Almost two dozen local nonprofits are getting less money from Capital Area United Way this year as the organization struggles with a drop in donations.
Like many nonprofit organizations in the Capital Region, Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge is being forced to look for innovative ways to raise money after suffering a major slash in funding from the Capital Area United Way. After seeing CAUW funding for its Dedicated Dads program cut to $280 this year, compared to almost $50,000 last year, Family Road is turning to an unconventional source: crowdsourcing. The organization is launching a fundraising campaign on the crowdsourcing website Indiegogo, hoping to generate $15,000 between today and Father's Day, June 16. "Everyone who received cuts from United Way is facing the reality that organizations have to be creative and innovative in new ways of approaching services and providing the revenue for programs that are needed in the community," says Dena Morrison, CEO of Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge. "For us, it means we have to look at a variety of ways of funding necessary programs and increasing collaboration and partnerships."...
Almost two dozen local charity programs are getting less money from Capital Area United Way this year as the organization struggles with a drop in donations. Capital Region agencies this year will receive $1.2 million less than what was allocated to them last year by CAUW. In a summary of its allocations released recently, the nonprofit lists 47 agencies and 113 programs that will be getting funds this year. That's down three agencies and 17 programs from last year. Kendall Hebert, spokeswoman for the Capital Area United Way, says that while donations are down this year, the agency is working to share its story with potential donors and to encourage local businesses to be generous with their contributions. "Even though it may be hard for some, think about the hardships you may incur right now with the economy the way it is," Hebert says. "Then think about those who are already struggling, and it's even harder for them." The reduction in CAUW funding comes at a time when area...
Darrin Goss Sr. has been selected as the new president and CEO of the Capital Area United Way, the organization's board of directors announced today. Goss, who will take over the position July 1, comes to Baton Rouge from the United Way of Greenville County in South Carolina, where he's been vice president of community impact since 2007. He will take over from Richard Williams, who has served as interim president and CEO for about the past year. CAUW Board Chair Christy Reeves says Goss "embodies the mission of United Way," and calls him "the ideal choice" to take over in Baton Rouge. Goss holds a degree in psychology from Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., and he's also a veteran of the U.S. Army. "I am excited about the opportunity to join the Baton Rouge community and the Capitol Area United Way," Goss says in a prepared statement. CAUW has more details here.
Local celebrities will dance the night away Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for the 2013 edition of Dancing for Big Buddy. Modeled after the hit ABC show Dancing with the Stars, this event features local stars competing through various dance styles, to benefit a good cause. Salsa, the tango, swing—they're some of the dance genres whose moves will inspire you, too, from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Some of the dancers slated to compete are LSU Women's Basketball coach Nikki Caldwell, Mestizo owner Jim Urdiales, WBRZ anchor Rosa Flores. Tickets are $10. More information and full list of local celebrity dancers can be found here.
The Louisiana Food Bank Association will hold a rally at the State Capitol at 10 a.m. today to lobby on behalf of an amendment to House Bill 1 to provide $5 million to the association. The money will be used to purchase food from state farmers, fishermen, manufacturers and vendors for the hundreds of thousands of men, women, children and seniors in Louisiana who live with food insecurity. Displays and presentations will begin at 9 a.m.
Local restaurants will participant in the Dining Out For Life national event tonight. Five participating restaurants—Bistro Byronz, California Pizza Kitchen, Mestizos, Monjunis and Stroubes—will donate 25% of their lunch or dinner sales to the HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two (HAART).
Fashion and philanthropy strike a deep chord in the 2013 Best Dressed honorees. These trendsetters—selected by the American Cancer Society of Baton Rouge's host committee, Victory—will be fêted at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium on April 13, with proceeds from the event benefiting the local chapter of ACS. Prior to their turn on the runway, this year's honorees sat down with inRegister to dish on their favorite ensembles, best fashion secrets and even the clothing memories they'd like to forget. Be inspired by this well-heeled group. They look good while doing good works.
Jonathan James is determined to make his life count. He is one of the rare survivors of hemophilia over the age of 30 who did not contract HIV or a form of hepatitis due to unfiltered blood transfusions during childhood.
Put a joyful spring in your step by helping others in our community cultivate a healthy lifestyle. When you get involved with any of these events and organizations, you'll make a valued difference in someone's life.
The seventh annual Baton Rouge Kidney Walk takes place this Saturday at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. You can walk in the free event, 8 a.m.-noon, while supporting general education about kidney health and the urgent need for donors. Online registration is available; for more information, visit the National Kidney Foundation website.
Do you love to get out in nature? Volunteer for Rockin' at the Swamp at BREC's Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center. This fun-filled event offers visitors the opportunity to explore the vast world of geology, and includes activities and displays about rocks, gemstones, minerals and fossils. Volunteers may serve in the Stone Craft Corner, Treasure Trail, Gold Mine, or at the check-in table. This event will be held on March 9 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact Tonya Dixon at 272-9200, ext. 446, or at volunteer@brec.org for more information.
The Capital Area United Way is advertising for a permanent CEO, more than eight months after former CEO Karen Profita resigned from the non-profit agency following a three-year tenure that was marked by successes in the areas of fundraising and public relations but also by internal turmoil and high staff turnover. Retired Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana executive Richard Williams has served as interim CEO since Profita's departure in May and is being encouraged by the board of directors to apply for the permanent position. According to a post on the agency's website, the CEO of the CAUW reports to the board and must have at least seven years of successful and responsible leadership experience in a large and diverse organization. The deadline for applications is Feb. 19. A spokesman for the agency declined to comment, but says the agency will release an official statement later tonight detailing the search process. —Stephanie Riegel
The cliff-avoiding tax bill Congress approved Tuesday carries limits on personal exemptions and itemized deductions for individuals who make more than $250,000 and couples who make more than $300,000, a fact that concerns groups that benefit from charitable giving. "It could affect [donors'] willingness to make contributions to nonprofit organizations," says Capital Area United Way interim CEO Richard Williams. "We've been watching that fairly closely." According to a survey by United Way Worldwide, which has been lobbying to preserve the charitable tax deduction, roughly three out of 10 Americans say they would give less to charity if the tax deduction was reduced or eliminated. As The Wall Street Journalreports, a coalition of nonprofit groups called the Alliance for Charitable Reform says lawmakers should consider excluding charitable-donation...
The Salvation Army toy drive will dispense gifts to close to 5,000 children in the community this holiday season. Volunteers are needed for set up and organization of the toy distribution site at the Walmart on Plank Road in Baker, taking place Dec. 3-8, 10-14 and 15 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers may also work Dec. 18-20 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., when the toys are actually distributed. On Dec. 21, however, toy distribution will be held at the Salvation Army thrift store in Gonzales. To learn more about all Salvation Army service opportunities this Christmas season, contact LaGuardia Collins at 355-4483 or laguardia_collins@uss.salvationarmy.org.
The glare from his huge Super Bowl ring threatens to blind onlookers as LSU alum and New York Giants cornerback Corey Webster projects it on the large screen inside LSU’s Bo Campbell Auditorium. But the bling of his ring isn’t the only thing that catches their attention on a warm June evening. A hush falls over the freshman and sophomore LSU athletes there to listen to Webster speak about “protecting their brand.”
Wilson has a master's in history from LSU and she looks to continue to make history in Baton Rouge as a nonprofit management consultant. After working at Louisiana CASA, Wilson helped start Tyrus Thomas' foundation and later her own company in 2009. Her company continues to expand—both in number of clients and office space—as it moves into the former offices of the Downtown Development District. Solid Ground Innovations will take the ideas of a client and put them into practice, or help a client come up with ideas to benefit the community.
Dressed in a golf shirt and shorts on a fall weekday morning, Newton Thomas leans back in a conference room chair to a gravity-defying degree. His face is tanned and his grin is conspiratorial. He has been discussing his 39-year-old company's history and high points, including a pivotal moment in 2000 when he attended Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program to sharpen his management and leadership skills. Professors there found his company, The Newtron Group, to be so advanced in its commitment to employees and the social good that they wanted to travel to Baton Rouge and make it a case study. By then, companies like Ben & Jerry's and Whole Foods Market had established a precedent for "conscious capitalism" by prioritizing charitable donations and shared management. The Newtron Group, it seemed to the Harvard educators, went even further. "I told them to forget it. They would have screwed it up," recalls Thomas, 68. His smile broadens as he raises his hand to make his...
Supporting organizations like the one established by Newton Thomas at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation are tax-exempt entities not controlled by founders or principle donors. The organizations qualify as public charities, not private foundations, because they are situated within community foundations. Currently, there are 11 such entities at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, including the Wilbur Marvin Foundation Supporting Organization, which in 1992 was the first to be established. Supporting organizations can be effective alternatives to private foundations, which require extensive administrative support, and donor-advised funds, which can't operate existing companies in the manner a supporting organization can.
Dressed in a golf shirt and shorts on a fall weekday morning, Newton Thomas leans back in a conference room chair to a gravity-defying degree. His face is tanned and his grin is conspiratorial. He has been discussing his 39-year-old company's history and high points, including a pivotal moment in 2000 when he attended Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program to sharpen his management and leadership skills. Professors there found his company, The Newtron Group, to be so advanced in its commitment to employees and the social good that they wanted to travel to Baton Rouge and make it a case study. By then, companies like Ben & Jerry's and Whole Foods Market had established a precedent for “conscious capitalism” by prioritizing charitable donations and shared management. The Newtron Group, it seemed to the Harvard educators, went even further. “I told them to forget it. They would have screwed it up,” recalls Thomas, 68.
The 14th annual Day of the Mentor will be held Oct. 26 at the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators on Florida Boulevard. This event brings awareness to the service of mentoring and motivates community members to get involved. Volunteers are needed to be mentors for the day and also to help with the logistics of the event—greeting guests and assisting with food service, set up and take down. For more information, contact Laurie Hardison at 388-9737 or events@bigbuddyprogram.org.
The largest fundraiser in the state takes place this month boasting a brand new look. Hollydays, the Junior League of Baton Rouge's annual market, has long been a regional favorite. Four days of holiday shopping raises as much as $500,000 each year for community projects that affect 300,000 lives in the Capital Region. But for the hardworking women of the Junior League, that success is not enough. The 2012 Hollydays steering committee revamped a classic to attract new patrons and offer a fresh experience for those who have shopped here before.
Junior Achievment's Finance Park helps middle-school students better understand personal financial decision-making through experiential, real-life simulation. When students visit the Finance Park, they are assigned a life scenario that includes a job, salary and family situation. They then learn how to construct and adhere to a personal budget. Volunteers are needed to guide students through this process. Program participants meet Sept. 26 to Nov. 2 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Contact Paula Bradley at 928-7008 or pbradley@jabatonrouge.com for more information.
When Shannon and Michael Diamond attended Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge's Capital Chefs' Showcase in 2009, they knew they were in for a night of good food benefiting a great cause.
A new study released this morning focusing on the generosity of Americans shows Louisianans—and Southerners in general—are living up to their reputation as people who make a point to give to charitable causes. The study by The Chronicle of Philanthropy finds that residents in states where religious participation is higher than the rest of the nation, particularly in the South, gave the greatest percentage of their discretionary income to charity. Louisiana ranks No. 13 among the states and for most charitable giving by percentage of annual income, at 5.3%. By that same measure, Baton Rouge ranks No. 104 among 366 metro areas in the U.S., with the average resident giving 5.4% of their income to charitable causes. New Orleans ranks No. 165 on the list, with its residents giving 4.7% of their income. Monroe has the state's highest ranking of any metro—at No. 17, with a 7.6% average. The study was based on Internal Revenue Service records of people who itemized...
The first time Sue Turner visited famed African-American artist Frank Hayden on the Southern University campus more than three decades ago, he introduced her to his students as his sister.
One day of instruction with the American Red Cross will prepare you to do volunteer work needed in the event of a hurricane or other large disaster. Register and receive your free training Saturday, July 14, beginning at 9 a.m. at the American Red Cross office on Sherwood Common Boulevard. The daylong course will ready you to help out in a shelter. The minimum age: 14 with parental supervision. A separate training session is held for health professionals, who are needed to provide essential health care in shelters, offer health education, and support the thousands of volunteers who provide care to those affected by disasters. Sign up at batonrouge.redcross.org/hurricane-training or call 291-4533.
Less united
Almost two dozen local nonprofits are getting less money from Capital Area United Way this year as the organization struggles with a drop in donations.
Nonprofit turns to crowdsourcing to fill funding gap
Like many nonprofit organizations in the Capital Region, Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge is being forced to look for innovative ways to raise money after suffering a major slash in funding from the Capital Area United Way. After seeing CAUW funding for its Dedicated Dads program cut to $280 this year, compared to almost $50,000 last year, Family Road is turning to an unconventional source: crowdsourcing. The organization is launching a fundraising campaign on the crowdsourcing website Indiegogo, hoping to generate $15,000 between today and Father's Day, June 16. "Everyone who received cuts from United Way is facing the reality that organizations have to be creative and innovative in new ways of approaching services and providing the revenue for programs that are needed in the community," says Dena Morrison, CEO of Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge. "For us, it means we have to look at a variety of ways of funding necessary programs and increasing collaboration and partnerships."...
Making connections
Stay involved in the community this month through camps, races, hands-on service and more.
Many charities see Capital Area United Way funding cut
Almost two dozen local charity programs are getting less money from Capital Area United Way this year as the organization struggles with a drop in donations. Capital Region agencies this year will receive $1.2 million less than what was allocated to them last year by CAUW. In a summary of its allocations released recently, the nonprofit lists 47 agencies and 113 programs that will be getting funds this year. That's down three agencies and 17 programs from last year. Kendall Hebert, spokeswoman for the Capital Area United Way, says that while donations are down this year, the agency is working to share its story with potential donors and to encourage local businesses to be generous with their contributions. "Even though it may be hard for some, think about the hardships you may incur right now with the economy the way it is," Hebert says. "Then think about those who are already struggling, and it's even harder for them." The reduction in CAUW funding comes at a time when area...
Capital Area United Way selects a new leader
Darrin Goss Sr. has been selected as the new president and CEO of the Capital Area United Way, the organization's board of directors announced today. Goss, who will take over the position July 1, comes to Baton Rouge from the United Way of Greenville County in South Carolina, where he's been vice president of community impact since 2007. He will take over from Richard Williams, who has served as interim president and CEO for about the past year. CAUW Board Chair Christy Reeves says Goss "embodies the mission of United Way," and calls him "the ideal choice" to take over in Baton Rouge. Goss holds a degree in psychology from Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C., and he's also a veteran of the U.S. Army. "I am excited about the opportunity to join the Baton Rouge community and the Capitol Area United Way," Goss says in a prepared statement. CAUW has more details here.
'225 Weekender': Dancing for Big Buddy at PMAC Saturday
Local celebrities will dance the night away Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for the 2013 edition of Dancing for Big Buddy. Modeled after the hit ABC show Dancing with the Stars, this event features local stars competing through various dance styles, to benefit a good cause. Salsa, the tango, swing—they're some of the dance genres whose moves will inspire you, too, from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Some of the dancers slated to compete are LSU Women's Basketball coach Nikki Caldwell, Mestizo owner Jim Urdiales, WBRZ anchor Rosa Flores. Tickets are $10. More information and full list of local celebrity dancers can be found here.
Rally at the State Capitol for Food Bank Association today
The Louisiana Food Bank Association will hold a rally at the State Capitol at 10 a.m. today to lobby on behalf of an amendment to House Bill 1 to provide $5 million to the association. The money will be used to purchase food from state farmers, fishermen, manufacturers and vendors for the hundreds of thousands of men, women, children and seniors in Louisiana who live with food insecurity. Displays and presentations will begin at 9 a.m.
Dining Out For Life tonight
Local restaurants will participant in the Dining Out For Life national event tonight. Five participating restaurants—Bistro Byronz, California Pizza Kitchen, Mestizos, Monjunis and Stroubes—will donate 25% of their lunch or dinner sales to the HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two (HAART).
2013 Best Dressed
Fashion and philanthropy strike a deep chord in the 2013 Best Dressed honorees. These trendsetters—selected by the American Cancer Society of Baton Rouge's host committee, Victory—will be fêted at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium on April 13, with proceeds from the event benefiting the local chapter of ACS. Prior to their turn on the runway, this year's honorees sat down with inRegister to dish on their favorite ensembles, best fashion secrets and even the clothing memories they'd like to forget. Be inspired by this well-heeled group. They look good while doing good works.
Hope for Hemophilia
Jonathan James is determined to make his life count. He is one of the rare survivors of hemophilia over the age of 30 who did not contract HIV or a form of hepatitis due to unfiltered blood transfusions during childhood.
The power of many
Put a joyful spring in your step by helping others in our community cultivate a healthy lifestyle. When you get involved with any of these events and organizations, you'll make a valued difference in someone's life.
Baton Rouge Kidney Walk Saturday at Pennington
The seventh annual Baton Rouge Kidney Walk takes place this Saturday at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. You can walk in the free event, 8 a.m.-noon, while supporting general education about kidney health and the urgent need for donors. Online registration is available; for more information, visit the National Kidney Foundation website.
Spring into action
Do you love to get out in nature? Volunteer for Rockin' at the Swamp at BREC's Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center. This fun-filled event offers visitors the opportunity to explore the vast world of geology, and includes activities and displays about rocks, gemstones, minerals and fossils. Volunteers may serve in the Stone Craft Corner, Treasure Trail, Gold Mine, or at the check-in table. This event will be held on March 9 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact Tonya Dixon at 272-9200, ext. 446, or at volunteer@brec.org for more information.
Labors of love
Spread kindness in the community by mentoring or tutoring youth, or by volunteering at BREC’s monthly social for adults with disabilities.
Lions and gazelles
"Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. This gazelle knows it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed.
CAUW on the hunt for new CEO
The Capital Area United Way is advertising for a permanent CEO, more than eight months after former CEO Karen Profita resigned from the non-profit agency following a three-year tenure that was marked by successes in the areas of fundraising and public relations but also by internal turmoil and high staff turnover. Retired Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana executive Richard Williams has served as interim CEO since Profita's departure in May and is being encouraged by the board of directors to apply for the permanent position. According to a post on the agency's website, the CEO of the CAUW reports to the board and must have at least seven years of successful and responsible leadership experience in a large and diverse organization. The deadline for applications is Feb. 19. A spokesman for the agency declined to comment, but says the agency will release an official statement later tonight detailing the search process. —Stephanie Riegel
United Way wary of tax changes for charitable giving
The cliff-avoiding tax bill Congress approved Tuesday carries limits on personal exemptions and itemized deductions for individuals who make more than $250,000 and couples who make more than $300,000, a fact that concerns groups that benefit from charitable giving. "It could affect [donors'] willingness to make contributions to nonprofit organizations," says Capital Area United Way interim CEO Richard Williams. "We've been watching that fairly closely." According to a survey by United Way Worldwide, which has been lobbying to preserve the charitable tax deduction, roughly three out of 10 Americans say they would give less to charity if the tax deduction was reduced or eliminated. As The Wall Street Journal reports, a coalition of nonprofit groups called the Alliance for Charitable Reform says lawmakers should consider excluding charitable-donation...
For the public good
Partner, Taylor Porter
Be the present
The Salvation Army toy drive will dispense gifts to close to 5,000 children in the community this holiday season. Volunteers are needed for set up and organization of the toy distribution site at the Walmart on Plank Road in Baker, taking place Dec. 3-8, 10-14 and 15 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Volunteers may also work Dec. 18-20 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., when the toys are actually distributed. On Dec. 21, however, toy distribution will be held at the Salvation Army thrift store in Gonzales. To learn more about all Salvation Army service opportunities this Christmas season, contact LaGuardia Collins at 355-4483 or laguardia_collins@uss.salvationarmy.org.
A firm foundation
The glare from his huge Super Bowl ring threatens to blind onlookers as LSU alum and New York Giants cornerback Corey Webster projects it on the large screen inside LSU’s Bo Campbell Auditorium. But the bling of his ring isn’t the only thing that catches their attention on a warm June evening. A hush falls over the freshman and sophomore LSU athletes there to listen to Webster speak about “protecting their brand.”
Sevetri Wilson
Wilson has a master's in history from LSU and she looks to continue to make history in Baton Rouge as a nonprofit management consultant. After working at Louisiana CASA, Wilson helped start Tyrus Thomas' foundation and later her own company in 2009. Her company continues to expand—both in number of clients and office space—as it moves into the former offices of the Downtown Development District. Solid Ground Innovations will take the ideas of a client and put them into practice, or help a client come up with ideas to benefit the community.
Entrepreneur Newton Thomas makes his boldest move yet: leaving his company to charity
Dressed in a golf shirt and shorts on a fall weekday morning, Newton Thomas leans back in a conference room chair to a gravity-defying degree. His face is tanned and his grin is conspiratorial. He has been discussing his 39-year-old company's history and high points, including a pivotal moment in 2000 when he attended Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program to sharpen his management and leadership skills. Professors there found his company, The Newtron Group, to be so advanced in its commitment to employees and the social good that they wanted to travel to Baton Rouge and make it a case study. By then, companies like Ben & Jerry's and Whole Foods Market had established a precedent for "conscious capitalism" by prioritizing charitable donations and shared management. The Newtron Group, it seemed to the Harvard educators, went even further. "I told them to forget it. They would have screwed it up," recalls Thomas, 68. His smile broadens as he raises his hand to make his...
Establishing a supporting organization appeals to some donors
Supporting organizations like the one established by Newton Thomas at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation are tax-exempt entities not controlled by founders or principle donors. The organizations qualify as public charities, not private foundations, because they are situated within community foundations. Currently, there are 11 such entities at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, including the Wilbur Marvin Foundation Supporting Organization, which in 1992 was the first to be established. Supporting organizations can be effective alternatives to private foundations, which require extensive administrative support, and donor-advised funds, which can't operate existing companies in the manner a supporting organization can.
The grand plan
Dressed in a golf shirt and shorts on a fall weekday morning, Newton Thomas leans back in a conference room chair to a gravity-defying degree. His face is tanned and his grin is conspiratorial. He has been discussing his 39-year-old company's history and high points, including a pivotal moment in 2000 when he attended Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program to sharpen his management and leadership skills. Professors there found his company, The Newtron Group, to be so advanced in its commitment to employees and the social good that they wanted to travel to Baton Rouge and make it a case study. By then, companies like Ben & Jerry's and Whole Foods Market had established a precedent for “conscious capitalism” by prioritizing charitable donations and shared management. The Newtron Group, it seemed to the Harvard educators, went even further. “I told them to forget it. They would have screwed it up,” recalls Thomas, 68.
There’s more to be done
The 14th annual Day of the Mentor will be held Oct. 26 at the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators on Florida Boulevard. This event brings awareness to the service of mentoring and motivates community members to get involved. Volunteers are needed to be mentors for the day and also to help with the logistics of the event—greeting guests and assisting with food service, set up and take down. For more information, contact Laurie Hardison at 388-9737 or events@bigbuddyprogram.org.
Market trend
The largest fundraiser in the state takes place this month boasting a brand new look. Hollydays, the Junior League of Baton Rouge's annual market, has long been a regional favorite. Four days of holiday shopping raises as much as $500,000 each year for community projects that affect 300,000 lives in the Capital Region. But for the hardworking women of the Junior League, that success is not enough. The 2012 Hollydays steering committee revamped a classic to attract new patrons and offer a fresh experience for those who have shopped here before.
Remembering Betty
Baton Rouge is a violent city. Some years, its rate of murders per capita ranks among the nation's highest.
Do good, feel good
Junior Achievment's Finance Park helps middle-school students better understand personal financial decision-making through experiential, real-life simulation. When students visit the Finance Park, they are assigned a life scenario that includes a job, salary and family situation. They then learn how to construct and adhere to a personal budget. Volunteers are needed to guide students through this process. Program participants meet Sept. 26 to Nov. 2 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Contact Paula Bradley at 928-7008 or pbradley@jabatonrouge.com for more information.
Serving up support
When Shannon and Michael Diamond attended Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge's Capital Chefs' Showcase in 2009, they knew they were in for a night of good food benefiting a great cause.
Average Baton Rougean gives 5.4% of income to charity, study says
A new study released this morning focusing on the generosity of Americans shows Louisianans—and Southerners in general—are living up to their reputation as people who make a point to give to charitable causes. The study by The Chronicle of Philanthropy finds that residents in states where religious participation is higher than the rest of the nation, particularly in the South, gave the greatest percentage of their discretionary income to charity. Louisiana ranks No. 13 among the states and for most charitable giving by percentage of annual income, at 5.3%. By that same measure, Baton Rouge ranks No. 104 among 366 metro areas in the U.S., with the average resident giving 5.4% of their income to charitable causes. New Orleans ranks No. 165 on the list, with its residents giving 4.7% of their income. Monroe has the state's highest ranking of any metro—at No. 17, with a 7.6% average. The study was based on Internal Revenue Service records of people who itemized...
Rough cuts to LSU hospitals
Even more so than political corruption, what has set Louisiana apart from other states is its extensive network of state-run charity hospitals.
The art of giving
The first time Sue Turner visited famed African-American artist Frank Hayden on the Southern University campus more than three decades ago, he introduced her to his students as his sister.
A community of caring
One day of instruction with the American Red Cross will prepare you to do volunteer work needed in the event of a hurricane or other large disaster. Register and receive your free training Saturday, July 14, beginning at 9 a.m. at the American Red Cross office on Sherwood Common Boulevard. The daylong course will ready you to help out in a shelter. The minimum age: 14 with parental supervision. A separate training session is held for health professionals, who are needed to provide essential health care in shelters, offer health education, and support the thousands of volunteers who provide care to those affected by disasters. Sign up at batonrouge.redcross.org/hurricane-training or call 291-4533.