District Activities

Highlights of 2007 LAFCS Annual Meeting

The 2007 Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Association of Family & Consumer Sciences was hosted by the Southeast District and held on the Southern University A & M College and Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center campuses.  It started with a reception on Sunday, March 11, 2007, at the Southern University Museum of Arts, where members experienced delicious treats as they enjoyed the various displays in the museum.

Monday morning’s session began with a welcome by Leodry Williams, Chancellor of the Southern University Ag Center; Edward Jackson, Chancellor, Southern University, Baton Rouge and Dewitt Jones, Dean, College of Agricultural, Family and Consumer Sciences. Student member, Willianetta Sanders, led the group in the National Anthem after Olyvhia Essien, SU-FCS student president led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Solutions:  Updates from the State Departments

The opening session set the theme for the meeting:  Solutions for Thriving in Threatening Times.  A panel of three employees of the State of Louisiana gave histories and updates of affect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita:

Patricia Scott of the Department of Public Health mentioned that the two hurricanes left 700,000 homes without power, in 41 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and 240,000 homes destroyed.  There over a million evacuees.

A year later 70% were still displaced and 51% were still unemployed.  There were over one million evacuees.  Many are and 55% are experiencing a major depressive disorder. 
Mental health strategies are being deployed to help.  However, the psychosocial impact will last 15 - 20 years.  In looking at the future, an effort is being made to education people so that they are better prepared for the next hurricane.  Family Readiness Guides are being distributed throughout the state.

Jackie Doddy of the Department of Social Services spoke about the services implemented to help parents receive child support and locate foster parents.  She also reported on an initiative of Governor Blanco called STOP, Solutions to Poverty.  It focuses on empowering communities to identify and utilize the resources needed, and includes the development of policy and legislation.  Citizens are being asked to become partners in neighborhood STOP movements, with funds being provided through grants.
Initiative help in many ways, such as: 
• assist families in completing   tax returns to determine if   they were eligible for earned   income credit,
• matched savings program    for saving towards the    purchase of a home,
• micro-enterprise development,
• quality child care and
• aggressive child support collections.

Ed Pratt, Director of Communications for the Department of Labor, stated that the affect on unemployment was unlike anything else.  With people scattered all over the U. S., they had to find people.  It was difficult to provide benefits to people who had no addresses.  It was a challenge for employers because employees were living in shelters with their families.

The LA work force is coming back.  The unemployment rate is 3.2% and the state is working to attract people to come.  There are many free job training programs, especially in construction, with a guarantee to find employment for them.  The are also being supplied with free tools.  Employers are calling for workers and the state is helping find them through the use of several programs. 

Identity Theft

Karen Stevens, Southern University Agricultural Center, addressed the topic of identity theft.  There are four types:  financial, criminal, cloning, and business or commercial identity.  It is very important to deter identity theft by shredding documents before placing them in the garbage can, taking social security numbers off of checks and printing only the first initial and last name on checks.  She also cautions on putting information in cell phones, using credit cards for donations over the phone or clicking on unknown links while on-line.  She advises regular practices to detect it in the early stages:  monitor credit reports and financial records, do searches in both your name and your children’s name and beware of mail that does not arrive.  On-line banking is safer that putting mail in unlocked boxes. Photo copy everything that you put in your wallet and store it in a safe, secure place.  Report identity theft to the police.

Habitat for Humanities

  Lynn T. Clark, Development Director of Greater Baton Rouge Habitat for Humanities, talked about the world-wide movement to meet the need for decent shelter.  She gave an update efforts made in response to needs created by the two hurricanes that devastated the homes of Louisiana families in 2005.

Jacqueline Nash
Threatening Times and Empowerment for Women

Law professor and motivational speaker, Jacqueline Nash, sparked the 2007 awards banquet with a presentation of threatening times and empowerment. Her first recommendation during threatening times is “first trust God”.  He will provide opportunities for you.  There are times when you have to adjust to what happens to you and times when you have to overcome what others assume about you so that you are ready to respond. 

In challenging times, you have to make decisions.  When there is no hope, always look up.  Be joyful.  “The world is terrified of joyful women.  Go ahead and be one anyway,” advises Nash.
We thank her for sharing bits of wisdom through talking about real life experiences and demonstrating the means to find humor among the tearful and difficult moments of life.

Ambiguous Loss

Dr. Janice Weber, University of Louisiana Frem Boustany Endowed Professor of Child and Family Studies, gave an interactive presentation on how to deal with ambiguous losses. An ambiguous loss is very difficult to deal with because there is physical presence and psychological absence.  The presentation was based on a book by Pauline Boss:  Loss, Trauma and Resilience.

Representative Gray
You Can Help with Legislation:  Get Involved

The closing session of annual meeting was a Legislative View Point:  Solutions for Surviving in Threatening Times.  Representative Cheryl Gray, of New Orleans encouraged members to get involved in public policy.  Contacting elected representatives helps to provide information to support or oppose bills.  She recommends committee activity to monitor pending legislation.  In addition, she provided information about contacting representatives through phone, fax and websites. 
Ms. Gray spoke of her involvement in committees on Health and Welfare, Appropriations and Municipal, Parochial and Cultural affairs.  Using the example of legislation concerning offering healthy choices in vending machines in schools, she explained the affect of constituent involvement.

Student Response In Threatening Times
Smiles for Children

Student members from Nicholls State University spoke of their chapters’ work in shelters housing evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.  They focused on meeting the needs of children.  Smiles for Children was their theme and there were many activities:  birthday parties, field trips, helping them to deal with anger, helping them to love more, “fun days”. 

They helped collect, organize and distribute many things that were needed, because many arrived with nothing.  Students helped with evacuees on the campus and at the Houma-Terrebone Civic Center. One of the activities at the civic center was a nightly puppet show featuring a monkey that discussed everything they were going through.  One example, was that it was tough living like this, but they could survive. 
Barber services, medical services and many others were donated to help evacuees.  Operation Starfish was created, with donated computers and internet service to help connect family members who were separated from each other.