Raeanna Blanchard Doescher is the founder and creator of WhiteBlancCanvas. Her passion for painting came later in life and it started as a way to cope with and overcome the stresses of life. It became so therapeutic that she started painting every night. Before she knew it, the paintings started piling up in what she calls her paint room. It was around that time that she decided to put her work out there for the public to see. Raeanna says that was the best decision of her life!

The audience she reaches has always been very kind and encouraging regarding her work. Now that she has built a small audience, she likes to utilize them as a means to help others, or “pay it forward”, so-to-speak. “Stella’s Angel Wings” is a painting that evolved out of a terrible tragedy for one of her close friends and has grown into a statement piece that has touched many hearts. Stella Lauren, whom this piece is named after, gained her angel wings at just 4 months old. The 4×4 gold angel wings fundraisers have raised much needed funds that are donated to families in need when grieving the loss of a baby, including Kristen, Stella’s mother.

The main focus of creating new styles of paintings has been, “How will my audience respond to this piece?” The audience and/or customers are her motivation everyday. As Raeanna says, “If it were not for them, I would not be where I am today.” They have helped so many families through some seriously tough times. Some of her most successful fundraisers include: Hurricane Harvey, Phil Lungsford (cancer fighter/survivor), Stella Angel Wings, Hunter Cartwright (lost his wife to AFE after delivering their baby boy) and Jessica Martin (breast cancer). “I have learned that people do not bat an eye when it comes to donating, and I do what I do because of them. In a world that is filled with so much grief it’s nice to see that there is still so much LOVE!”

You can find Raeanna’s work here: https://etsy.me/1LZ8Img

https://www.facebook.com/WhiteBlancWhite/

Alejandra “Alex” Juan joined the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs team in 2016 and serves as both Communications Director and State Women Veterans Outreach Coordinator.

In this role, she is in charge of all communications for the LDVA which serves over 287,000 Louisiana veterans and their families. She was also hand-selected to spearhead the Women Veterans Outreach Coordinator position where she has played a crucial role in helping to identify and address the unique needs of our growing women veteran population.   

Alex is devoted wife and mother, avid community volunteer, and a decorated U.S. Air Force veteran. She and her husband, Craig, met on an M-16 range when they were both members of the 159th Security Forces Squadron. They served as a dual-military couple for over a decade. They are the proud parents of two resilient young men, Nick and Noah.

Selflessness is innate in the Juan family as they were named as Louisiana Air National Guard’s Family of the Year in 2012. And, for her continuous volunteer efforts, Alex was named Advocate of the Year by the Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response Center in 2013.

In April of 2013, Alex ended her military career as a Captain and a Public Affairs Officer. Her awards include both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force Commendation Medals, among others.

In December of 2013, she became the first female veteran to take the helm of the USS KIDD Veterans Museum. During her tenure as Executive Director of the KIDD, the museum saw the highest visitor attendance rate recorded in over 25 years.

Alex has been named as both an “Esprit de Femme” honoree by the LSU Women’s Center and as the “Emerging Museum Professional” by the Louisiana Association of Museums. In 2018, the Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response Center named her a Champion of Change Honoree for her vision, perseverance and dedication to helping further STAR’s mission.

Alex is currently pursuing a Master in Public Administration from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge. She and her family remain active in their communities and continue to serve the people of Louisiana through their myriad of volunteer efforts.

The St. Michael School Bell Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Jill Hitchins, is comprised of teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Established in 1969 as an inspiration of Principal Sr. Lillian McCormick, they have performed for many school and community events including the Holiday Spectacular with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Anthem at Saints and Pelicans games, Roosevelt Hotel lobby lighting festivities, and an annual program for the Archbishop and his staff.  They were honored to be included in the Papal Mass for Pope John Paul II when he visited the city.

Mrs. Hitchins, wife and mother of three sons, trained in three musical instruments and voice, and she holds a Masters in Special Education from the University of New Orleans. Having taught English Language Arts and Life Skills to students with special needs since 1978, she transitioned into the Bell Choir Director position in 2000. There are three levels of bell instruction where music notation is adapted into a number system, and the director points to numbers on a chart to cue the ringers. Notation for shaking bells, muting, and dynamics is also indicated. Mrs. Hitchins arranges music for a variety of sacred, holiday, inspirational and popular selections.

 Since 2015, she has also directed the vocal music instruction. All St. Michael students participate in music at some level, whether in large group singing and music appreciation classes, one of the bell choirs, and/or the select vocal choir. Mrs. Hitchins’ greatest fulfillment is observing students with limited verbal ability express themselves through music.

 In 2006, Mrs. Hitchins also established a special needs inclusion program at the Contemporary Arts Center as part of their Summer Arts Camp. She worked on the staff there for eleven years. This program continues to be open to students with special needs.

Heart N Hands, Inc.

Sometimes the signs of heart disease are hidden.

Essence Harris Banks celebrates fifteen years as a heart disease survivor and recent Founder of Heart N Hands, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on increasing awareness and educating young girls about heart disease prevention in the community. For the past fifteen years, Essence has been featured in The Times Picayune/NOLA.com (New Orleans), Woman’s Day Magazine, SELF Magazine, Shape Magazine, Today Show, WWL TV, several Clear Channel Radio Stations, American Heart Association National Awareness Campaigns, WomenHeart Champion & Spokeswoman, just to name a few. She has also received the Champion for Change in Healthcare Award from Crescent City Chapter (LA) of Links, Inc.

“In 2014, I wanted to do more to commemorate my fifteen years as a heart disease survivor, so I followed my passion to reach and teach young girls heart disease through my foundation, Heart N Hands, Inc. My intent is to raise awareness and decrease the number of heart related events in our communities.”

No one believed Essence Harris, local New Orleanian, when she said something was wrong and she wondered if her chest pains could be heart disease. At only 30 she was the picture of health – She worked out at least 3-5 times a week, full-time job, single mother, pursuing her MBA (received in December 2010) and at that time was even a part-time personal fitness trainer.

Of course they looked at me and said, ’30, no high cholesterol, no high blood pressure, doesn\’t smoke, casually drinks, what is this from?’

Essence started having shortness of breath, not only during her daily workouts, but when she was carrying her son or the groceries. She told doctors something was wrong. When she visited her primary care physician she was told that she was only experiencing stress or anxiety panic attacks from her non-stop life and that she should take three days off from work.  Essence knew there was more to the story and scheduled a visit with Dr. Sergio Schabelman, an internal medicine specialist at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans complaining of chest pains which was hard for him to believe.  Test after test showed no problems related to heart disease until she took the treadmill stress test.

At about 9 minutes and 38 seconds on the treadmill both Essence and her cardiologist knew something was wrong.  Her doctor scheduled an emergency angiogram that showed severe coronary artery disease – not mild or moderate – in two major arteries – she had blockages that were very severe. He immediately performed angioplasty to clear her arteries and Essence now has three permanent stents to keep her arteries open and will be on heart medication and require regular doctor visits for the rest of her life.  Today, Essence is living life to the fullest and taking the necessary steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  She currently volunteers with the National Coalition of Women with Heart Disease (www.WomenHeart.org) as a WomenHeart Champion to educate and improve the health and quality of life of women living with or at risk of heart disease, and to advocate for their benefit. Essence also works with the American Heart Association New Orleans GoRed Campaign and started nonprofit Heart N Hands, Inc. in 2014 to educate and raise awareness about heart health and heart disease prevention for young girls ages 10-18. Essence received the City Business of New Orleans Woman of the Year Award in 2017 and the Health & Wellness Hero Award from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Beta Omega Chapter. Essence enjoys spending quality time with her husband and 2 sons.

Contact Information:

Essence Harris Banks

504-458-0353

essence@heartnhands.org

www.heartnhands.org