Patrick Dufrene
December 6, 2016
Momentum building for field turf in Lafourche
December 7, 2016
As everyone in Terrebonne Parish prepares to spend time with family and open gifts, leaders and organizations are figuring out ways to help our neighbors.
There are a multitude of chances this year for Terrebonne residents to put the old cliché that “it is better to give than to receive” to the test this month. Local clubs, residents and council members are organizing charitable events ranging from races to support cancer charities to toy drives to bring some holiday cheer to needy children.
The events come at a time when more and more people are falling into need in the area. As the price of oil has tumbled from more than $100 per barrel to hovering in between $30-50 for the last two years, the energy sector-dependent local economy has taken a tumble with it, resulting in job loss and more poverty.
According to the most recent U.S. Census data, more Terrebonne Parish residents fell below the poverty line as the global oil glut manifested. In 2012, 16.8 percent of residents were below the poverty level. That figure increased to 17.1 percent the following year before spiking to 18.1 percent in 2014, the year the price of oil fell off of a cliff. Between 2012 and 2014, the number of children below 18 years of age below the poverty line increased from 7,013 to 7,317, an increase from 24.6 to 26 percent in 2014. Though census data is not yet available for 2015 or this year, the economy has continued to shed jobs over the past two years as the oil market has stayed depressed.
To help address this growing issue, the Kiwanis Club of Houma is hosting a kid-centered event to raise money for its other initiatives throughout the year. The club is hosting a breakfast with Santa this Saturday at the Vandebilt Catholic High School Cafeteria from 7 to 11:30 a.m. For a $6 advance ticket or $7 at the door, families can enjoy a meal of pancakes, sausage, coffee, milk and juice. According to Jennifer White, chairwoman of the event, there will also be arts and crafts activities such as bag and ornament decorating for children. Mrs. Claus will be telling different stories throughout the day, and families can pay an extra $5 for a photo with Santa Claus at the breakfast.
The money raised at the breakfast go to different Kiwanis programs such as Coats for Kids, which collects winter coats for needy Terrebonne Parish children, the summer reading program Books for Bikes and the band instrument recycling program for Terrebonne Parish students.
George Robichaux, chairman of Coats for Kids, said the program collects about 1,000 to 1,200 coats per year, with that figure holding steady even as the economy has dipped. Robichaux said collection of the coats has finished this year, with sorting set to begin the night the Times went to press. Local public school teachers are set to collect coats this Friday to distribute at their schools, with the remaining jackets going to the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. Though he had not gone through this year’s supplies, Robichaux was confident in another strong return for 2016.
“We’ve always had a really good response from the public, which is amazing. I used to really worry about it in the past as to whether or not we would collect enough coats, but the people always come through, so I really don’t do much worrying anymore,” Robichaux said.
For those fitness freaks looking to get a little cardio in this Saturday, they can make their workout beneficial to those fighting some of the hardest battles this holiday season. The Ross Mulloolly Project, an initiative started by local college student Ross and carried on by his parents and friends after his death from metastatic rectal cancer, is hosting its Outrunning Cancer 5K on Saturday. The cost is $15 for the children’s one-mile fun run and $25 for the 5K, with free food and drinks, a silent auction and live music after the race. The fun run starts at 10:30 a.m. and the 5K at 11 a.m. at the Downtown Houma Courthouse Square. Proceeds from the event will go to the Patrick Taylor Hope Lodge at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, a charity housing center with 34 suites for out-of-town cancer patients.
Monica Mulloolly, Ross’s mother, said the annual goal for the race is to raise at least $10,000 for Hope Lodge. Last year the project was able to raise over $30,000 for a van to transport patients from the Bayou Region to the center. She said this year’s money could go to a sculpture of a tree at the lodge, partly inspired by a tree Ross sketched before he passed away, which could serve as a fundraising mechanism as contributors pay for dedicated leaves on the sculpture. According to Mulloolly, the lodge is important because it gives a sense of comfort and stability to the patients and their visiting families, noting the effect it had on Ross and his support system when he was ill.
“[Hope Lodge] just became home for us. I didn’t feel I was alone anymore. They had people that had been navigating the way through their treatment for quite some time, and I learned a lot from those families, just seeing how they operated day-to-day. It just meant a lot to us,” Mulloolly said.
Local parish leadership is also sponsoring a number of toy drives for needy children over the next couple of weeks. Councilwoman Arlanda Williams is hosting two toy drives, one in Gray and one in Gibson, in partnership with Toys for Tots. Both events will feature hot dogs and chili, Williams’s favorite snack, and coloring books to go along with toys. The Gray event, in its second year, will be held on Dec. 17 at the Gray Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If there is inclement weather, the toy drive will move to Andrew Price Gym.
The Gibson Toy Drive, in its sixth or seventh year, is at Devon Keller Memorial Gym on Dec. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. According to Williams, baby dolls and bicycles are always the two most popular gifts at the drives. Although she usually goes to local businesses to ask them for donations, Williams said anyone is free to donate, and both new and refurbished bicycles are accepted. She said the Gibson drive usually has about 2-200-250 children and the Gray event has around 300-400. Anyone wishing to donate can contact Williams at (985) 870-0847.
According to Williams, there has been an outpouring of support for getting toys to the children, even in the face of a down economy.
“The community outreach and support has been awesome. I mean, people were calling me in October wanting to volunteer,” Williams said.
Also on Dec. 21, Councilman John Navy is teaming with District Attorney Joe Waitz, Parish President Gordon Dove and Toys for Tots and others for a toy giveaway at the Mechanicville Gym from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Navy said the event will feature “about 100 bikes and a whole bunch of toys” for the children in the area. Anyone looking to contribute can donate to the Terrebonne Parish Children’s Advocacy Center or they could just purchase a gift or a bike to the event. Navy said stores such as Academy Sports and Outdoors may be offering discounts on bikes, and retailers like Target and Wal-Mart are involved in the giveaway. According to Navy, event organizers are aware of the struggles locals face, so any little donation would help those in need. He said the giveaway always touches him in a way the day-to-day job of leading the parish cannot.
“I’m a big kid at heart, man. I still like Disneyland, so I really love to see that. It makes me feel like I’m part of something way better than politics and all the other stuff. It makes me feel like I’m part of something that’s special,” Navy said. •
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