Community Events

Community Outreach Fair Scheduled for May 25!

The Community Center of St Bernard, in partnership with The Meraux Foundation, will hold a Community Outreach Fair at Docville Farm, 5124 E St Bernard Hwy, Violet, on Friday, May 25 from 6:30-10 PM. This family-friendly event is open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend and enjoy a free shrimp boil and live music while learning more about the many human services agencies, faith-based groups and community organizations that serve St Bernard Parish residents.

The Community Outreach Fair is being sponsored by The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living, LaCare, and AmeriGroup. Other agencies which will be present at the Outreach Fair include Bayou Health, DELF USA Behavioral Health Services, Family Service of Greater New Orleans, Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Jefferson Council on Aging, Los Islenos Heritage and Cultural Society, Louisiana Office of Public Health - Emergency Preparedness, Nurse Family Partnership, St Bernard Battered Women's Program, Inc, St Bernard Career Solutions Center, United Way of SELA, and Violet Chapter #5448 of AARP Inc.

A limited number of openings are available for additional Community Fair participants. Other organizations wishing to reserve a table can download the Registration Form from www.ccstb.org/images/participationform.pdf and return it to the Community Center by May 18 in order to confirm their attendance at the event.

The evening will open with a live performance by talented trio We3. Vocalist Jude LeBlanc is also a fantastic finger-style guitarist who counts James Taylor, Jim Croce, and Paul Simon among his influences. Vocalist Abigail Alfano hails from Franklinton, La and plays guitar, ukulele, and mandolin. And guitarist Jarrod Nix's influences range from solo guitarists Eric Johnson and Vai, to masters Stevie Wonder and Hendrix, to pop songwriting icons John Mayer and Sara Bareilles.

Following We3 on the stage will be Miss Maggie Havens and her band. Maggie's powerful voice is one of the best known in the City of New Orleans. Her stage performances are energetic, electrifying, and memorable. She can be seen in various venues throughout the city including Tropical Isle, or performing with many other New Orleans music legends.

The Community Outreach Fair at Docville Farm is the latest in The Meraux Foundation's ongoing series of Twilight Concerts showcasing St Bernard educational and cultural events. The Fair is sure to be an entertaining and informative evening with good food and great music, so make plans to come out and enjoy the fun!

Bike Safety Workshop on May 19

Volunteers Honored at Free Dance on April 21!

The Community Center of St Bernard, in partnership with The Meraux Foundation and The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living, honored 18 long-term Community Center volunteers with an Awards Ceremony and Dance at Docville Farm, 5124 E St Bernard Hwy, Violet, on Saturday, April 21.

The evening began with live music by Christabel and the Jons from 5:30-6:30 PM. Known for their original songs that mix jazz standards, western swing, and classic country into a distinctive sound they call “Tennessee swing", Christbel and the Jons has released 5 critically-acclaimed albums including “Love and Circumstances” (2006), “Custom Made For You” (2008), “Live from the Walnut Room” (2009), “The Christmas Album” (2010) and most recently “The Same Mistake”.

The opening music was followed by an awards ceremony which recognized the ongoing efforts of local volunteers who are generously donating their time and skills to help in the Center's food pantry, clothing bank, and office. Many of these volunteers have been assisting at the Community Center for several years, and their efforts have played key role in making it possible for the Center to serve more than 14,800 unduplicated individuals since 2007.

Volunteers who were honored at the April 21 event included: Sylvia James, Ethel Taylor, Tommy Navarino, Angela Hansford, June Hansford, Deborrah Dalon, Carmen Rico, Silvia Bautista, Janet Woodward, Lori Benfiglio, Stephanie Botts, Allen Kimble, Aryan Bosma, Wayne Foster, Michelle Beaudette, Darryl Barrett, Antoinette Beasley, and Harry Dean. Also recognized was Community Center Executive Director Iray Nabatoff for his 6 years of volunteer service.

The awards ceremony was followed by a live performance from Kristin Diable & The City. Featuring an authentically original voice and strong, simple arrangements that reflect the band's broad range of influences ranging from 60's Folk to Blues and Soul, Kristin Diable & the City are rapidly becoming New Orleans fixtures. These talented and charismatic performers are regularly featured at the Jazz & Heritage Festival and French Quarter Festival as well as local venues like Tipitinas, DBA and the House of Blues.

Pictured from left are Community Center Board Member Earl Dauterive, Development Director Dr Sharon Ober, Tommy Navarino, Carmen Rico, Darryl Barrett, Allen Kimble, Lori Benfiglio (back), Deborrah Dalon (front), June Hansford, Angela Hansford, Janet Woodword, Sylvia James, Executive Director Iray Nabatoff, Ethel Taylor, and Board President Christopher Andry.

The Volunteer Award Ceremony and Dance at Docville Farm was the latest in The Meraux Foundation's ongoing series of Twilight Concerts showcasing St Bernard educational and cultural events.

Community Center Receives BP Grant for Workforce Development

BP America has awarded the Community Center of St. Bernard a $15,000 grant to fund the Workforce Development Project.

The Workforce Development Project provides small business owners, affected by the Gulf Oil Spill, hands-on instruction on how to set up a basic website that will suit their business needs. This grant will help to offset the cost of creating course materials and instructor's wages.

“BP applauds the Community Center's work to help residents of south Louisiana gain financial independence while stimulating the economy,” said Iris Cross, general manager of BP Gulf Coast Restoration Organization (GCRO) in Louisiana. “BP is proud to make this contribution to a community we've had a longstanding relationship with, and we look forward to seeing its growth.”

“Our Workforce Development Program provides small business owners with the skills necessary to take their business to the next level,” said Iray Nabatoff, Executive Director of the Community Center of St. Bernard. “This grant will help us impact the lives of St. Bernard residents as well as the local economy.”

The Community Center of St. Bernard is a community-based grassroots 501 (c) (3) nonprofit with a mission of assisting local residents in their return to their homes and helping to normalize their lives.

The center is committed to providing a wide range of necessary community services, including food, clothes, Internet access, referrals, computer classes, and community events such as after school programs and workshops.

Meraux Foundation Awards $20,000 grant to the Community Center of St Bernard

The Community Center of St Bernard in Arabi, Louisiana announced today that it has received a $20,000 grant from the Meraux Foundation. The funds will support core organizational initiatives including the Food Pantry, Media Lab, and Community Connections programs, which serve more than 5,100 local residents each year.

The funds will also be used to provide expanded program offerings such as workforce development training to teach small business owners how to set up websites for their companies. And the grant will support investments in the Community Center's infrastructure to enable the Center to keep pace with the rapidly-increasing client numbers and capacity demands that it continues to face in the wake of the Gulf Oil Spill and the ongoing national economic crisis.

Mr RM Iray Nabatoff, executive director of the Community Center of St Bernard, noted: "On behalf of our staff, volunteers, and clients, we are very grateful that the Meraux Foundation has stepped forward as a major community partner in support of programs that provide assistance to so many St Bernard parish residents. With this generous grant, we will be able to fund additional services and development work so that we can more effectively provide local residents with the assistance they need as they continue to rebuild their lives and their communities here in St Bernard."

The Community Center of St Bernard is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to providing residents of the St Bernard parish area with local access to emergency assistance and recovery resources. Services available through the Community Center and its partner agencies include a food pantry, clothing bank, food for seniors, Food Stamps enrollment, Medicaid enrollment, senior citizen employment training, crisis counseling and support, tax preparation assistance, information and referrals, legal aid, public computers, computer classes, and community-building events such as bingo nights, NA meetings, dinner dances, and holiday celebrations.

For more information about the programs and services available at the Community Center of St Bernard, please phone 504.281.2512 or visit www.ccstb.org

WINN-DIXIE Foundation invests $10,000 in the Community Center of St Bernard

The Community Center of St Bernard announced today that it has received a $10,000 grant from The Winn-Dixie Foundation. Funds will be used to support the Mustard Seed Food Pantry at the Community Center, which assisted more than 4,300 low-income St Bernard residents during the past year.

“These funds will help enable the Mustard Seed Food Pantry to continue meeting the growing needs in the community,” said Iray Nabatoff, Executive Director of the Community Center. “We're grateful to The Winn-Dixie Foundation for its support at a time when the ongoing effects of hurricane Katrina, the Gulf Oil Spill and the national economic crisis are resulting in increased demands for the basic human services provided by the Community Center of St Bernard.”

“Winn Dixie is at the heart of the communities we serve,” said Mary Kellmanson, marketing group vice-president of Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., and president of the Winn-Dixie Foundation. “We are pleased to partner with the Community Center of St Bernard as together we work to make our neighborhoods a better place. The Winn-Dixie Foundation has a long tradition of supporting the neighborhoods in which we work and live, and makes grants available to local nonprofit organizations to support programs and initiatives fostering healthy and thriving communities."

Mustard Seed Food Pantry hours are by appointment only, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 AM – 3 PM. For information about income limits and other requirements for enrollment in the Mustard Seed Food Pantry at the Community Center of St Bernard, please visit www.ccstb.org/mustardseed .

Medicaid Enrollment Assistance Now Available By Appointment

The Community Center of St. Bernard, 1111 LeBeau St, Arabi, is pleased to announce that Medicaid enrollment assistance will be available every Wednesday and Friday from 3 PM – 5 PM by appointment only. Anyone wishing to make an appointment for Medicaid enrollment should phone 504.281.2512 and speak to Clara Flores.

At the time of the appointment, applicants are requested to bring proof of income for the past 30 days, proof of identification, and proof of residence, as well as social security cards for all family members who will be included on the application.

Please note that the Community Center can only help with new Medicaid enrollments. If you are already enrolled in the program and need assistance, or if you want to check the status of your application, please phone the Medicaid hotline at 1.888.342.6207.

Other locations in St Bernard Parish where residents can receive Medicaid enrollment forms include St. Bernard Parish Health Center, 7718 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette, and the St. Bernard Parish Health Unit, 3002 Jean Lafitte Parkway, Chalmette.

Free Bingo Every Tuesday Night at 5:30!

Tuesday nights are Free Bingo Nights at the Community Center of St Bernard! Everyone is invited to a family evening filled with fun, prizes, and 10 rounds of Bingo. Starting on January 5, Bingo will be held every Tuesday night starting at 5:30 PM at the Community Center of St Bernard, 1111 LeBeau St, Arabi.

There is no charge for admission, and children are welcome to join in the fun as long as they are supervised. Winners will be able to choose from a variety of prizes including vases, figurines, and handicrafts, so come out and join us for "Bingo on Lebeau"! For more information, please phone the Community Center Office at 504.281.2512.

Road Home Assistance Now Available By Appointment Only!

Effective February 10, 2010, anyone needing Road Home assistance should phone 225-219-9600 and ask for either Anita Anderson or Ted Guillot to set up an appointment at the Community Center.

If neither Ms Anderson or Mr Guillot is available, please leave a message with the receptionist. Appointments can also be scheduled by emailing anita.anderson@la.gov or ted.guillot@la.gov .