The Unlikely Missionary

If you are thinking about making a difference this Thanksgiving you can send money to help feed some folks at a FEMA trailer park in Baker, Louisiana. The hot meals have stopped and many are stranded in a rural area with no cars and limited public transportation. Read the note below from one of the director’s and an address to send donations.

Renaissance Village is a FEMA trailer park in Baker, Louisiana housing
nearly 500 displaced New Orleans families. Many residents have been
left homeless by hurricanes Rita and Katrina, and their lot has not
improved in over a year. In addition to a lack of social services
available to these families, there is a serious problem of hunger and
poverty. FEMA had stopped providing hot meals several months ago, and
there is very little relief in terms of food donations on a regular
basis. Part of the issue is that many of the residents have no
transportation to reach employment destinations, as the public buses
are unreliable and fail to make regular stops at the remote trailer
park. Many families have also neglected to enroll their children in
local schools, as they face local opposition to them being there in the
first place. It was this past Friday that Rosie O’Donnell finally cut
the ribbon to a newly built and donated complex which will house Early
Head Start, Head Start, a Renaissance Learning Center and a community
center where local social service providers may come and present and
offer help.

I became aware of the problems plaguing the community of Renaissance
Village first hand, in my work with numerous families through our award
winning family literacy program, PRIME TIME FAMILY READING TIME. PRIME
TIME has impacted numerous families by teaching and inspiring families
to bond through the act of reading and discussing life issue through
children’s literature.

For Thanksgiving, I am collecting monetary donations to pass on to the
coalition of residents planning to provide a meal to the residents who
will be on site for the holiday. Monetary donations will provide most
flexibility in planning a feast, as there is no kitchen where to cook
or heat food donations. I would greatly appreciate any immediate and/or
long term assistance in helping feed the families of Renaissance
Village.

To make a donation or for more information please contact:

Miranda Restovic
Restovic@leh.org
(504) 620-2486
Assistant Director, PRIME TIME
Louisiana Humanities Center at Turners’ Hall
938 Lafayette Street, Suite 300
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
direct: 504.620.2486
fax: 504.529.2358
LA toll-free 1.800.909.7990
www.leh.org