Solidarity Immersion Briefing Book

About

Objectives:

● Provide real-life experiential learning across barriers that divide us and put ourselves in the presence of those who are hidden from view and often ignored.

● Build bridges and provide real stories that bring more profound meaning and emphasize the importance of connecting with those whose life journey is different from our own.

● Exercise social empathy through connecting with persons experiencing poverty and vulnerability about the dynamics and processes of those who are impoverished, oppressed, discriminated against, and marginalized.

● Experience and hear the stories and issues directly from those with lived experience.

Outcomes:

● Connect directly and empathize with those persons experiencing poverty and vulnerability.

● Experience the impact of immersions, including increased awareness of the realities of marginalized people.

● Identify and enable conditions for which to apply immersion learnings both professionally and personally.

● Reflect on and capture personal and group learning from the collective experience and articulate the impact in small groups.

Today’s immersion allows you to be fully present and listen sincerely and respectfully to the stories of those experiencing poverty and vulnerability.

About“We imagine no one standing outside of [the] circle [of compassion], moving ourselves closer to the margins so that the margins themselves will be erased.”

---- Greg Boyle, S.J., founder and executive director of Homeboy Industries and author of Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion

“As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved…by attacking the structural causes of inequality no solution will be found for the world’s problems or, for that matter, to any problems. Inequality is the root of social inequality.”

----Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium (2013)

“It is not our job to solve the problem; but to listen and understand.”

Observation and Reflection

Reflection Questions:

● How did it feel being there?

● How did the person(s) you spoke with impact you?

● How do their experiences connect with your life?

● What disturbed, inspired, or challenged you?

● Were you able to move beyond preconceived notions about the people, place and the situation?

● Where was the grace?

● How will these learnings shape your leadership and your service to your community?

Conducting Effective Immersion

Visits

Prepare:

● Review your immersion briefing book and think about what questions you may have for the hosts.

● Gain alignment with the objectives and outcomes

Manage the visit:

● Time passes quickly. Ensure you prioritize your questions.

● Ask open-ended questions and listen intently.

● Capture what resonates most with you from each experience.

● Maintain an open heart. Avoid judging, presuming, diagnosing, and categorizing people you meet. Do not focus on what “WE” might perceive as the “problem” or “solution.”

● Be on the lookout for signs of hope and justice. Ask yourself: What am I here to learn, to receive?

Reflect:

● Capture your personal insights.

KeyContacts and Reminders

Key Contacts:

● Brittany Simpson, Sr. Director, OD, Mobile: (850) 291-9807

● Shaneen Wickenhauser, Program Manager, OD, Mobile: (314) 422-0211

Reminders:

● Wear relaxed casual attire for immersion visits.

● Bring your personal photo I.D., business cards and program materials.

● Exercise compassion, respect and reverence.

● Make a warm impression. You are a representative of Ascension. Prepare yourself to have an open heart and mind; show vulnerability and humility. Give something back.

● Reflection and dialogue will drive/enhance your learning.

Socially Vulnerable Areas

● Central City, Lower 9th Ward, New Orleans East - A higher percentage of residents live in poverty and work in natural resource-related industries such as petroleum extraction and fisheries. These communities also tended to have a larger percent of the population older than 64 or younger than 5.

Facts

Social Vulnerability Index

American Community Survey (ACS), 2014-2018 (5-year) data for the following estimates:

Facts

Action Reflection Learning

YourSchedule: At-A-Glance

TUESDAY

OrganizationInformation

Dooky Chase

FAST FACTS

Opened: 1941 Industry: Premier restaurant for authentic Creole Cuisine and display of African American Art VISION A sit-down restaurant wrapped within a cultural environment of African-American art and Creole cooking.

Special Mentions: Introduced as one of the first African American fine dining restaurants to the Country and the first art gallery for black artists in New Orleans.

ABOUT: Dooky Chase’s Restaurant opened its doors for business in 1941. What was initially a sandwich shop and lottery ticket outlet in 1939 blossomed into a thriving bar and later a respected family restaurant in Treme. Founded by Emily and Dooky Chase, Sr., Dooky Chase’s Restaurant soon become the meeting place for music and entertainment, civil rights, and culture in New Orleans.

SUPPLEMENTAL ARTICLES/MEDIA:

Article: Dooky Chase’s, Leah Chase Subject of New TV Series

HISTORICAL PAVERS | Dooky Chase

Dooky Chase OrganizationInformation

“This place is dedicated to the fun-loving people of our great city who are desirous of enjoying good food and drink where there is always good order.”

Edgar “Dooky” Sr. & Emily Chase, 1941

Edgar “Dooky” Jr. & Leah Chase

YourSchedule: At-A-Glance

WEDNESDAY

Visit with 3 diverse patients (Diabetic, Prenatal, Dental)

Second Harvest Food Bank

Lindsay Hendrix, Chief Impact Officer

Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans - Hispanic Apostolate Community Services

Sr. Irma Vargas, DC

Fr. Sergio Serrano, O.P., Dir. of the Hispanic Apostolate for the Archdiocese of New Orleans

Clover

Dr. Arnel Cosey, Strategy and Impact Officer

Tour Carrollton Facility

Tour Westbank ( New Site) ● Drive By Algiers (Under Construction) and Central City (Health & Housing Site)

OrganizationInformation

DePaul Community Health Centers

FAST FACTS:

Providing Care: 180+ Years

Locations: 10 health centers conveniently located in Algiers, Bywater, Carrollton, Gentilly, Gretna, Kenner, Louisa, Metairie, New Orleans East and Prytania

ABOUT:

Proud member of Ascension, the nation’s largest Catholic and non-profit health care system. After the sale of Hotel Dieu Hospital in 1992, the Daughters transitioned their efforts, establishing a community health ministry known today as DePaul Community Health Centers of New Orleans.

VISION:

Improve the health status of the community. We will advance the long tradition of health ministry to the people of New Orleans, especially the underserved, through the development of a values-driven organization dedicated to primary care and preventive health services, addressing the needs of the total individual – body, mind, and spirit.

MISSION:

Improve the health and well-being of our community and to be a presence of the Love of Jesus in the lives of all we serve and with whom we partner.

DePaul Community Health Centers OrganizationInformation

Sister Bonnie Hoffman, DC

Vice President of Mission Integration, Ascension DePaul Services

Sr. Bonnie Hoffman came to New Orleans in 2008 to serve as a Nurse Care Manager; a function of the patient-support team that implements the Medical Home Model of care which is based on best practices for population-based healthcare. That assignment was typical of her career-long effort to encourage and empower people to live to their healthiest potential. She is a Registered Nurse (RN) and a Daughter of Charity; and has provided staff development and clinical practice in Missouri, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

Sr. Bonnie began her current position as Vice President Mission Integration at Ascension DePaul Services, formerly Daughters of Charity Services of New Orleans (DCSNO) in January 2010. She says this is an exciting time to be a member of the Leadership Team, as the team leads the transformation of healthcare in New Orleans, expanding access to healthcare threefold since Hurricane Katrina. Rebuilding of staff and services, and the growth of the ministry, creates an environment for creativity, spiritual enrichment and discernment around how ADS ministers.

From 1982 until 1998 she served at the former Charity Hospital in New Orleans. She was staff nurse at Providence Hospital in Waco, Texas and St. Paul Hospital in Dallas, Texas. She taught in the Bachelors of Science (BSN) Program in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She earned her BSN from Marillac College in St. Louis, Missouri, and Masters of Science in Nursing from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

OrganizationInformation

Second Harvest Food Bank

FAST FACTS:

Food Insecurity: One in five households in Louisiana is at risk of hunger. Across our state and region, the rising cost of food, housing, and utilities, coupled with unemployment and low-wage jobs have increased the need for emergency food assistance. Many families are asking for help for the first time. When bills loom and impossible decisions must be made, grocery lists are often cut first. Meals are skipped. Parents go without to make sure their children are fed.

People Served: 300,000+ annually

Pounds of Food Distributed: 47.5 million in FY 2022

Meal Equivalent Distributed: 38 million in FY 2022

Supports: 600+ community partners and programs across 23 parishes in South Louisiana

Volunteer Hours: 70,000 hrs in FY 2022

MISSION:

Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission is to lead the fight against hunger and build food security in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response. Second Harvest provides food to community members in need through 600+ programs and partner agencies across South Louisiana. Together, we make up the largest charitable anti-hunger network in the state.

SUPPLEMENTAL ARTICLES/MEDIA:

Article: Impact Report 2019 & 2020, November 2022 Newsletter

Second Harvest Food Bank

Biography

Lindsay Hendrix

Chief Impact Officer

As Chief Impact Officer at Second Harvest Food Bank, Lindsay and her team manage all of the Food Bank’s programming and partnerships, ensuring responsive and equitable treatment of those needing food assistance and the community partners that serve them. Previously as the Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Lindsay raised vital funds for nutrition-centered programs and worked to design some of Second Harvest’s most transformative initiatives. She is active as a volunteer and Board President of Crescent City Cafe, where she is able to continue her commitment to ensuring those in need of a meal in our community receive one. Lindsay has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Abilene Christian University, and lives in New Orleans with her husband and family.

LocalPartnerships: Overview

Ascension DePaul Community Health Centers and and Local Partnerships

Second Harvest Food Bank:

● DePaul Community Health Centers work with Second Harvest Food Bank to provide accessible food deliveries in communities that are under served.

● DePaul Community Health Centers identify food recipients for the Second Harvest Food Bank Order Ahead Program.

● DePaul and Second Harvest Food Bank coordinate weekly in support of a food giveaway at the neighborhood community-based site.

Hispanic Apostolate

FAST FACTS:

The Hispanic Apostolate was founded in 1972 by the Archdiocese of New Orleans to serve the needs of the Hispanic community. The Hispanic Center, founded in 2012, is the fulfillment of the purpose of the Hispanic Apostolate and the Archdiocese of New Orleans to provide a place where the Hispanic community gathers to receive pastoral care and services. We seek to work together to improve the well-being and spiritual life of individuals and groups and to celebrate our faith together.

MISSION:

Driven by the call of Christ, we who serve in the departments and offices of the Archdiocese of New Orleans collaborate with the Archbishop and with one another to make the Kingdom of God present. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we work to serve and collaborate with parishes, schools and organizations to evangelize and catechize, offer witness of life and service, direct and give pastoral care to all the people of God to increase the salvific mission of Christ.

Biography

Hispanic Apostolate

Sister Irma Vargas, DC Daughters of Charity

Sister Irma Vargas, DC, is a Daughter of Charity currently working with the Community Health Workers and Navigators at Ascension DePaul Services (ADS) in New Orleans, LA. She has worked with the Hispanic Apostolate aiding individuals of their large Hispanic Membership. Sister Irma is bilingual and has used her skills extensively to aid immigrants at the border in Brownsville, Texas. She is a Community Health Worker and teacher of Diabetes Classes and GED classes in Spanish. She has worked at Lackland AFB, translating for unaccompanied minors in San Antonio, Texas. She has served at the Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas, assisting families from Central-America with: transportation and helping to make phone calls to their families or sponsors, and with meals.

Biography

Hispanic Apostolate

Dominican Father Sergio Serrano, O.P. Director of the Hispanic Apostolate for the Archdiocese of New Orleans

Father Sergio Serrano, OP, is a member of the Dominican Province of Saint Martin de Porres, in the southern United States. He professed his religious vows in 2003 and was ordained a priest in Dallas, Texas in 2007. He has been Parochial Vicar at Santo Domingo de Guzmán Church in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has also been pastor of the historic Santo Domingo de Guzmán church in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He was a parish administrator in the parish dedicated to Blessed Francis

Xavier Seelos and director of the Jesus the Lord Center in New Orleans. He is currently the Director of the Hispanic Apostolate for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and is a Doctor of Ministerial Theology candidate at Barry University in Miami, Florida.

LocalPartnerships: Overview

Ascension DePaul Community Health Centers and and Local Partnerships

Hispanic Apostolate:

● COVID Vaccine - Our Population Health Vaccine team circulated materials for community vaccinations inclusive of FAQs, vaccination cards, universal consent forms, and signage.

● COVID Education - During the Pandemic we were very successful hosting Zoom calls on COVID Education with the Hispanic Community through United Families in Action’s and the Hispanic Apostolate. The agency provided useful information for members of the Hispanic community during these call for three consecutive months. Topics included COVID-19 vaccines and safety measures, primary and preventive health, behavioral health and diabetes education.

● Diabetes Education - Sara Darensburg, Family Nurse Practitioner, presented diabetes education information to nearly 60 families during the United Families in Action’s monthly Zoom call. The agency has provided useful information for members of the Hispanic community during these call for three consecutive months. Topics included COVID-19 vaccines and safety measures, primary and preventive health, behavioral health and diabetes education.

● Behavioral Health - Behavioral Health Specialist Angela Garzon presented in Spanish a Zoom Meeting on Behavioral Health and techniques to cope with depression and stress related to the COVID pandemic and secondary effects surrounding loss of loved ones and unemployment.

● Food Distribution - We worked in conjunction with United Healthcare who announced a vaccine partnership and $20,000 donation. UnitedHealthcare donated assistance regarding vaccines, food and safety kit partnership.

● Health Fair and Dental Care - A Health Fair and Dental Care was held that served some 150 – 200 people at the Hispanic Apostolate. Our Dental Department was able to assist some emergency cases at our Saturday clinic.

● Insurance Enrollment - The DePaul Health Insurance Navigators provide education about Medicaid, enrollment opportunities and conduct workshops on the difference between emergency rooms and primary care. 260 Families have been enrolled from the Hispanic Apostolate. As of October 2022 over 2577 persons have been assisted with general inquiries about Health Insurance. Some 1789 persons have been educated on basic concepts and rights related to health coverage and how to use it: Health insurance literacy.

OrganizationInformation

Clover

FAST FACTS:

Individuals Served: 8,000

Supportive Services: 2,800 families and seniors at Columbia Parc, Heritage Senior Residences, Faubourg Lafitte and Sacred Heart at St. Bernard residential communities had access to ongoing comprehensive supportive services.

Year-Round Adult Day Care: 100 at-risk seniors, veterans and medically-fragile adults and their families benefited

Education Support: 1,500 infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families received high-quality early childhood development and education, and vital family supports.

Training and Earned Certifications: 169 individuals completed training and earned certifications or were placed by Kingsley Connections Career Pathways team in high demand, living wage careers.

SUPPLEMENTAL

Videos: Other Videos Article: Impact Report FY 2020-2021

Clover

Arnel W. Cosey,

Biography

Ph.D.

Strategy and Impact Officer

Dr. Cosey has over 30 years of experience in higher education and with non-profit organizations. In her role as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and an Executive Dean at Louisiana’s largest community college she inspired her team to implement proven best practices and data-driven strategies toward the attainment of student success outcomes.

During her time in higher education, Dr. Cosey established a reputation as a champion of access and equity initiatives, successfully leveraging corporate, philanthropic, and community partnerships to increase opportunities for students and families. Her portfolio includes acceptance by the Education Design Lab as one of four institutions in the national, inaugural cohort of a 4-year study focused on increasing the attainment of certifications earned by single-mom learners. She also secured a one million dollar grant from Chevron in partnership with The Fab Foundation at MIT to develop Fab Lab NOLA as a member of a global network of STEM fabrication centers dedicated to inspiring innovation and invention within the student body and the community.

In her current role as the Strategy and Impact Officer for Clover, she works closely with internal and external partners to create and implement pathways to economic mobility for families. An experienced administrator, she combines innovation, collaboration, and her passion for others and community in her leadership strategy to develop impactful programs.

Dr. Cosey , a native New Orleanian, has earned her reputation as a highly respected thought partner resulting in memberships on local, state, and national boards. She has been the recipient of several professional and community awards such as the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Outstanding Staff of the Year, the Chancellor’s Innovation and Excellence Award, CityBusiness Women of the Year Nominee, and CityBusiness One to Watch (education).

LocalPartnerships: Overview

Ascension DePaul Community Health Centers and and Local Partnerships

Clover:

● DePaul Community Health Centers provided two Community Health Navigators to support 100 families with social support.

● DePaul Community Health Centers provided SDOH Assessments to all family to understand needs.

● DePaul provided coordination and connection to resources to address SDOH needs.

St. Augustine High School

Biography

St. Augustine High School

Aulston G. Taylor, MS President/CEO

Aulston Taylor is a strategic, passionate, and captivating servant leader. Aulston’s journey has been filled with calculated risk-taking opportunities that have spanned corporate and philanthropic ventures. Each experience, brimming with promise and growth-potential, his career has propelled the partnership executive to not only challenge himself to acquire new skills along the way, but to pay it forward and empower the next generation of leaders while setting new record highs of revenue generation.

As President and CEO of St. Augustine High School, Aulston is responsible for ensuring that the school fulfills its mission of providing a quality, well-rounded education to young men in the traditions of the Catholic Church. In his role, he supervises an eighty-person faculty and staff and manages an $8.4 million budget.

Prior to joining St. Augustine, Aulston spent 17 years in New York City as a corporate sales and business development executive in the Advertising & Sponsorship arena with ESPN and BET Networks. During his decade long tenure with BET Networks, the 2018 New Business Sales Executive of the Year cultivated, managed, and generated nearly half-a-billion dollars in ad revenue across multiple BET owned platforms.

Aulston is a believer in the business of education and preserving history. As a preservationist and purveyor of the arts in the city of New Orleans, Aulston serves on the Executive Board of Preservation Resource Center (PRC) and the New Orleans African American Museum (NOAAM). True to his character, Aulston also serves as a board member with the Dream A Dream Foundation based in Chicago, created to uplift and actualize the potential of young people who may not have the resources to achieve their goals. At his employer – St. Augustine High School, since 2012, Aulston has supported students and families hailing from financially challenged households annually with funds established out of the Aulston G. Taylor Endowment Fund.

Aulston is a 2003 graduate of Texas Southern University earning a B.A. in Business Administration and a 2016 graduate of NYU earning a M.S. in Integrated Marketing with a concentration in Brand Management. Courses at NYU included but were not limited to: Advanced Integrated Marketing, Finance for Marketing Decisions, Statistical Measurements, Analysis & Research, Database Management & Modeling, The C-Suite Perspective: Leadership & International Marketing to name a few.

LocalPartnerships: Overview

Ascension DePaul Community Health Centers and and Local Partnerships

St. Augustine High School:

● DePaul Community Health Centers provides counseling and therapy services to students and facility on site at school.

● DePaul Community Health Centers provides Covid-19 testing and vaccinations to school community .

● DePaul Community Health Centers provided physicals and immunizations for sports and back-to-school campaigns.

McDonogh 35 Senior High School

FAST FACTS:

Students: 864 Students and 65 Staff Management: InspireNOLA has the privilege of serving 12% of the 48,000 students that attend New Orleans public schools, and that percentage continues to grow each year as their impact increases.

McDonogh 35 is a legacy in the city of New Orleans. Opening in 1917, it was the first public high school in New Orleans for African-American pupils. The school is an InspireNOLA school, serves grades 9th - 12th in the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans. A school-based health clinic on-site provides students free general pediatric and adolescent care and specialized care for teenagers that might complicate the students' lives. Encourage academic excellence for all students in challenging and interactive programs that are supported by teachers, staff, parents, and community. SUPPLEMENTAL

ABOUT: MISSION:

Biography

McDonogh 35 Senior High School

Kawana Ripoll, LCSW

Executive Director of Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse and School Based Programs Ascension Depaul Services of New Orleans

Kawana Ripoll, LCSW graduated from Loyola University in 1995. She then went on to obtain her MSW degree from Southern University at New Orleans. She has worked in social work and specifically health/mental health for 20 plus years.

Kawana Ripoll currently serves as the Executive Director of Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse and School Based Programs. She manages and is responsible for the implementation of the Medication Assisted Treatment program, School Based Health Program, and Behavioral Health Integration.

Biography

McDonogh 35 Senior High School

Dione Joseph-Breckenridge, MS, RDH, LPC-S, NCC School Based Behavioral Health Clinician Manager

Dione received her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Xavier University of Louisiana. She is currently a doctoral student at Grambling State University. She is also a registered dental hygienist. She received her training at the University of Illinois at Chicago Dental School/Kennedy-King College. Dione is a member of the American Counseling Association, Louisiana Counseling Association, and the National Dental Hygienist Association.

Biography

McDonogh 35 Senior High School

Dr. Keisha Simpson LCSW

School Clinician Behavioral Health Manager

Dr. Keisha Simpson LCSW is a School Clinician Behavioral Health Manager within the Depaul Community Health Center’s school partnership program, where she currently co-manages over 20 schools. Dr. Simpson has worked in the field of mental health for over 8 years, providing mental health and support services to students and families across New Orleans and surrounding parishes. She believes that academic achievement is directly related to the mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing of the children.

Dr. Simpson is a graduate of Southern University A&M (B.S), Southern University at New Orleans (MSW), and the University of Southern California (DSW).

Biography

McDonogh 35 Senior High School

Ashley Hebert, MSN, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C School Based Health Services Provider

Ashley Hebert is a board certified advanced nurse practitioner specializing in psychiatry and family practice. She completed her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at the University of Holy Cross, then earned her Masters of Science degree at Nicholls State University, and thereafter earned her Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post Master's Certificate from McNeese State University. She holds national board certifications with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She is an active member in the New Orleans chapter of Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners. Her career began as an emergency room nurse caring for patients of various ailments, ages and acuity levels. Over the past seven years, she has served her community by providing quality healthcare as a nurse practitioner in the areas of pediatrics, emergency medicine, urgent care, primary care, and psychiatry. Ashley’s passion lies in helping people lead longer, healthier lives through preventative medicine. She is married with a son and a very active goldendoodle. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing outdoors with her son and fur baby, volunteering with her local chapter of Keep Louisiana Beautiful where she serves as a board member, and attending local festivals.

Biography

McDonogh 35 Senior High School

Charette

Thomas, RN, BSN, CCHC, NPD-BC School Based Health Services Nurse Coordinator

Charette Thomas is a New Orleanian through and through. Exposure to her city’s good, bad, and ugly sides while growing up in her 7th ward community inspired her to develop a passion for the community of New Orleans’ health. Because of her experiences with healthcare’s bad and ugly sides, Ms. Thomas focuses on doing good to better her community. In 2010, she founded I B Thomas Nursing Institute, LLC, a healthcare consulting, education, and advocacy agency, that provides services that will help eliminate healthcare disparities in New Orleans and beyond. Her passion for teaching and patient advocacy has been the driving force throughout her nursing career. Over her twenty years as a registered nurse, Ms. Thomas has held several leadership positions starting early in her career; she has continued to hold leadership positions at reputable and respected organizations from New Orleans to California. Ms.Thomas is devoted to bringing quality healthcare to the families of New Orleans. She has committed herself as a contracted consultant for DePaul Community Health Centers to set up and coordinate school-based health clinics throughout the New Orleans Metro area. She is an active member of the Louisiana State Nurses Association (LSNA) Resolutions and Bylaws Committee, American Nurses Association (ANA), Graduate Nursing Student Academy (GNSA) Advocacy Leader representing Louisiana, and Louisiana School-Based Health Alliance (LASBHA).

LUNCH

Liberty’s Kitchen

Liberty’s

Biography

Liberty’s Kitchen

Bernadette Lucas

Interim CEO and CFO

Longtime Liberty’s Kitchen Chief Financial Officer Bernadette Lucas has been appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Liberty’s Kitchen, a Mid City-based non-profit organization dedicated to youth development, youth empowerment and food security through programs designed to help provide employment and life skills training for inner city youth.

Bernadette joined Liberty’s Kitchen as CFO in 2017 following several years of related experience in both the non-profit and private sector. She is a graduate of Dillard University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans. She will replace current Liberty’s Kitchen CEO Dennis Bagneris, whose retirement takes effect on June 30th after 11 years with the organization and four years as CEO.

“Our board is delighted to have the experience and continuity Bernadette will provide for Liberty’s Kitchen as we transition to a new era of leadership,” said retired Judge Calvin Johnson, board Chair. “We are most grateful to Dennis for the value he brought to the organization over several years and we wish him all the best in health, happiness and future success,” said Johnson.

Biography

Liberty’s Kitchen

Elizabeth Smith Development Director

Elizabeth is a fundraising professional with 20 years of experience ranging from political campaign fundraising to non-profit development. She has been with Liberty’s Kitchen since August 2021 following director-level positions with non-profits focused on public health and conservation.

Elizabeth is a native of South Carolina and graduated from the College of Charleston with a Political Science degree. Prior to moving to New Orleans, she worked on political campaigns in Washington, DC. Having been in New Orleans for over 15 years, she has become active in various groups including her local sorority alumnae chapter, as well as political and philanthropic associations.

Reginald Coleman Program Director

As Program Director, Reginald is responsible for implementing our Youth Development and Youth Leadership programs with fidelity to our model. He brings over 15 years of experience in education, strategic leadership, and program management to his role at Liberty’s Kitchen. Reginald holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University. Prior to joining Liberty’s Kitchen, he was a high school principal for a number of schools in the New Orleans school system.

Biography

Liberty’s Kitchen

Aisha Thomas Case Manager

Aisha is a graduate of Southern University at New Orleans, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work in 2006 and a Master’s Degree in 2011. Aisha has ten plus years’ experience in Case Management services with youth and families. Aisha’s main goal is to eliminate barriers for every young person at Liberty’s Kitchen so that they can be successful not only in the program but in their lives.

De Borah Wells

Culinary Instructor

Chef De is an instructor, volunteer chef, community program director and private chef. The retired sports executive is a former pastry, garden manger and back line cook for Commander’s Palace as well as the attending chef for Community Table to Go which provides 600 meals weekly in Central City. Since the age of four, the kitchen has been her “happy place”, and family meals at home became her household chore at age nine. She is a member of the American Culinary Federation, has taught culinary lessons at several camps, schools, girl scout meets and private events throughout New Orleans. At Liberty’s Kitchen she leads the culinary training and instruction of participants in the Youth Development Program.

Biography

Liberty’s Kitchen

Jeff Gulotta

Career Readiness Trainer

Over the last 25 years, Jeff has worked every job in the hospitality industry from dishwasher to owner. In his current role, he acts as a liaison between Youth Development Program trainees and employer partners. He believes each trainee that comes through the program can find success in the industry. He assists trainees with job searches, resume writing, and interview preparation.

Harry Tompson Center

ABOUT

MISSION

OrganizationInformation

Harry Tompson Center

OUR HISTORY

Ascension Leadership Academy | Confidential

Full Time Staff

Katey Lantto Case Manager

Emily Bussen Wain Executive Director

Kip Barard Program Director

Dion Campbell CRRC Site Coordinator

Paisleigh Kelley Communications Director

Carla Jinks

Center Assistant

Jennie Bodenstein Americorps

VISTA

Eva Sohl Assistant Director

Theresa Macdonald Jesuit Volunteer

Harry Tompson Center Biography

Emily Bussen Wain

Executive Director

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Emily graduated from Rockhurst University in Kansas City and later obtained her LMSW from LSU. She was a Jesuit Volunteer at the HTC in 2004-2005, after which she returned to St. Louis with her family. Emily kept in touch with us and when plans were made to reopen the HTC after Katrina, Emily moved back to New Orleans to serve as our Assistant Director, a position she held from 2007 until 2020 when she was appointed the HTC’s Executive Director. Emily is well-known among our community of guests and volunteers and is a beloved leader amongst the HTC team.

OrganizationInformation

St. Joseph Rebuild Center - Depaul USA

FAST FACTS:

2021 Outcomes

People Served: 3,170 unique individuals

Employment: Helped 218 people attain employment

Locations: Operates in 8 cities; Chicago, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Macon, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, and St. Louis

# of Programs: 18 programs

Meals Provided: 100,125 meals

Permanent Housing: Moved 220 people to permanent housing

ABOUT: MISSION:

Depaul USA is a national homeless services nonprofit organization inspired by Vincentian values. Depaul USA is an affiliate of the international homelessness services organization, Depaul International Group. We aim to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it.

VISION: A society in which everyone, across the world, has a place to call home and a stake in their community.

St. Joseph Rebuild Center - Depaul USA

Jessica Lovell

Biography

Director Jessica is a lifelong New Orleanian, Jessica graduated from Tulane University School of Social Work.