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PLANS FOR BELLE CHASSE YMCA GAINING MOMENTUM |
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The Belle Chasse YMCA Board has finalized the design of a 21,000 sq ft. building and now has property to build on.
ConocoPhillips donated $5 million dollars to build a state-of-the-art YMCA in north Plaquemines Parish.
“The board is excited about the progress,” said Betsy Brien, ConocoPhillips Public Affairs Director. “We created a plan for the facility and have been working with architects and land owners to turn the vision into a reality.”
The Belle Chasse YMCA will be located on Highway 23 between Kenneth Drive and Eve Streets.
According to Belle Chasse YMCA Property Chair David Nielson, “The property is a 14 acre wooded piece of land. We are fortunate to have purchased such a beautiful property in a prime location.”
The Board’s vision is for a green building. The Belle Chasse YMCA building was designed to be energy efficient, have a small environmental footprint and reduced maintenance cost over the lifespan of the building.
“The Board has invested many hours in research and reviewing the floor plans to create a YMCA specific for the local community,” said Brien. The discussions during the board meetings are always lively - the Board has lots of energy and passion for the project and I believe their efforts transcended into an amazing building design.”
The focus is to create a YMCA specific for the local community.
All of the programs will be geared to meet the needs of the Belle Chasse residents, said Darrell Johnson, Greater New Orleans YMCA CEO. Aquatics, child care, community development, health and fitness, youth leadership, youth sports and senior programs will all be highlighted.
“Everything is falling into place,” said Property Chair David Nielsen. “We are pleased with the building design and believe that we have secured property in a perfect location and we’re ready to move to the next phase of the project.”
BC YMCA Board Members
• Bob Becnel - Belle Chasse High School
• Betsy Brien - ConocoPhillips
• Bill Bubrig - Bubrig Insurance Company
• Lisa Flair - Gilead Sciences, Inc
• Mike Ford - Riverbend Nursing and Rebab Center
• Robert Gravolet - Plaquemines Parish Government
• Dr. Stuart Guey - Stuart Guey, D.D.S.
• Chris Leopold - PrintAll
• Bishop Wilfret - Johnson Oakville Baptist Church
• David Nielson - National Planning
• Ray Sias - Community Member
• Paul Springer - Plaquemines Parish School Board
• Lisa Works - Mississippi River Bank
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A LOOK AT PLAQUEMINES PARISH C.A.R.E. CENTERS |
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Plaquemines Community C.A.R.E. Centers Foundation, Inc. opened their doors two years ago in 2006. The CARE Center provides residents of Plaquemines Parish counseling, assessment, advocacy, resources, and education for families and their children, adolescents, elderly, disabled and anyone affected by domestic violence.
Collaborating agencies include Office of Community Services (OCS), Families in Need of Services (FINS), Office of Youth Development (OYD), Louisiana Youth Enhancement Services (LA-YES), Office of Mental Health, Metropolitan Human Services District, Metropolitan Behavioral Health Center, New Orleans Adolescent Hospital (NOAH), PPSO Sheriff’s Office Domestic Violence/Child Abuse Detectives and Victim Advocates, Plaquemines Parish District Attorney’s Office, and Plaquemines Parish Schools.
The number of New Orleans-area residents who are seeking mental health help is increasing, and Gov. Bobby Jindal in June signed several bills to resolve this issue. According to the most comprehensive survey of people affected by Hurricane Katrina, the percentage of pre-hurricane residents of the affected areas in Louisiana who have mental disorders has increased significantly compared with the situation five to eight months after the hurricane. The bills provide funding statewide, but much of the funding will be spent in the New Orleans area. The $89 million spending package Gov. Jindal signed funds a new comprehensive mental health system with clinics in the New Orleans Metro area (Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines). The $31.5 million will also fund a Metropolitan Human Services Authority covering Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. Human Service Districts when established will be individually tailored to meet the unique needs of each community. Each new Human Service District will be locally governed and managed with input from the community.
Currently the CARE Center serves as an Advocacy Center for Children, Elderly, and Disabled persons to ensure systems designed to protect these persons are able to do so effectively. The purpose of the Advocacy Center is to protect children, elderly, and disabled persons whose physical or mental health and welfare is substantially at risk of harm by sexual abuse, other physical abuse, neglect, or exploitation. The Advocacy Center will encourage the use of collaborative decision-making and case management, reducing to a minimum the number of times a victim is questioned and examined in abuse cases, thus preventing further trauma to the victim.
The CARE Center also is developing community outreach programs, thereby enhancing the community’s understanding of child, elderly, and disabled person abuse. All services are free of charge, through several grants the CARE Center receives.
Anyone interested in volunteering as an advocate for any of the affected groups, please contact Sheriff’s Office Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Lieutenant Cathy Butler at 504.564.3109.
Dr. Robert Detrinis, Director of West Jefferson Medical Behavior Center in Marrero says the biggest problem since Katrina is “Getting people to admit they have a problem, and to seek help. Even in 2008, the ‘stigma,’ of a having a mental health problem keeps the individual from asking for help. Insurance costs, or no insurance at all has also keep troubled individuals from resolving their problems.” Residents of Plaquemines Parish are fortunate to have the C.A.R.E. Centers.
The Belle Chasse center plans to move into new facilities in 2009. The CARE Center is currently located at 8495 Hwy 23. Additionally, services are provided at the Plaquemines Medical Center at 26858 Hwy. 23 in Port Sulphur. Counseling services are available for residents of the Eastbank and can be scheduled by calling the Belle Chasse center at 504.208.1290.
The Belle Chasse center also provides legal services, twice a month on Mondays. New Orleans Adolescent Hospital (NOAH) also comes weekly on Thursdays to Belle Chasse with a mobile mental health clinic, NOAH’s ARC. They split their time between Belle Chasse, Venice, and Port Sulphur. Both services can be scheduled by calling the Belle Chasse office. |
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BURAS NATIVE TO MAKE MISSION TRIP TO AFRICA |
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For Buras native Julie Scobel, an upcoming month-long trip abroad will be anything but a vacation. Scobel, a 24-year-old nursing student, has pledged to volunteer her time and energy to bring smiles to the faces of impoverished orphans in South Africa.
“Just knowing that people are giving money isn’t enough for me,” she said. “I could sponsor a child myself, but (I’d rather) go over there and hug one of them and see them smile and make a difference first hand.”
Scobel will make the trip to Cape Town in late September with Cross-Cultural Solutions, an international non-profit group. But volunteering comes at a cost, and Scobel said she’s relying on community support to help foot the $3,127 bill. So far, she said she has raised only $300.
“I’m really trying to do whatever I can right now, painting some pictures, making wall clocks and things like that to sell,” she said. “I need people’s help as much as possible. If not, I’m going to take out a loan, but I’m going to go.”
The junior at William Carey College said she discovered the program while researching a paper outlining how she intends to use her education. But according to Scobel, volunteering in Africa has long been her desire.
“This is just a dream of mine,” she said. “Everyone thinks it’s crazy. ‘Why do you want to go with all these horrible things going on?’ Well, that’s the reason I want to go.”
Scobel said she will likely be placed in an orphanage, but Cross-Cultural Solutions might also assign her to work with the elderly or women, helping to market their artisan crafts.
Anyone interested in helping Scobel meet her financial goal can reach her at exfirefli@aol.com or log onto my.crossculturalsolutions.org and find her name in the sponsor’s section. Further information about Cross-Cultural Solutions can be found at crossculturalsolutions.org or 1-800-380-4777. |
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