughout the course to include computer skills, typing/keyboarding and competence in reading and writing using the Braille alphabet.
Assistive technology assessments are conducted to determine which devices best fit the individual client's needs for assimilating into the environment and workplace. Training is conducted until mastery of these devices is accomplished.
Instructions in independent living skills teach self-reliance and independence in handling daily living tasks such as cooking, money management, cleaning, laundry, home mobility, safety and use of home assistive devices.
Peer counseling is a constant in the program; providing guidance and experience to the individual from those who have gone before them.
Braille Instruction teaches individuals to read and write using the Braille alphabet. Instruction in Grade 2 Braille provides proficiency levels for communication at home, work, school and leisure. Client's will learn to use the slate and stylus, the Braille writer and other Braille machines.
The ability to read and write Braille re-opens a world of words and information that has been lost to many individuals due to vision impairment. The ability to communicate and learn is an experience that can be part of your life again. This is a service that is open to the public and you do not have to have a sighting disorder to receive training.
*Orientation and Mobility Assessment and Training - enables a person to determine where he or she is in relation to the environment and how to use appropriate devices to travel in that environment. This segment includes assessment of a person's skill level and individual training, i.e. cane travel, use of public transportation, use of low vision devices and safety. Training also includes outings with a sighted guide to access commercial businesses for daily necessities and recreation. Individuals gain the confidence to escape the confines of their once limited safe environment and explore everything of interest that is available to them.
*Independent Living Skills - promotes self-reliance and independence through instruction in basic activities of daily living. Lessons include communications, cooking, money management, Braille, mobility and safety. New technology has made available many new devices to assist with the daily tasks we face each day. These devices will be tailored to individual needs and training will be conducted to provide expertise.
This training builds independence and confidence to live life on your terms with new skills for self-reliance.
*Living Independently for the Elderly (LIFE) - gives senior citizens special assistance in learning to cope with deteriorating or lost eyesight and in dealing with the day-to-day challenges of life after vision loss. The LIFE program includes all of the training offered in the Independent Living Skills segment with special consideration for the age of the client and additional health issues that may be present.
Submitted by: Brandy Garison, Louisiana Association for the Blind
Back To ListLinda Shimwell has been saving animals for a very long time. I know, because I pass her yard when I walk and there are at least four to eight pairs of eyes looking through the gate at me each time I do. Linda has personally rescued many animals over the years, taking them home to care for them and then place them on her own. It was a daunting task for a member of the community to take on and was accomplished by Linda's energy and sheer will.
Because I live in Linda's neighborhood, I have the happy opportunity see her walking her family of small and large dogs on a regular basis. For the small and elderly dogs, Linda has a red wagon and the entire group walks or rides happily and comfortably, sometimes as many as eight of them. It's a great sight with everyone's tail wagging and Linda with all of the leashes around her arms.
A couple of years ago, a fuzzy chow mix was running through the neighborhood. Nobody could catch him including Linda, who named him "Fred". Fred was wild ---and smart--- and was determined not to be caught. Everyone in the neighborhood was feeding Fred and trying to coax him into yards. One neighbor on Slattery actually got him into her yard, but Fred managed to climb the fence after he ate. Off he went...continuing to elude the entire neighborhood.
Then one day I noticed Fred had disappeared. I asked a neighbor and was concerned to find out that they, too, had noticed Fred's disappearance. He was really gone. One afternoon when I passed Linda's, I looked at all of the faces behind the fence wondering about Fred. To my surprise, there he was, looking back at me in line with the rest of the group. Linda had managed to catch and groom Fred who was looking very handsome. When I ran into her at the store, I couldn't help asking, "How on earth did you catch Fred?" She told me of a very harrowing adventure (there's no need to write fiction) about how she had managed to catch him. But it all worked out well and Fred, along with the rest of the family, has guarded the gate since then.
No so long after the experience with Fred, Linda began her NON-PROFIT-NO-KILL shelter called Pet Savers. Through Pet Savers, she has been able to continue to save and place hundreds of animals who live happily with their new families and bring them much joy. Her organization is the only NON-KILL shelter in this region and everyone should know about it. Canine members of our community like Fred need many more organizations like Pet Savers and it is for its progressive stance regarding animal welfare that I would like to take this opportunity to nominate Pet Savers for the Insty-Print award.
Submitted by: Diane Dufilho, Centenary College
Back To ListIn 2007, Neil Nathan, then in 5th grade, ventured to Sci-Port to observe the Foucault Pendulum for a school science fair project. Wanting to see the proof himself, Neil set out to calculate the value for g (the acceleration due to gravity) and the Latitude at Shreveport using the pendulum. After calculating using the formula and information provided by Sci-Port, Neil was able to prove that the Latitude was 32.5 degrees North, while his repeated calculations kept equating to far from the actual value for g. Neil’s calculations did not match the claim on Sci-Port’s sign! Neil’s dad informed Mike Asher, a Sci-Port employee, and asked to bring Neil back to Sci-Port to figure out why.
After discussing the project with Mike, the two went atop the Space Dome, where Neil measured the length of the pendulum using a plumb bob tied to a ball of twine. With his dad on ground level and ready to radio in, Neil eased the weight lower until it was equal with Sci-Port’s. After finding his measurement, Neil discovered that the “32 feet” length stated on our sign is incorrect! The actual length of Sci-Port’s pendulum is 41 feet. With the correct information, Neil was able to recalculate g at the accepted value of 32 feet per second squared. His discovery earned him first place in the Regional Science Fair and a special sign on the Foucault Pendulum exhibit.
The concept proven by the pendulum is one that many educated adults have trouble grasping yet Neil, a 5th grade student, was able to not only understand the concept; he challenged our information, and beat it! Neil made a difference by keeping us at Sci-Port on the ball.
Submitted by: Karen Wissing, Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center
Back To ListI am not an eloquent penman, but I cannot say enough about the Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission. They seem to be in all aspects of our community. They provide food, clothes and shelter to our less fortunate in our area. They have a program called Celebrate Recovery that helps those with addictions and have brought it into the jails to help people with a faith based program and it is working. A few weeks ago they ministered to the women in the Minden jail by washing their feet and pray with them and giving them hope that they were meant for something better. “Taking It to the Streets” is another big program that they sponsor twice a year where they provide music, food, a free “rummage sale”, entertainment for the kids and outreach opportunities for local churches and community organizations. This is an effort to help those in need get some things that they need and have a little fun in the process. There is so much more to this organization that words can express.
Submitted by: Allison Lane
Back To ListFor over 90 years, United Way of Northwest Louisiana has been working collaboratively on priority issues in four impact areas: education, income, health and basic needs, thereby improving lives throughout the ten parish region of northwest Louisiana. This year, United Way of Northwest Louisiana will serve over over 60 programs in the four building blocks; here is a sample story on just one individual of the 100,000 helped each year.
Exzavia’s life before becoming a LightHouse kid was pretty rocky and unsteady. He was living with his aunt in a two-bedroom apartment sleeping on a mattress on the living room floor. He continually struggled with his grades in school and in simply trying to make ends meet. Then Exzavia met a friend of a lifetime who gave him the best suggestion a friend could give: become a LightHouse kid.
Becoming a LightHouse kid opened so many doors that were closed before. He got assistance with his homework from honest, helpful mentors, and developed leadership skills that have since helped him progress in his life’s journey. By getting this help, his grades improved and he has since successfully graduated high school.
Today, Exzavia is a student at one of the best two-year universities in the nation majoring in business management. “This program is not just a program for kids to go, but a program that gives kids hope and opportunities to value life”. When individual support United Way, they are actually making an investment in our community…and to people like Exzavia.
Submitted by: Connie Blondin, United Way of Northwest Louisiana
Back To ListI will never forget Melvin, a young man who overcame tremendous family circumstances to graduate from high school and go on to college. While he had his own internal drive to success, he also needed the help of the community. He shared his story at the first Volunteers of America breakfast I attended.
Melvin told a story of heartbreak and poverty that began when he was two and his parents split up. His mother tried to provide for the family, but that meant long hours at home for the three children. While home alone one afternoon, they were trying to make something to eat. His sister pulled a pan of boiling water off the stove and was severely burned. Further tragedy led his mother to a cycle of depression, drug use and homelessness. By high school, Melvin was living alone in a homeless shelter.
He persevered and graduated. When he was ready for college, he contacted Volunteers of America. They took him in, even though he hadn’t previously been a client and asked their donors for help. Through their efforts, Melvin had everything he needed to move into the dorms at Louisiana Tech and buy books and supplies.
Melvin’s story proved that Volunteers of America lives up to its founder’s vision of an organization that will “go wherever we are needed and do whatever comes to hand.” Melvin was a child that needed help, and Volunteers of America responded with care and generosity to ensure he had a future.
I had attended that breakfast as a guest, and this story inspired me greatly. I agreed to be a table captain for the next 2 years and also joined the planning committee for the Cherish the Children breakfast too. I want to be a part of helping the Melvins of this world.
Submitted by: Candace Simmons Spinks, Cook, Yancey, King & Galloway, APLC