GREATER NEW ORLEANS 2016-17 YOU Change People’s Lives Throughout Southeast Louisiana More than 52,000 helped during the year Change happens when people like you care enough More Affordable Workforce and Senior Housing to take action. Because of you, we continue to make more affordable workforce That’s exactly what happened last year at and senior housing available. To address a lack of safe, affordable, Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans. Because quality housing, we completed two new developments this year— of you—our donors, volunteers, supporters and Academy Place for seniors in Houma and The Cottages at Mile friends—we were able to touch and change the lives Branch workforce homes in Covington. of thousands of our neighbors facing tough challenges. Challenges like having nowhere to live with your two Growing Geographically children and now calling a safe, affordable place home. Because of you, we continue to serve more people in the 16 Challenges like living on the streets, having proudly southeast Louisiana parishes we cover. We're helping more served your country, and then finding open arms at seniors age in place in St. John and St. Charles parishes with our our veterans transitional housing facility. Challenges Repairs on Wheels program. Veterans in Houma have access to like having profound, non-verbal autism but living on our year-old Homeless Veterans Reintegration program there. your own with a support professional to help. Challenges And, we are expanding our mental health services in the Florida with anger management and poor school performance Parishes area north of New Orleans. because your mom is nowhere to be found and your Getting Children Off to a Great Start dad is in priso n... but your new mentor listens to you and is helping you realize good things are possible. Because of you, our Adoption and Maternity program is still In the following pages, you will read more personal creating forever families, uniting children and adoptive parents. stories of those whose lives you've helped change. Our Mentoring program helps children left behind when a Here are some major areas of our accomplishments. parent goes to prison and always welcomes new volunteer mentors to meet our growing list of needy youth. This is Our Bayou Cane community in Houma provides a safe, especially important in our area, which has one of the country’s affordable and beautiful place for familes to raise children and their pets. highest incarceration rates. And, every day, more than 7,000 at-risk school children fuel their brains with healthy, nutritious meals from our Fresh Food Factor program. Seeing Abilities in People with Disabilities You help us care and love people where they are. This is especially true for the many wonderful people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living to the best of their abilities in our Supported Living Services and Community Living Services programs. Looking Ahead Throughout our 121-year history in southeast Louisiana, we have stayed focused on the future, to ensure that services respond to the needs of the day. Thanks to you, we are planning to continue changing lives and uplifting spirts for many years to come. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Geoffrey C. Artigues Thank You for the Difference Chair You Make in People’s Lives Christy M. Howley Connois Looking over the past year at Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans, Chair-Elect we are filled with gratitude for you—our donors, supporters and volunteers. You made it possible for us to change the lives of so many people in need— Chanel Lagarde more than 52,000 during the past year. Whether you are a new supporter Secretary or long-time friend, you made a positive difference in thousands of lives. Tod Smith This Annual Report contains a wealth of information and useful data. Treasurer We hope you look closely at our facts and figures, but remember the true measure of our success is how well we serve people in need. We included Wayne M. Baquet, Jr. some inspiring stories that show how we offer hope and healing. Immediate Past Chair This is an important time. Volunteers of America completes a year M. Isabel Barrios; of accomplishments and is moving forward in exciting new directions. Terrence C. Forstall; First, an announcement. In January, we are changing our name to Nathan J. Junius; David Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana . We truly serve 16 parishes Konur; Fred H. Myers; that extend well beyond metro New Orleans. Our new name reflects who Leonard D. Simmons, and where we serve, especially during a time of growth. Jr.; Lynn Swanson and For example, we continue to grow our work in Houma. This past year, Chuck Viator we started the Homeless Veterans Reintegration program there and opened the James M. LeBlanc doors to Academy Place, an independent senior living community in the heart President/CEO of the city. In St. John, St. Charles, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes, we are accelerating our Repairs on Wheels program for elderly homeowners. North of Lake Pontchartrain we are expanding much-needed mental health services. We’re growing in New Orleans, too. We are proud to announce new MISSION mentoring initiatives for at-risk youth and a new program to prevent financial Volunteers of America is exploitation of seniors. One mentoring program will help young victims of a movement organized sexual trafficking, and the other will serve young fathers transitioning back to to reach and uplift all the community after incarceration. These are worthy challenges to tackle, and people and bring them we’re ready to get to work to make a difference. to the knowledge and Our progress is possible because of the energetic, wise leadership of our active service of God. Board of Directors, including our Board chair and Chuck Viator as a new Volunteers of America, director. illustrating the presence Finally, we applaud our employees who bring professional skills and loving of God through all that hearts to work each day. Several Volunteers of America staffers just returned we do, serves people from a mission trip to Puerto Rico to help hurricane victims still facing and communities immense challenges. This is a small example of the caring that all our staff in need and creates display each and every day. opportunities for people On behalf of those we have served this year, we extend our gratitude to to experience the joy of you, our supporters, for uplifting lives and our communities. serving others. Volunteers of America measures its success in positive change in the lives of individuals and James M. LeBlanc | President/CEO Geoffrey C. Artigues | Board Chair communities we serve. PEOPLE SERVED 52,613 Children and Family Services Adoption and Maternity—Adoption Services . .53 716 Adoption and Maternity—Community Outreach Training . .28 Adoption and Maternity—Pregnancy Counseling . .15 Crisis Response Program . .243 Mentoring Children of Promise . .174 P3—Positive Pathways Program . .203 Community Enhancement Services Auto Enterprise Program . .875 46,810 Fresh Food Factor . .10,472 Healthy Lifestyle Choices . .1,155 RSVP—St. Tammany . .32,973 Volunteer Placement Internal . .1,335 Correctional Services Residential Re-entry Program . .238 238 Elderly Services Repair on Wheels . .138 209 The Terraces on Tulane . .71 Health Care Services HIV/AIDS Prevention Services . .43 221 HIV/AIDS Case Management . .178 Housing Management Elderly Housing . .373 1,241 Single Room Occupancy . .152 Workforce Housing . .716 Intellectual Disability Services Community Living Services . .54 149 Supported Living Services . .95 Mental Health Services Case Aids/Outreach & Innovative Housing . .663 1,733 Housing Case Management . .111 Permanent Supportive Housing . .756 Supportive Housing Program . .69 New Orleans Equity & Inclusion Initatives . .41 Disabled and Elderly Housing . .8 Mental Health Services/Community Psychiatric Support . .85 Veterans Services Homeless Veterans Reintegration . .648 1,296 Supportive Services Veterans Families . .162 Veterans Transitional Housing . .429 Veterans Transitional Housing Savings Program . .57 1 ELDERLY SERVICES Volunteers of America Knows the ABCs of Senior Housing You help us address southeast Louisiana’s housing shortage one development at a time Susan, 71, has vivid, fond memories Welcoming wooden doors, Leona was living in New of Houma Elementary School, through which generations of Orleans but wanted to return to where she started first grade in children passed, now open wide for Houma to be closer to her daughters 1953. She enjoyed playing marbles seniors. Apartments in the original and grandchildren. Friends called under the big tree, being teacher’s Art Deco building, erected in with news that her former school pet and making lifelong friends. 1931, feature original windows was being renovated into senior It’s easier than ever for Susan to and wood flooring, 11-ft. ceilings apartments. It was hard to believe relive these memories because, in and many beautiful historic details. at first. Once she visited, she knew July, she moved into an apartment The building was in use as a school she had found a place to call home. at her old school, which has been until the 1970s and later housed Among the first to move in when renovated and transformed by administrative offices. Academy Place opened, Leona loves Volunteers of America Greater New The development also includes the spaciousness of her apartment. Orleans. The historic Houma school newly constructed apartments in a Susan is still best friends with is now Academy Place, an 103-unit contemporary style that blends her best friend from elementary apartment development for beautifully with the older building. school. Many of her family independent seniors 62 and up, and There are community rooms, a members also attended Houma many seniors now call it home. dog park and a washer/dryer in Elementary. They have visited her Academy Place is the latest each apartment.