Non-profits Continue Recovery Efforts

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Continue Recovery Efforts on the Home Front

If every cloud, every storm, has a silver lining, then certainly the light shone brightest through the love and compassion of the Southwest Louisiana community in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. Neighbors put their own needs aside and helped other neighbors, families took in friends who needed a place to stay; churches and other community organizations rallied to feed the hungry and house the homeless. Two years later, numerous non-profits are still working in the community, rebuilding homes, replacing the tattered blue tarps with sturdy roofs. The following are but a small sample of these hard-working, determined volunteers who are helping to rebuild our community, one home, one broken heart at time.

SBP, established in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, was originally called St. Bernard Project. Their motto/mission is “Shrinking the time between disaster and recovery and the Southwest Louisiana operating site has taken it to heart,” says John O’Donnell, SBP’s Executive Director in Lake Charles, by leveraging partnerships and resources in order to bring as many vulnerable community members home as possible.

In June 2022, SBP completed its 100th disaster- affected home rebuild in SWLA since Hurricane Laura made landfall, marking the milestone with their traditional Welcome Home Party.” Using a combination of volunteer and subcontractor labor, charitable donations, grants, and subsidization by AmeriCorps, SBP’s OwnerOccupied Rebuild Program serves qualifying low-to-moderate-income households by making the repairs necessary to bring their storm- damaged homes back to safe, secure, and sanitary conditions. O’Donnell adds, “SBP rebuilds disaster-impacted homes in an average of 61 days at 40% of the cost of market-rate contractors, and each household is assigned a client services coordinator to walk them through the process from intake all the way to ‘Welcome home!’

SWLA Responds is a faith-based coalition consisting of approximately 50 partner churches. Spear-headed and coordinated by Mt. Olive Baptist Church senior pastor Braylon Harris, the coalition strives to help the SWLA community from Vinton to Jennings recover by efficiently using resources and local and out-of-state volunteer teams to help people rebuild their homes, their lives, and give them hope.

Volunteer groups through SWLA Responds have recently been repairing schools in Calcasieu Parish.

In June 2022 alone, SWLA Responds coordinated nearly 1,000 volunteers through the Lake Area. They completed 12 roofs, worked in 15 homes, installed sheetrock in three churches, and completed projects in at least 12 schools. “We love being able to help the people in our community see their homes restored, but more than that, we love the relationships that we build with these homeowners and having the opportunity to share the love of Christ with them.” - Braylon Harris

Anyone who still needs assistance can fill out their online form: https://bit.ly/swlarecovery.

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Flock of Five

Gift and Art Emporium, LLC 217 E. Thomas St., Sulphur, LA (337) 476-5096

Open Monday - Saturday: 10am-5pm Over 55 LOCAL ARTISANS and VENDORS 7000+ square ft. of Shopping Area.

Unique Hand-crafted Treasures, Louisiana and Cajun-themed Art, Souvenirs, Vintage, Collectibles and more!

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Friendly, smiling faces ready to greet you at the door! Wide variety of items to check out including cake pans, hot spots, and laptops. Convenient 24/7access to eBooks, audiobooks, movies, magazines, newspapers, tutors, test prep, training, and language learning resources, and much more online. Fun and free library programs for all ages!

Little Free Library: Take a book , return a book! Twelve library branches serving all of Calcasieu Parish!

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUED...

United Way of Southwest Louisiana

In the days immediately following Hurricane Laura, the United Way of Southwest Louisiana sprung into boots-on-the-ground action to meet immediate needs of community members, such as food distribution and other necessities. Now they are focused on re-establishing lives with an eye for longterm change, so struggling community members are better prepared for the unexpected. “Mental health and financial planning initiatives are one of the keys to helping our most vulnerable become more resilient,” said Denise Durel, president and CEO of United Way of SWLA. “Casework for homes with damage is ongoing in partnership with many volunteer organizations.”

Rebuilding SWLA Community Coalition

From a more civic standpoint, the Rebuilding SWLA Community Coalition was formed by communications teams from Visit Lake Charles, City of Lake Charles, Community Foundation of SWLA, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the City of Sulphur, Cameron Parish, the United Way of Southwest Louisiana, and the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. Their goal was to formulate a communications strategy and create national awareness to the plight of SWLA after the storms via social media efforts.

“At the start of 2020, Southwest Louisiana was making national headlines with one of the fastest growing economies,” said Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter. “That all changed after a global pandemic, back-to-back hurricanes, a winter ice storm and a 1,000-year flood event brought unprecedented damages and challenges to our doorstep. Despite facing four federally declared natural disasters in less than one year, there was still so much hope to be found.

The Rebuilding SWLA Coalition was born out of the belief that we would rise united, as one resilient community. We created a platform that allowed us to share our individual recovery stories and advocate for the ongoing needs within our community.”

“Working with other communications professionals from the coalition was eye-opening and rewarding as we were able to share information and easily work together to create clarity with the messages that we all needed to communicate to the public, volunteer groups and media partners,” said Angie Manning, VP of Communications for Visit Lake Charles. “We are fortunate to have such a powerful spirit of cooperation in Southwest Louisiana whenever it comes to coming together as a team.”

Mayor Hunter summed up the Coalition best when he said, “We knew our voices would be stronger together.”

United Way of Southwest Louisiana partners with the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Summer Feeding Program by creating Weekend Food Packs so children in the programs have healthy and easy-to-eat foods over the weekend.

We are a non-profit program that provides music education for beginner strings in violin, viola, cello and guitar. We also have an advanced symphonic youth orchestra for student musicians with all instruments.

We are the only program in the state with the prestigious designation as part of the

National Strings Project

Consortium. Also, this year, we were honored by the

American String Teachers

Association as the National

Outstanding String Program of the Year!

We partner with the

McNeese Music Department

to help future music educators through internship opportunities during our classes offered on a semester basis on the McNeese campus in the Sherman Fine Arts Building. We hold classes in the fall and spring semester each year on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, for a fraction of the cost of private lessons. We also often host a two week summer music camp.

Students ages 8-18 are welcome. Details, costs and additional registration information can be found on our website at www.fgbyo.com.

Find Your Sweet Spot

COMING SOON!

STOREFRONT CAFÉ 2020 Country Club Road, Lake Charles Enjoy authentic, handmade French macarons as a treat for yourself, a unique gift or a delicious dessert at your next event. Perfect for party favors or corporate giveaways, our colorful macarons come in 20 flavors and we can even create custom orders to fit any theme. We also offer decadent gourmet chocolates in a variety of flavors. Stop by and taste for yourself!

BETTER BUSINESS BANKING FOR SWLA

Catherine Furs

Private Banking Trey Hays

Manager/ Private Banking Russell Castille

Business Banking Eric Mire

Manager/ Business Banking Will Henning

Business Banking Kyle Duplantis

Business Banking Logan Fontenot

Business Banking

It’s one thing to say you work in the community - but we work for the community. Our team of dedicated, local professionals puts your business first because we know how important it is for us all to succeed to help Southwest Louisiana thrive.

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Locally owned and operated for over 35 years

DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS copiers • scanners • printers • fax • shredders

For 20 years, our mission has been one of beauty, wellness, service, and expertise—and we have committed to providing a top-ofthe-line salon experience in a warm and welcoming environment. That means we greet you with a smile, a refreshment, and the sense of comfort you’d expect from an old friend— but offer services on par with some of the nation’s largest luxury salons.

Our team of highly skilled stylists cares about you—how you look, how you feel, and how they can improve your day. They also care about their craft, which is why they’re constantly pursuing advanced education that allows them to develop new skills and stay on top of the latest fashion and beauty industry trends.

Whether you’re looking for a fashion color, an edgy undercut, glowing hand-painted highlights, or a classically chic bob, we want you to leave our salon looking and feeling your best, every time. We want to make your trip to Ginger Vine Salon the best part of your day.

4720 Nelson Rd., Suite 150, Lake Charles • (337) 497-9499

Integrity Matters

VOTE!

Early Voting: October 25 - November 1 Election Day: November 8

Family and Youth Counseling Agency (Family & Youth), an award-winning organization, was established as a non-profit in 1970. It is the mission of Family & Youth to provide affordable and professional support through programs and services dedicated to advocacy, counseling, and education for the people of Southwest Louisiana and in communities we are called to serve.

FAMILY & YOUTH DIVISIONS:

The Leadership Center provides guidance, leadership development, career exploration and civic engagement opportunities to shape youth into strong leaders for tomorrow.

Autism Support Alliance promotes access and opportunities for persons with autism and their families to be fully included as participating members of their communities.

Shannon Cox Counseling Center provides a wide range of counseling services for individuals, couples and families, including grief counseling for children.

Children & Families Action Network (CFAN) promotes missionbased advocacy for civic engagement and participation to effect changes in public policy on behalf of children, families and communities.

Performance Employee Assistance and Business Services provides high-quality, affordable human support services to businesses in Southwest Louisiana through counseling, consultation and training.

All of Family & Youth’s services are made possible through volunteers, local, state, and federal grants, fundraising events and donations. All of us, working together, will ensure a positive and productive future for Southwest Louisiana.

To learn more or to get involved, please call or visit our website. FYCA.org | 337-436-9533

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are volunteers who speak in court for a child’s best interest and help ensure that the child receives appropriate care while in the court system.

The Children’s Advocacy Center is a child-friendly facility to coordinate services for children who have been reported as sexually or severely physically abused.

Human Services Response Institute (HSRI) addresses emerging human needs and improves the area’s quality of life.

AMERISAFE has been providing workers’ compensation insurance for small to mid-sized employers in high hazard industries, principally: • Agriculture • Construction • Logging & Lumber • Manufacturing • Maritime • Oil & Gas • Telecommunications • Trucking

2301 HWY 190 West DeRidder, LA 70634 amerisafe.com O 800.256.9052 F 888.331.8870 E asksales@amerisafe.com

FOUNDED IN DERIDDER

When a local agency called Morris, Temple and Company bought a Georgia insurance company known as American Interstate Insurance Company of Georgia. The first policy was written on May 1, 1986. The company would grow rapidly in the years to come and become a publicly traded company in 2005. You can find it listed on Nasdaq under AMSF.

Today, AMERISAFE is in the top 10 of publicly traded companies located in Louisiana based on market capitalization. The company operates in 27 states and employs some 380 people. It is led by President and CEO Janelle Frost, who was born and raised in Oberlin. Frost has spent her entire professional career at AMERISAFE, starting as a staff accountant and working her way up through the ranks. Safety is a primary focus at AMERISAFE, providing safety training and resources to policyholders so they can reduce exposure to accidents. Importantly, the Field Safety Professionals are located in the same areas as the policyholders so they can provide inperson guidance and make practical recommendations. With valuable on the ground experience, AMERISAFE understands the unique challenges its policyholders face.

When accidents occur, a claims process is the last thing policyholders want on their plate. AMERISAFE’s streamlined claims submission and handling process ensures claims are handled swiftly, with personalized assistance offered every step of the way. Field Case Managers carry low claims workloads to allow them to provide policyholders and their injured workers with highly personalized service, facilitating prompt resolution of claims. Individualized, informed service sets AMERISAFE apart from other providers and continues to make AMERISAFE a preferred workers’ compensation provider today.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT AMERISAFE.COM

Top 10 Louisiana Publicly

Traded Company Since 2005

A Commitment to care

Care is woven into the fabric of our organization. From each member of our team to the services we offer, we are committed to providing exceptional care. Every day, compassion and healing happens within our hospital and in the outpatient services and programs we provide.

Our Services:

Breast Health Cancer Care Cardiology Community Health Center Ear, Nose & Throat Care Emergency Care Endocrinology Family Medicine Home Health Care Laboratory Nutrition & Wellness Obstetrics & Gynecology Orthopaedics Pediatric Care Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Pulmonary & Respiratory Care