Lupus, Epilepsy, Congestive Heart Failure, Asthma, Sleep Apnea, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes and Diabetic Neuropathy, Hypertension, Crones Disease, Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease, Bi-Polar Disorder, Phobia Disorder, High Cholesterol.

A list of serious conditions from a medical encyclopedia?  No.  This is a list of just some of the medical issues faced by one Northeast Louisiana man – Reggie Lamkin. 

When Reggie, 45, was first diagnosed with several serious medical conditions, he and his wife, Joy, were at a complete loss as to how they would manage to purchase his necessary medications and still keep a roof over their family’s heads.  Reggie was unable to work and Joy was working as much as she could, but they continued to have to struggle with even the minimum essentials. 

In desperation, they turned to Reggie’s doctor in West Monroe for help and he sent them to St. Vincent dePaul Community Pharmacy.  Since opening in April 1999, St. Vincent dePaul Community Pharmacy has filled over 98,000 prescriptions for 2,607 unduplicated patients.

The prescription assistance that they received from the agency made it possible for them to pay for their utilities and shelter.  “Life without this pharmacy would be almost unbearable.”, Joy, (pictured at left), told us.  “We would probably be out on the street or living in a vehicle or with family.  This is a tremendous gift that United Way and St. Vincent dePaul gives to the families that they represent.” 

Your gift to United Way makes it possible for St. Vincent dePaul Community Pharmacy and other Partner Agency programs to make a profound difference in the lives of the people right here at home.  “To all of the donors to United Way and to the potential donors,” says Joy, “The one thing I’d like to stress to you is that there is no greater gift that one man can give another than the gift of health.  The United Way funds that they give to St. Vincent dePaul have been a tremendous blessing to my family and many others.”

Caring, generous donors…Vital Partner Agency programs…United Way of Northeast Louisiana.  Together we matter.  Right here at home.  Just ask Joy and Reggie Lamkin.

Youth Services of Northeast Louisiana – Teen Court

Youth Services of Northeast Louisiana’s Teen Court is a community based program directed toward juvenile misdemeanor offenders ages 10–17.  The program provides them with an alternative in place of the formal court process that allows them to take full responsibility for their actions while making restitution to the victim, as well as, to the community. 

The offender has to voluntarily accept the terms of the program and appear before the teen court, which a peer court consisting of teens volunteers ages 14-18 who serve as clerk of court, bailiff, attorneys, and jurors.  There is one adult present in the court room – a local attorney who serves in the role of judge.  After the hearing, the teen court will hand down a sentence/punishment that includes community service, jury duty, and a series of workshops and activities designed to teach and reinforce positive values, as well as, give them tools on how to cope with make life decisions. 

Teen Court helps the young person develop better judgment, a better attitude, and better behavior.  Valisia Tisdale, Program Director, tells us that, “95% of the young people who have completed the program do not re-offend.  They go on to become law abiding, productive citizens in our community”. 

The program also produces positive results for its young volunteers.  Joshua Boatner, 18, (pictured at left), became involved in Teen Court when a friend who also volunteers told him the story of his experience.  Once he started volunteering himself, Joshua garnered a host of valuable skills that will serve him well in life.  “I’ve learned more about the justice system and how the law works.” he says.  “I’ve also learned how to speak and express myself in front of people that I don’t know.” 

Barret Broussard, 17, another teen volunteer also shares Joshua’s opinion.  “I’ve learned public speaking skills, more about the legal system, and how to be able to think quicker and respond to unexpected things.” he told us.

Even though the teen court volunteer experience helps develop important life skills for young people, an even more critical element has emerged.  Like United Way, the Teen Court program is working to help prevent more serious community issues by focusing on the underlying causes to help prevent them from happening in the first place.

About the Teen Court program, Christopher Hughes, Jr., 18, (pictured at right) stated, “We’re always looking for ways on how to cut down on crime in our community.  That’s what we do – we cut down on crime in the community.”

United Way Partner Agency programs like Teen Court, along with your investment help to ensure that young people in our community have the opportunity to recover from one bad choice and get back on the path to becoming productive members of our community.  Together we matter.  Right here at home. 

Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana – Ruston

Most of us in Northeast Louisiana can’t even imagine what it would be like to be without any food at all in our houses.  For Pauline Bowers of Ruston, that’s not the case. 

Pauline, a diabetic on a fixed income, knows exactly what it’s like to not have any food in her home.  She knows what it’s like to be shaky from the diabetes because she didn’t have enough food to eat what she should each day.  “We were without food some of the month – it didn’t last – I couldn’t afford the food all month long.”

Luckily, a worker at the Medicaid office in Ruston, suggested that Pauline go to the Lincoln Parish Council on Aging (located in the building that was formerly Temple Baptist Church) to see if she would be eligible for help from the Food Bank.

Hopeful, Pauline and her husband drove over to the Council on Aging, to apply for assistance.  After completing the eligibility forms, they received the news that they were, in fact, eligible.  They would begin receiving a box of food each month from the Food Bank.

Now, Pauline has enough food to each what she needs to each day so to avoid problems with diabetes.  “I’ve been to the diabetic clinic and they want you to have 3 meals plus 2 snacks a day, but if I have 3 meals a day I can go without 1 snack.  Usually I have a snack before I go to bed at night and it does me because it makes me shaky if I don’t have food to eat with diabetes.  My whole family was diabetic and I hate to know that there are people out there with diabetes that don’t have food to eat.”

She knows that the food she receives each month, along with what she is able to purchase, will last the entire month.  Thanks to your investment and partner agency programs like the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana, Pauline no longer has to worry that she’ll run completely out of food before the end of the month.  Together we matter.  Right here at home.  Just ask Pauline Bowers.

Together we matter.  Right here at home.