Community Center of St Bernard
Encyclopedia
The Community Center of St Bernard (CCSTB) a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is located in Arabi, Louisiana
, in St Bernard Parish near New Orleans. The Community Center was founded in 2006 to serve local residents after the overwhelming devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina
and Hurricane Rita
. The Center was closed briefly during Hurricane Gustav
, but was able to reopen almost immediately after the storm. The purpose of the Community Center is to assist local residents in their return to their homes, and to help normalize life.
and Hurricane Rita
. In St Bernard Parish, the epicenter of devastation, fully 93% of homes were rated as "severely damaged" or "destroyed". This is the only Parish (county) in the history of our country to have been completely inundated by flood waters. In many cases homes and businesses were covered up to the rooftops. One hundred and eighty people in the Parish drowned. It is also the home to the largest residential domestic oil spill in US history, when the Murphy Oil Spill (Chalmette, Louisiana)released more than 1,000,000 gallons of crude oil.
, Senior Community Service Employment Program
, Families Helping Families, Red Cross, St Anna’s Medical Mission, Mom & Baby Mobile Health Center, Daughters of Charity
, and Swan River Yoga. The Center also hosts a variety of workshops, dances and holiday celebrations that are free to the public.
The onsite Food for Seniors program distributed an additional 26,200 lbs to low-income seniors.
The Mustard Seed Clothing Bank was accessed 24,712.
Office Staff distributed 28,693 flyers, brochures, and pamphlets to help clients find the help they need.
1,751 people received help with applying for the federal Food Stamps program.
Our media lab (internet computers, public phones, fax & copying) was used 9,021 times.
157 people signed up for our free computer classes.
3,971 free books were given out in our reading area.
1,157 volunteers put in an incredible 7,185 hours to make all this possible.
Arabi, Louisiana
Arabi is a census-designated place in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana on the East Bank of the Mississippi River, between the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana and Chalmette within the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area...
, in St Bernard Parish near New Orleans. The Community Center was founded in 2006 to serve local residents after the overwhelming devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
. The Center was closed briefly during Hurricane Gustav
Hurricane Gustav
The name Gustav has been used for five tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean:* 1984's Tropical Storm Gustav - Spent most of its existence as a tropical depression hovering over Bermuda, no major damage was reported....
, but was able to reopen almost immediately after the storm. The purpose of the Community Center is to assist local residents in their return to their homes, and to help normalize life.
History
The Community Center was founded in 2006 to serve local residents of St. Bernard Parish after the devastation caused by Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
. In St Bernard Parish, the epicenter of devastation, fully 93% of homes were rated as "severely damaged" or "destroyed". This is the only Parish (county) in the history of our country to have been completely inundated by flood waters. In many cases homes and businesses were covered up to the rooftops. One hundred and eighty people in the Parish drowned. It is also the home to the largest residential domestic oil spill in US history, when the Murphy Oil Spill (Chalmette, Louisiana)released more than 1,000,000 gallons of crude oil.
Activities
The Center is dedicated to providing a wide range of necessary community services, including free food, clothes, hot meals, internet access, free long distance and local phones, computer classes, and community events such as after school programs and workshops. The Community Center also partners with local agencies and gives them space to provide their services at the Center. This program is called the Community Connections Model and effectively turns the Community Center into a one stop shop for recovery resources in Greater New Orleans Area. Some partner agencies include Staff from the Louisiana Department of Social Services, Office of Family Support, Road HomeRoad Home
Road Home is a program funded by the U.S. government which has provided historical federal monies for helping Louisiana residents rebuild or sell houses severely damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Road Home is a federally funded grant program adminsitered by the State of Louisiana...
, Senior Community Service Employment Program
Senior Community Service Employment Program
The Senior Community Service Employment Program is a program of the United States Department of Labor, its Employment and Training Administration, to help more senior citizens get back into or remain active in the labor workforce. It is a community service and work-based training program...
, Families Helping Families, Red Cross, St Anna’s Medical Mission, Mom & Baby Mobile Health Center, Daughters of Charity
Daughters of Charity
The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, sometimes simply referred to as Daughters of Charity, is a Society of Apostolic Life for women within the Catholic Church. Its members take simple, private, annual vows...
, and Swan River Yoga. The Center also hosts a variety of workshops, dances and holiday celebrations that are free to the public.
Community Center Results: 2009
The onsite Mustard Seed Food Pantry gave 257,959 lbs of food to 6,656 unique low-income individuals.The onsite Food for Seniors program distributed an additional 26,200 lbs to low-income seniors.
The Mustard Seed Clothing Bank was accessed 24,712.
Office Staff distributed 28,693 flyers, brochures, and pamphlets to help clients find the help they need.
1,751 people received help with applying for the federal Food Stamps program.
Our media lab (internet computers, public phones, fax & copying) was used 9,021 times.
157 people signed up for our free computer classes.
3,971 free books were given out in our reading area.
1,157 volunteers put in an incredible 7,185 hours to make all this possible.
External links
- Times Picayune http://www.ccstb.org/sidebar/newsclips/longhaul.htm
- Keene SentinelKeene SentinelThe Keene Sentinel is an independently owned daily newspaper published in Keene, New Hampshire. It currently publishes seven days a week.-History:...
http://www.ccstb.org/sidebar/newsclips/ks020106b.jpg - WWL-TVWWL-TVWWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
http://www.ccstb.org/images/wwltv.wmv - The Weather Channel (United States) http://www.ccstb.org/images/weatherchannel.wmv
- WWOZWWOZWWOZ is a non-profit community-supported radio station in New Orleans, Louisiana broadcasting at 90.7 FM. The station specializes in music from or relating to the cultural heritage of New Orleans and the surrounding region of Louisiana.-Programming:...
http://www.ccstb.org/images/wwoz.mp3 - Beth’s Blog http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/2008/03/nonprofit-tec-1.html
- NTEN http://nten.org/blog/2008/03/28/the-day-of-service-nptechies-give-a-little-back
- Community Center of St Bernard http://www.ccstb.org
