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Anti-Human Trafficking – September 2020

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING

EMPOWER 225
THE HOPE TEAM

SEPTEMBER 2020
 
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EMPOWER 225

Since its inception in 2010, Empower 225 (E225) has provided comprehensive services for adult and minor victims of all forms of trafficking. While E225’s mission is to serve at-risk youth in the 70805 and 70802 zip codes, the Hope Team serves survivors of human trafficking across Louisiana. In 2019, they worked towards recovery with nearly 100 adult and minor victims. Using a trauma-informed approach, the program creates an environment of care and consistency to help survivors cope through trauma and lapses of hardship, while also empowering survivors to forge their own path.   

The Hope Team is committed to empowering survivors of human trafficking through a long-term care plan. Survivors face compounding challenges as they navigate the challenges of trauma, economic hardship, and legal restrictions often arising from crimes committed during their exploitation. Through federal grants, the program provides direct assistance, peer-to-peer mentorship, and comprehensive case management to survivors, including victim advocacy. They work closely with other E225 programs and partners in the community to connect survivors with the resources and skills to build their resiliency— including counseling, education, job training, and parenting classes. Furthermore, E225 received the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Housing Assistance grant. The grant provides housing assistance for up to 24 months, filling a significant gap in services for adult victims 25 and older. Together, these wrap-around services are the key to recovery, healing, and reintegration of survivors.

The Hope Team aims to reduce and prevent human trafficking by ensuring that survivor engagement is at the forefront of their advocacy efforts. The team provides survivors meaningful opportunities to share their experiences and advocate for change by hosting the Youth Trafficking Collaborative Survivor Advisory Council. They have trained more than 6,000 community stakeholders in Human Trafficking 101, Trauma-Informed Care, and Trauma-Speak, all of which are presentations created by survivors. Through these trainings, they raise awareness of human trafficking in Louisiana and educate individuals at critical intervention points—such as law enforcement, medical professionals, and hotel staff— on trauma-informed approaches to victim identification and intervention. As a member of the Governor’s Human Trafficking Prevention Commission and Advisory Board (HTPCAB), they inform policy responses to human trafficking. The response to human trafficking lies in the guidance, input, and perspective of survivors. E225 seeks to empower survivors to teach and lead us towards a safe, healthy, and inclusive community where all people can reach their full potential.

 

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People of Louisiana – Schools (September 2020)

 

CARRIE VARINO

Vermilion Parish High School Teacher of the Year, 2019-2020

Louisiana State Teacher of the Year Finalist, 2021

Abbeville High School English Department

An Open Letter to Teachers:
In Times of Crisis, Don’t Forget Your Power

 

 

 

 

CARRIE VARINO

Vermilion Parish High School Teacher of the Year, 2019-2020
Louisiana State Teacher of the Year Finalist, 2021
Abbeville High School English Department

An Open Letter to Teachers: In Times of Crisis, Don’t Forget Your Power

I am an accidental teacher. I do not descend from a dynasty of educators like many of my peers. I never consciously thought about entering education as a profession. I was always going to be a lawyer and work in some form of public service. I wanted to work my way up and cultivate the connections, experience, and power to make systemic change happen. I wanted to help achieve real change for the impoverished, the marginalized, the condemned, the weak. My law school orientation experience revealed to me; however, that law was not the path intended for me. Now what? I thought to myself. About a week or so later, a friend of a friend reached out and asked if I would be interested in substituting at a local high school. The Navy had activated her husband, so she and her family relocated to a Georgia military base. “Sure,” I said. “It’s an English class. I have an English degree. At least it’s a job for now,” I thought. To make a too-long story short, that’s how I fell in love with education and began to recognize my power as a teacher: a substitute position I planned to leave over six or seven years ago. Fast forward to today, and I’m working toward a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with my sights set on an Ed.D. Funny how our passions find us, isn’t it?

My tenure in education as a teacher (short-ish) and a student (much longer) has taught me a few very simple but substantial things. First, whether consciously or not, school communities look at our actions as a reference for their own reactions. This is especially true in times of crises like a pandemic and a major hurricane. Like every teacher in 2020, my colleagues and I experienced setbacks, letdowns, glimmers of hope, and even some successes. During the COVID-19 quarantine (which I talk about in this video), I became acutely aware of how our school community looks to the staff to know how to react to the new normal. I noticed that if we were positive and proactive, our students and their families generally reacted similarly. In preparation for Hurricane Laura, I saw the same phenomenon. As our faculty united in positivity during this crisis, our school community naturally gravitated toward our behavior. As devastating as hurricane season can be on the Gulf Coast, nothing quite like it brings us together. It’s a remarkable thing to witness. From what I see, our voices are loud, but our actions are deafening. That’s a powerful thing to consider!

The second thing being a teacher has taught me is that teachers have the power to make students believe just about anything about themselves if said with enough conviction. Teachers can make a C+ feel like a Congressional Medal of Freedom. Students’ presentations look like post-game press conferences, and class discussions resemble the respectful conversations that sometimes seem to be missing from our society. Teachers can make students feel like they can do anything, no matter the scale: draft the essay, solve the problem, right the wrong, apologize, forgive, know their worth, think big, dream bigger, plan a future, start over, and work for change.

The third and, to me, the most striking thing I’ve learned is that teachers work on the hardest edges of love. Compassion and love must supersede high standards and expectations, which isn’t always easy when working with our most challenging students. Structuring schools around socio-emotional equity and making every child feel not only safe but wanted, is paramount if academic growth is the goal. The large-scale events we are witnessing in 2020 demonstrate the power teachers have to influence the future directly. Many of our students are challenged by poverty, social injustice, inequity, food insecurity, negative influence from peers, themselves, disabilities, exceptionalities, low school attendance, and unstable home lives. As stewards of our country’s future, our job is to equip our kids with the skills to change these circumstances, not just for themselves, but for everyone. By that logic, teachers affect the future. Setting high standards and expectations while exercising compassion and patience is how teachers deliver the inspiration and strength students require to believe they can move the earth.

I previously mentioned that the goal of my life was a career in public service. I wanted to work toward the justice Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed the moral arc of the universe bent toward. At the time, I didn’t understand that the classroom is where I was meant to work toward the fundamental social changes I so desperately wanted. I see now that classrooms are where we have tremendous power to invest in our future. Classrooms are where we build confidant kids who go on to illuminate the world. Classrooms are where we work toward the equity our students deserve.  I wanted to help achieve real change for the impoverished, the marginalized, the condemned, and the weak. I’m in a position to do that now, which is a humbling feeling heavy with welcome responsibility.

Teachers are highly trained professionals who also happen to have superpowers. In these challenging times, I want to remind my colleagues of the power we hold. What we say and do has meaning and influence. No matter the grade level you teach or the content in which you specialize, no matter your years of experience or path to education, no matter your teaching style, the size of your school, or which part of our beautiful state you call home – we all play a role in nurturing a facet of our communities, our state, our nation, and our global village. You. Are. Powerful. Don’t ever doubt it.

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Carrie Varino
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Carrie Varino instilling the love for reading at home

 

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People of Louisiana – Community (September 2020)

 

FIRST TO FIGHT
FOUNDATION

Combat Veterans,
Eric Cook and Jeff Mattia

FIRST TO FIGHT FOUNDATION Combat Veterans, Eric Cook and Jeff Mattia

First to Fight Foundation (FTFF) is a charitable organization founded by combat veterans Eric Cook and Jeff Mattia. FTFF gives support to military veterans and their families by providing guidance with the transition from active duty, a connection to other veterans, and resources to maintain a successful civilian life. The foundation provides referrals, guidance, and mentors for veterans who need assistance navigating the V.A. systems, learning about benefits and services, medical care, rehabilitation, counseling, housing, job training, financial assistance, and more by reconnecting each other with a sense of camaraderie. 

Both Eric and Jeff are successful, award-winning chefs and each owns his own restaurant. Although they are very busy in their careers, they wanted to give back to veterans in their communities. Nearly 30 years ago, both Eric and Jeff were on the battlefield as Marines. Both say their military training and careers prepared them to be successful as chefs. Jeff Mattia notes, “It’s one thing to be a great chef, but if your own restaurant is going to be successful, you’ve got to run your kitchen like a military operation – and lead the team into daily battle.”

Cook worked in a special operations unit during the Gulf War, and often embarked on both dangerous and highly secretive missions. “We were front runner guys … we’d come in, blow things up, and get out,” he recalled. Surprisingly, it’s after Cook left the military and arrived back in the American suburbs, that he began to feel vulnerable. Cook states, “Your armor and your weapon no longer protect you. You can’t just take over things anymore,” he said. “You become one of the sheep in the herd.”

While serving in the military, Cook had grown accustomed to rigid daily routines that involved carting around a rifle and 200 pounds of ammunition. He was always on the move with his fellow Marines. Once he became a civilian, however, that lifestyle disappeared. “I wake up one day and go, ‘What happened?’ I was this very powerful, physical, warrior guy, and all of the sudden, I’m applying to be a cashier at Walmart,” said Cook. “It’s depressing, because you come from this elite fighting force where you feared nothing; no entity is greater than you. Then you come back into the world, and there’s no glory. And it’s difficult.”

The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (the VA) defines post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a mental health problem that some veterans develop after experiencing combat. Cook believes that PTSD partially stems from the trauma of losing the camaraderie that’s shared by members of the military. Because people with PTSD are afflicted with painful memories, they may feel on edge or have trouble sleeping. About 12-percent of Gulf War veterans have PTSD in a given year, according to the VA. Between 11- and 20-percent of veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom experience PTSD.

According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 30-percent of active duty and reserve military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have a mental health condition requiring treatment. However, less than 50-percent of returning veterans receive any treatment. The V.A. reports that approximately 22 veterans die by suicide every day. Some veterans transitioning into civilian life are unable to find helpful programs or to meet folks who have experienced similar struggles – or triumphs, for that matter.

In 2016, Cook launched the First to Fight Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists military veterans and their families. The Foundation, which Cook runs with his wife, Robyn, and his sisters, connects veterans to one another, and to the resources that will help them maintain a successful civilian life. First to Fight provides veterans with financial relief; assistance in navigating VA benefits and services; and team activities, such as fundraisers, which allow them to recreate the sense of camaraderie they experienced while in the military.

Over the years, the Cooks have met veterans who were able to successfully navigate the VA processes and get help. Through their First to Fight Foundation, they put those veterans in touch with another. “We started forming relationships, where we’re like, ‘Oh, you want to buy a house? I know a guy who did that, so let’s get advice from him on how to work the VA program,’ basically,” said Robyn.

Aside from being the president of the First to Fight Foundation, Cook is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and an active volunteer for such organizations as Wounded Warriors, The Legacy Foundation, Disposable Heroes Project, We Heart Veterans, and The American Red Cross. In a sense, for Cook, bustling through the kitchen mimicked Marine life. “It’s very much like building a military rifle squad,” said Cook. “Everyone has their job to do, but we have the same objective.”

Cook’s culinary career has led him through some of the finest local restaurants, including Brennan’s, Commander’s Palace, and Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House. The chef has made appearances on national cooking shows, and he has helped devise meals for the U.S. Marine Corps Ball and U.S. Navy Ball. He also prepared a special dinner for President George W. Bush, the president of Mexico, and the prime minister of Canada.

 “We’re still logistically controlled by my wife and my sisters, who tell us where to go, when to be there, and how to do it,” said Cook, only half-joking. First to Fight raises money through various fundraising events, such as the Steel Beach Picnic, and participates in philanthropic festivals. A few years ago, they established “Born to Grill” – a barbecue team that participates in Hogs for the Cause, the annual springtime extravaganza that raises money to benefit families battling pediatric brain cancer. Each year, Born to Grill – Whole Hog champions – build a massive and elaborate compound on the festival grounds, where they serve beer, barbecue delights, and create good vibes. “Our team started as four people and now, we’re up to almost 60 people,” said Cook, explaining how each person has a job – whether it be constructing the booth, handling money, or cooking. “We all come together for a common cause, and almost become military again.”

Cook acknowledged that moving from the “military world to the civilian world” takes a while. “You have to be patient. You have to understand that there are people out there willing to help you get to where you want to be, but you have to take care of yourself first,” he said. “Find something you’re passionate about. Find people who are passionate about it with you, and start a new tribe.”

If you or someone you know is a veteran and needs help, a form is available on the FTFF website here:
https://firsttofight.org/contact-us 

Original text by Suzette Pfefferle

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Teach MAM – Words from Mickey Smith Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teach MAM

 

Teach MAM: An Exciting Partnership to Strengthen Arts Education Across Louisiana

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Mickey Smith Jr. Teach MAM Ambassador

As Winston Churchill was working to form the United Nations after World War II, he once famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”  

Churchill had a fantastic ability to see a crisis as something that could be “good.” He saw an opportunity where others couldn’t or simply chose not to. As the band director of Maplewood Middle School in Sulphur, LA, I often tell my students that their perspective is powerful and that opportunities come in all shapes and sizes, and every opportunity is just that….an opportunity!  We must stay vigilant and aware because every opportunity can be another opportunity for another opportunity!  As we prepare for this school year, Louisiana schools find themselves amid a global crisis called COVID-19.  Parents, students, administrators, and yes, even teachers such as myself are grappling with the uncertainty and the anxiety that stems from the unprecedented nature of this upcoming academic year as crisis looms.

A crisis is defined as a time of difficulty, trouble, or danger.

We often relate the word crisis with a negative connotation, but a crisis is also a time when difficult and important decisions must be made.  A crisis can also be a turning point (a moment in time), where significant change occurs.

As an educator, I consider myself to be a lifelong learner. I live to learn, and I learn to live. I see life as a class and the world we all live in as a massive classroom.  As a result, I am fascinated with the origins and processes of things. For me, words are no different.  I love studying words. Someone once said they thought of me as a “word-smith” although the grades I earned in elementary and middle school English may argue the contrary!  Studying the word “crisis,” I found that it derives from the word “sift.” Nowadays, we don’t hear the word sift too often, but growing up as a boy in the small, rural Southwest Louisiana town of Mossville with my grandmother, Lillie Mae Smith, that word was used often. See, Lillie Mae baked, cooked, and canned preserves.  She made jelly, jam, and fruit preserves from figs and pears, to name a few.  As she prepared these preserves in that small Louisiana kitchen, I often saw her use a utensil called a sifter. This sifter was a cylindrical device that allowed finely processed things like flour, baking powder, sugar, etc. to be combined and strained. As it fell through the sifter’s fine strainers, any lumps or anything that was not processed or refined could not come through. I’m reminded of my grandmother and that sifter now more than ever. I believe that the crisis we are currently in is not necessarily to break us or cause us to fail, but it is an opportunity that will refine us.  Music, art, and movement are not only refined artforms, but they are essential elements to everything that refines us and makes us human.  Music, art, and movement have carried us through crises before, whether natural disasters, times of unrest, or personal struggles. As we allow this situation to help us and allow ourselves to be helped, we transform our trials as we seize the opportunity this current crisis presents for us all. We will come out refined, becoming part of something better than we could have been alone or otherwise.  

I challenge you to see the good in every day…even a crisis. Like Winston Churchill, I challenge you never to let a good crisis go to waste.  

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Blog – September 2020

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SEPTEMBER 2020
Volume 2, Edition 11

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A Word from the
First Lady of Louisiana

September
2020

Volume 2, Edition 11

Hurricanes Marco and Laura entered our state within days of one another. Laura will be forever remembered due to the damage that she left behind.  This hurricane took away homes, offices, businesses, schools, and churches.  So many people are displaced with much hurt and sadness. There is no doubt it will take months, maybe years, to rebuild the destruction that Laura left behind. Destruction is seen from Southwest Louisiana up through many parishes to the North Louisiana borders.  Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers continue to be with everyone who has been affected.

In true Louisiana fashion, everyone around the state is asking how we can help. There are so many amazing people stepping up to raise money and collect supplies to help our neighbors. If you or your organization want to find out what you can do to assist our fellow Louisianans, please click on the links at the bottom of this page to learn more.

During the latter part of August, I had my 4th Foster Care Summit, but it was through Zoom this year. We had over 100 participants listen and learn how they could be a part of supporting and loving the children in our care through supporting the Foster Care program. Each of the presenters and participants is a vital part of our Foster Care community, and we are grateful to each one.

 

I am so proud of the work that Louisiana Fosters is doing through my Louisiana First Foundation. We bring awareness by connecting people, organizations, faith-based communities, and others to the need and work, showing that we can all be a part of helping.  On my blog each month, I highlight someone or some group helping and supporting our children through foster care outreach.  I am asking each of you to contact an agency in your area, working with foster families, to see how you can help. Last year we started the conversation of “One Church, One Family, One Child.” Below are links to a few videos that explain this initiative.  Also, below is a link to see the many faces and organizations helping over 4,000 children in our care through the foster system. As I always say, we cannot all be foster parents, but we can all do something to help these children’s lives by supporting their needs and the needs of the many foster parents in our state. 

Please know that as we work through the many struggles our state is enduring, our children still need help, and they need your prayers. There is power in prayer, so please consider adding all our children to your prayer list, especially those in Louisiana Foster Care.

Love,

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Below are some ideas for you to consider:

*Scroll and see our many faces and groups working around our state to support Foster care. YOU will be amazed!
https://louisianafirstfoundation.com/louisiana-fosters/ 

*Where can you give foster care support in your area, especially those in hurricane-affected areas:
http://www.louisianafosters.la.gov/directory 

*Learn more about becoming a Foster Parent:
http://www.louisianafosters.la.gov/page/foster 

*Consider being a foster care parent for our Teens.
http://www.dcfs.la.gov/page/616 

No hands, no feet on earth but yours.
Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world.
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good.
Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now on earth, but yours.
― Teresa of Avila
Amen

HURRICANE LAURA SUPPORT

Learn what’s happening:
https://hurricanelaura.la.gov/?fbclid=IwAR36cRVcKADErOzd5p-fhALxbl0ERYnDsXHeECBc8rFCuwaFJlVfnPBpiEU

How Do I Donate?
https://gov.louisiana.gov/page/hurricane-laura-donations

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LOUISIANA BOARD OF REGENTS’
COVID-19 RESPONSE

Dr. Kim Hunter Reed,
Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education
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Thank you, First Lady, for allowing me to reflect on the challenges and opportunities higher education faces in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftermath of Hurricane Laura and so much more. We are grateful for your passion for education and the students across Louisiana.  

This academic year will be one of the most challenging we have ever faced – with a global pandemic, a devastating hurricane, racial unrest, and significant economic hardships impacting our state and our students.  In the face of these challenges and all of the uncertainty that abounds, we are certain of this – higher education is a strategic asset and is critical to Louisiana’s recovery.

Getting people back to work with the education and training they need – that’s what we do.  Advancing critical research to fight this pandemic, save lives, solve the pressing challenges of the day, and lead the economic future of the state – we do that too. Joining together to provide donations, clean up campuses, and respond to the needs of our communities in the aftermath of a natural disaster – we proudly do that as well.

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LOUISIANA FIRST FOUNDATION

Yes Mam, No Mam, Thank you Mam = Teach MAM!

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Blog – September 2020
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GOVERNOR'S MANSION

LOUISIANA
MASTER GARDENERS

Special thanks to our Master Gardeners
who provide tours of the Governor’s Mansion

In August 2017, Kathleen Randall approached the East Baton Rouge Master Gardener Association about providing tours of the newly refurbished gardens at the Governor’s Mansion. Kathleen, who was working at the Capitol, had participated in the Louisiana Master Gardeners Association (LMGA) program several years prior. She explained that First Lady Donna Edwards was very interested in opening the gardens to the public for educational purposes and was seeking a group to help. As a result of this conversation, Skippy Berner and Ken Bosso (who were the President and President-Elect of the LMGA) met Mrs. Edwards and Bobbie Johnson, personal assistant to Mrs. Edwards at the time, to discuss the project. After that, the LMGA membership took off with this idea, and the tours began. Since that time, the garden tours have been a popular success at the Mansion. The tours started in the Spring of 2018 with Master Gardeners Kitty Bull, Ken Bosso, Leo Broders, Sherry Eubanks, Angie Wall, Mary Tauzin, Karen Baiamonte, and Kathy Conerly.  A total of 18 tours took place in 2018. A special thanks to Ken Bosso, Leo Broders, Mary Tauzin, and Vicki Anderson, who were involved with making this a reality.

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Women’s Health Blog
September 2020

Ayesha Umrigar, PhD.

Improving the Mental Health of
Louisiana’s Women and Families

The state of current events isn’t doing favors for anyone’s mental health, especially for women and children. Traumatic events experienced by children can have negative consequences that follow them well into adulthood. Sometimes this trauma is referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), a phrase developed by the CDC Kaiser ACE Study1. These experiences include exposure to domestic violence, abuse, neglect, neighborhood violence, and unfair judgment or treatment based on race/ethnicity. Exposure to these situations in childhood can lead to higher rates of health problems such as substance abuse, depression, obesity, and heart disease. This is a significant public health concern, as 20.5% of children ages 0-17 in the United States and 25.2% have experienced two or more ACEs. In Louisiana, this percentage is 25.2%.

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PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA Making a Difference

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COMMUNITY

First To Fight Foundation
Eric Cook and Jeff Mattia

First to Fight Foundation (FTFF) is a charitable organization founded by combat veterans Eric Cook and Jeff Mattia. FTFF gives support to military veterans and their families by providing guidance with the transition from active duty, a connection to other veterans, and resources to maintain a successful civilian life. The foundation provides referrals, guidance, and mentors for veterans who need assistance navigating the V.A. systems, learning about benefits and services, medical care, rehabilitation, counseling, housing, job training, financial assistance, and more by reconnecting each other with a sense of camaraderie. 

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SCHOOLS

Carrie Varino

Vermilion Parish High School Teacher of the Year, 2019-2020
Louisiana State Teacher of the Year Finalist, 2021
Abbeville High School English Department

An Open Letter to Teachers:
In Times of Crisis, Don’t Forget Your Power

I am an accidental teacher. I do not descend from a dynasty of educators like many of my peers. I never consciously thought about entering education as a profession. I was always going to be a lawyer and work in some form of public service. I wanted to work my way up and cultivate the connections, experience, and power to make systemic change happen.

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MILITARY

Lawrence Brooks,
America’s Oldest WWII Veteran

For some, being called the oldest isn’t appealing. But for World War II veteran Lawrence Brooks, it’s an honor. Brooks is America’s oldest WWII veteran, and he’s about to celebrate his 111th birthday. Born Sept. 12, 1909, Brooks was raised in Norwood, La. During WWII, he served in the predominantly African-American 91st Engineer Battalion, which was stationed in New Guinea and then the Philippines.

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BUSINESS

Candice Marie Dixon
Founder and CEO,
RENEE MARIE

Candice Marie Dixon is the founder and CEO of RENEE MARIE, a jewelry and accessories brand specializing in products for Sororities and other membership-based organizations. Candice’s goal with her brand is to give her customers versatile and fashionable ways to amplify their personal beauty and style and display the history and pride for their organizations.

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FEATURED RECIPE

SNICKERDOODLES

Jeanea Charbonnet Bandi of JCB Creations is known as the “cookie lady” in New Orleans.

 Jeanea keeps all her recipes secret, but has offered to share a fan favorite – her snickerdoodle! This cookie’s pillowy softness with just a little cinnamon and sugar on top makes the perfect afternoon treat with a cold glass of milk.

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Something To Discern

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Y’all…it’s just too hot!!!

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Delery Rice,
Our Editor

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Delery has lived there all of her life except during undergraduate school and a brief stint in Seattle, WA. She is a mother to four boys, ranging in ages from 21 to 16, and they are the heart and soul of her life.

After graduating from the University of Southern Mississippi where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications, she went on to receive a Masters in Non-Profit Management from Louisiana State University. Her volunteer work has mostly evolved from issues that have affected her personally. Actively engaged in disability rights advocacy, Delery has testified numerous times in the Louisiana Legislature regarding issues that affect persons with developmental disabilities. She served as the chair of the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council, worked for seven years directing regional advocacy efforts and is a graduate of Louisiana’s Partners In Policymaking.

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Anti-Human Trafficking – Michelle Johnson Empower 225

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING

 

Words from
Michelle Johnson

 
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Michelle Johnson

Case Manager/Peer Support

Empower 225

“Normal” is a very relative term. I grew up in a life where it was “normal” for adults to have sex with children. The sexual abuse started when I was an infant; I do not remember a time when it was not happening. That abuse continued into my teenage years. At the age of 16, I left home in an attempt to escape only to be sexually exploited by an older man for food and a place to stay. When I turned 18, I escaped from him and tried to get services because I felt something was wrong with me. Services were denied because I had never asked for help before. Not long after that, I was recruited by a female and coerced into sex trafficking by her pimp. Recovery did not come for me until the age of 24 when the FBI raided the hotel where I was being kept. I was so broken; I had lost all hope of any future. I lost my innocence, my education, and my freedom!

After hearing that everything I experienced was not okay and that there were people that cared and wanted to help me, I discovered a reason to live. I was able to get trauma-focused therapy to undo all the lies and direct services for my basic needs. With the help of Empower225, I started the recovery process of becoming a human being again. I was able to get my GED and driver’s license, two of the many things that were taken from me. Empower225 was also there for me when I had to testify against my trafficker; that was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life. Having the support of others reminded me of why I was doing this, and that what happened to me was not okay!

After standing up to my trafficker and years of healing and successfully working the Hope program at Empower225, I had the opportunity to join the staff when a peer-survivor position opened up. Through this position, I can pour into other victims and survivors to let them know that there is hope and that their lives can be restored. I also help educate those in our state about human trafficking and working with survivors. After two years of being employed with Empower225, I was given the opportunity and felt empowered to enroll in college. I am currently studying to get my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, so I can continue to fight for other victims and survivors of human trafficking. None of this would be possible if not for God, Empower225, and a community of people pouring into me and showing me what I’m really worth!

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Women’s Health – September 2019

Women\’s Health

WOMEN\'S HEALTH BLOG September 2019

Words from Kimiyo Harris Williams, M.D., FAAP

“Self-Love is Healthy Living”

Whether you’re single, married, a single mom, working wife and mom, business owner, homemaker or the “boss” lady, keeping abreast of current women’s health recommendations is paramount.  I must admit, it can be somewhat overwhelming to carve out time to focus on our health and wellness. After all, we as women, have to make sure the kids have clean uniforms, breakfast is available, homework is completed, and lunch is prepared. After the school day, we transport the kids back and forth to extracurricular activities, make sure we have dinner cooked, take care of aging parents, complete a project for work, prepare a presentation for the boss, make it to our church meeting and serve as leaders in our church; not to mention, all of our community service projects and organizational commitments. Therefore, it’s no surprise that our health is often put on the “back burner.” However, I would like to urge the women of Louisiana to practice some “self -love.” Loving one\’s self can potentially change health outcomes both physically and mentally.

Self -love is demonstrated when you decide to schedule an annual physical exam.  Every woman should have a medical physical at least once a year. Additionally, learning your family history is very important and can help your doctor regarding your individualized medical care. Moreover, regular interaction with your provider develops a healthy rapport and establishes trust. This trust and rapport allows for overall better health care outcomes.

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Self -love is demonstrated when you decide to schedule an annual physical exam.  Every woman should have a medical physical at least once a year.

 

As you embrace this idea of “self-love,” don’t get it confused with selfishness. Some synonyms for selfishness are egotism, self-seeking and self- serving. The “self-love” that I am referring to is neither of the above. This self-love is all about caring and loving yourself enough to check-in on your wellness and to work daily in fostering healthy living. I encourage focusing some energy on taking care of “self” so that we can be our best for others. Taking care of our mental and physical health is very important.

A strategy for implementing self -love is required to practice this principle.  Every woman has to develop a plan that works best for her.  As you establish a blueprint for your journey into self -love, I would like to offer these important recommendations as it relates to preferred health screening guidelines for women with no additional risk factors nor prior abnormal results per the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG).

Age 65 years and older:
Bone mineral density screening:  Every 2 years in the absence of new risk factors.
Cervical cytology: Co-test with cytology (PAP Smear) and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing every 5 years or cytology alone every 3 years. If age 66 years and older, screening can be discontinued in women with evidence of negative prior screening test results and no history of Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 or higher. 
Fecal Occult Blood Test: Annually
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: Every 5 years
Colonoscopy: Every 10 years
Diabetes Testing: Every 3 years
Lipid Profile: Every 5 years
Mammography: Annual or biennial: Begin no later than 50 years.  
Urinalysis: Annually

 Age 40-64yo:
Diabetes Testing: Begin at age 45 years and if normal results repeat testing at least every 3 years.
Mammography: Annual or biennial starting at age 40 years but no later than age 50 years. 
Lipid Profile Assessment: Every 5 years beginning at age 45 years.
Colonoscopy: Every 10 years beginning at age 50 years; beginning at age 45 years for African Americans.

 Age 19yo-39yo
Cervical cytology:
Age 21-29 years: Screening every 3 years with cytology alone.
Age 30 years and older: Preferred- Co-test with cytology and HPV testing every 5 years or cytology alone every 3 years.

Review these preferred screening schedules as a guide to start achieving better health and wellness.  To learn more about these preferred screening guidelines visit: https://www.acog.org/About-ACOG/ACOG-Departments/Annual-Womens-Health-Care/Well-Woman-Recommendations.

Revisit them regularly to make sure you are loving yourself enough to have them done. Share them with your family and friends with the goal of fostering a mindset of wellness and good health. We are our sister’s keeper as we love ourselves enough to be intentional about healthy living.

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Anti-Human Trafficking – Poem by Megan

ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING

 

Poem by
Megan

 
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This is a poem written by Megan, a 16-year-old girl who was rescued from human trafficking and  became a resident of Metanoia Manor.
While at Metanoia, she wrote this poem.
The First Lady asked if she could read it to people, and Megan said, “Yes, but read it to big groups of people who will help.”

 

She was the girl who took showers at the school gymnasium locker
room at 6:30 when it opened.
She was the girl who held the blame for a family that was broken, and a
daughter of a man whose kid wasn’t what he hoped for.
She was the girl whose favorite place seemed to be in the principal\’s
chair,
She was the girl who didn’t worry, she was the girl that didn’t care.

She was the girl who cried herself to sleep, while holding on to a secret
that wasn’t hers to keep.
She was the girl who got anxiety, at the sound of any man’s voice.
She was the girl in 1st grade who already knew about boys.
She was the girl who grandma loved, but couldn’t understand cause she
didn’t comb her hair or pull up her pants.
She was the girl who was a clown, in the middle of class,
she was the girl that was okay if anyone happened to asked.
She was the girl who held her pain behind her smile as a mask.
She was the girl that needed help but didn’t feel worthy enough to ask.
She was the girl who hoped and prayed someone would notice when she
past.

She was the girl who had friendships that never seemed to last.
She was the girl who held her pain in the form of a pipe of glass, she’d
smoke her worries away but for only a little while would last.
She was the girl that learned to hate by the time that she was 8, who was
hungry for true love but was provided nothing on her plate.
She was the girl used for an example of what not to be.
She was the girl who always hid but didn’t play hide and seek.

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People of Louisiana – Military (September 2019)

 

Louisiana National Guard

Deployment of the 832nd 

Engineer Utilities Detachment

Louisiana National Guard
Deployment

The recent overseas deployment of the 832nd Engineer Utilities Detachment, a Louisiana National Guard unit headquartered in Plaquemine, is a reminder to all of us that our support of the Nation’s war fight continues.  Since 9/11, over 18,750 Louisiana Guardsmen have deployed in support of the Global War on Terror.  Currently, over 700 LA Guardsmen are deployed overseas and another 450 are pending deployment.  For nineteen years now, Guard units continue to perform admirably, professionally, honorably, and return as heroes.  To those Guardsmen currently deployed and to their families, we say God bless and God speed.

The National Guard remains vital to the success of our Nation’s objectives abroad as well as the safety and well-being of citizens here on the home front.   The role of the Guard is as critical today as it ever has been.  Whether we are looking at the overall force structure and posture of our Nation or the emergency preparedness of our State, the National Guard is a key component in the successful mission outcome for the task at hand.

Community support for the National Guard remains outstanding.  Louisianans have a long standing history of patriotism and for supporting the US Armed Forces and they are undoubtedly a “silent partner” for the Guard.  Community support is the base, the very foundation for a local National Guard armory and those community ties are essential to the success of that unit.  One of the unique qualities of the National Guard is that its members come from the same communities that they protect.  Certainly, all hazards and disaster response missions have brought the community and the Guard together and the relationship is as strong as ever.          

The Louisiana National Guard motto, “Protect What Matters”, is a reminder to all of us that we need to safeguard and protect each other and never tolerate anything less than respect and honor in all that we do.

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A child waves American flags as Louisiana Air National Guardsmen return from a deployment overseas, October 11, 2012. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Dan Farrell)
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Louisiana Air National Guardsmen return home to excited family and friends after a deployment overseas, October 11, 2012. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Dan Farrell)
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Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, addresses Airmen of the LANG’s 159th Fighter Wing in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, March 4, 2017. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Dan Farrell)
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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards stands for the National Anthem with the Louisiana National Guard command team during a deployment ceremony for the 225th Engineer Brigade, Oct. 18, 2017. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Noshoba Davis)
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Louisiana National Guardsmen with the 1020th Engineer Company, 527th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade enthusiastically greet loved ones after returning from a nine-month deployment to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Garrett L. Dipuma)
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People of Louisiana – Business (September 2019)

 

Leslie McMichael

Owner

Lesco Productions

Leslie McMichael Owner, LesCo Productions

Leslie McMichael founded LesCo Productions LLC in 1996 as a full-service events and marketing Production Company. Her dream was twofold, one, to create the most uniquely interactive marketing experiences for her clients, another to fashion a career that would allow her to eventually be both a businesswoman and a full time mom. By 2001 both of these dreams had come true for Leslie. LesCo Productions was producing events across the country and at home in Louisiana. Leslie was also raising her two amazing daughters Macy and Mollie McMichael.

Under the ever-meticulous eye of Leslie, LesCo Productions has created unforgettable events custom-tailored for her clients across the corporate and private spectrum. LesCo Productions has excelled in producing many large-scale promotional events including the 2008 Starbucks employee incentive street festival for 11,000 people and 19 consecutive years of Sugar Bowl events.

Leslie has utilized her unique eye for creativity by bringing to life events, including an extravagant event featuring synchronized swimmers below the swirling lights of a Ferris wheel amongst fire-eaters all while being serenaded by opera singers! LesCo Productions produces events year-round and also specializes in keynote speaker engagements; continued educational programs; trade-show floor logistics, and turnkey incentive programs. In addition to large-scale corporate productions, LesCo Production has produced countless private sector events including dream weddings and outstanding debutante celebrations.

Leslie has also given back to the community through her business. One particular highlight was her production of the Pro Bono Project’s 2015 Justice For All Ball. LesCo Productions not only donated the entire event design and management, Leslie also produced the Justice For All Ball’s 2015 video, which helped further promote their cause.

Today, Leslie happily and successfully juggles her business, LesCo Productions LLC, and her three daughters (Raleigh 2011) without skipping a beat.

 
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