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IntroductionIntroduction

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Thibodaux Region (Region 3)Thibodaux Region (Region 3)

AscensionAscension AssumptionAssumption Lafourche Lafourche St. CharlesSt. Charles St. JamesSt. James St. JohnSt. John St. MarySt. Mary TerrebonneTerrebonne

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Thibodaux RegionThibodaux Region

ParishParish AscensionAscension AssumptionAssumption

Lafourche Lafourche St. CharlesSt. Charles

St. JamesSt. James St. JohnSt. John St. MarySt. Mary TerrebonneTerrebonne

Poverty RatePoverty Rate 14.7%14.7% 27.5%27.5% 20.5%20.5% 14.8%14.8% 26.1%26.1% 20.3%20.3% 30.0%30.0% 23.1%23.1%

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Organizers & Regional Team MembersOrganizers & Regional Team Members

AscensionAscension: Laura Crochet; LBC Consultants; Gbenga Bello, Ascension Parish Mgr, : Laura Crochet; LBC Consultants; Gbenga Bello, Ascension Parish Mgr, OFSOFS

AssumptionAssumption: Bedar Warren, Dir. Assumption DHCD; Kathy Hall, Assumption Parish : Bedar Warren, Dir. Assumption DHCD; Kathy Hall, Assumption Parish Mgr. OFSMgr. OFS

LafourcheLafourche: Gail Duet, President Lafourche Prevention Partnership; Sharon Gauthe, : Gail Duet, President Lafourche Prevention Partnership; Sharon Gauthe, Dir. BISCO; Jessica Oliva, LCSW, OPH; Peggy Arceneaux, Early STEPS Coor. OPHDir. BISCO; Jessica Oliva, LCSW, OPH; Peggy Arceneaux, Early STEPS Coor. OPH

St. CharlesSt. Charles: Cory Turner, Community Resource Coor. Div. of Probation and Parole : Cory Turner, Community Resource Coor. Div. of Probation and Parole DOC, Jean Reeves, St. Charles Parish Mgr. OFSDOC, Jean Reeves, St. Charles Parish Mgr. OFS

St. JamesSt. James: Diane Braithwaite, President LA Association of Community Action : Diane Braithwaite, President LA Association of Community Action Partnerships; Rick Becnel, St. James Parish Mgr OFSPartnerships; Rick Becnel, St. James Parish Mgr OFS

St. JohnSt. John: Dean Torres, Executive Director, St. John United Way ; Rick Becnel, St. : Dean Torres, Executive Director, St. John United Way ; Rick Becnel, St. John Parish Mgr. OFSJohn Parish Mgr. OFS

St. MarySt. Mary: Almetra Franklin, CEO St. Mary - Vermilion Community Action Agency; : Almetra Franklin, CEO St. Mary - Vermilion Community Action Agency; Martha Longman, St. Mary Parish Mgr. OFSMartha Longman, St. Mary Parish Mgr. OFS

TerrebonneTerrebonne: Mark Delaune, Supr. Div. of Probation and Parole DOC: Laura Crochet : Mark Delaune, Supr. Div. of Probation and Parole DOC: Laura Crochet LBC Consultants; Bonnie Rehage, Asst. Parish Mgr. Terrebonne Parish OFSLBC Consultants; Bonnie Rehage, Asst. Parish Mgr. Terrebonne Parish OFS

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Diane Braithwaite, President- LA Association of Community Action Diane Braithwaite, President- LA Association of Community Action PartnershipsPartnerships

Dean Torres, Executive Director- St. John United WayDean Torres, Executive Director- St. John United Way

Jessica Oliva, LCSW- OPHJessica Oliva, LCSW- OPH

Anne Perry- DOEAnne Perry- DOE

Robert Ledet, Regional Manager Thibodaux Region OFSRobert Ledet, Regional Manager Thibodaux Region OFS

Mark Delaune, Supervisor Division Of Probation and Parole DOCMark Delaune, Supervisor Division Of Probation and Parole DOC

Paula Kane, Community Specialist Thibodaux Region OFSPaula Kane, Community Specialist Thibodaux Region OFS

Organizers & Regional Team Organizers & Regional Team MembersMembers

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Priority Community Priority Community Conversation Issue AreasConversation Issue Areas

1.1. Enhancing EducationEnhancing Education

2.2. Enhancing Employment and Economic DevelopmentEnhancing Employment and Economic Development

3.3. Enhancing Community AssetsEnhancing Community Assets

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Education Issues & SolutionsEducation Issues & Solutions

Issues

• Excessive dropout rates

• Awareness of varied career options at the high school level and timely access to support services or programs

• Life skills training for school-aged and adult populations

Solutions

• Develop intervention teams for at risk students and families consisting of all appropriate community partners

• Develop collaborations between private, public enterprises and education

• Coordinate efforts to increase opportunities for family and adult literacy & life skills programs

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Employment/Economic Employment/Economic Development Issues andDevelopment Issues and Solutions Solutions

Issues

• Education & Economic coordination and collaboration

• One-stop shops for multiple community programs

• Community partnerships between public and private enterprises

Solutions

Increase economic development efforts to bring in higher wage paying jobs to increase family self sufficiency

Enhance and expand community resources to conduct outreach programs to increase knowledge of transitional skills to move from minimum wage to self-sufficiency

Improve communication between agencies (private and public sector)

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Community Assets Issues and Community Assets Issues and SolutionsSolutions

Issues

Public awareness and access to community resources including health care

Community public transportation systems

Increased participation of all stakeholders

Solutions

Develop community resource guides for families

Conduct resource map to address quality of life issues

Address perceived barriers to participation in community resources through education and outreach

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Potential Challenges to Potential Challenges to ImplementationImplementation

Lack of fundingLack of funding Lack of public awareness of resourcesLack of public awareness of resources Lack of public transportationLack of public transportation Lack of participation by all stakeholdersLack of participation by all stakeholders Limited education levels in communitiesLimited education levels in communities Lack of buy-in by all stakeholdersLack of buy-in by all stakeholders Lack of local leadership in private, public and education Lack of local leadership in private, public and education

sectorssectors

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Opportunities to Leverage Existing Opportunities to Leverage Existing ResourcesResources

Increase participation by community members, faith-Increase participation by community members, faith-based, public and private enterprises in existing based, public and private enterprises in existing coalitions, partnerships, partnershipscoalitions, partnerships, partnerships

Continue Community ConversationsContinue Community Conversations Publication of community resources guide for distribution Publication of community resources guide for distribution

to all stakeholders and general publicto all stakeholders and general public Analyze existing funding streams between agencies, Analyze existing funding streams between agencies,

private and public sectors to assess opportunities for private and public sectors to assess opportunities for expansion and increased coordination of resourcesexpansion and increased coordination of resources

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S.T.O.P. Action StepsS.T.O.P. Action Steps(Solutions to Overcome Poverty)(Solutions to Overcome Poverty)

Enhance and publicize existing partnerships, Enhance and publicize existing partnerships, collaborations and coalitions to increase community collaborations and coalitions to increase community knowledge of available resources knowledge of available resources

Ensure service providers create welcoming Ensure service providers create welcoming environments for all stakeholders.environments for all stakeholders.

Continue Community Conversations to establish goals Continue Community Conversations to establish goals and objectives for community action in designing and and objectives for community action in designing and monitoring solutions to overcome povertymonitoring solutions to overcome poverty

Use community resources (schools, colleges, etc) to Use community resources (schools, colleges, etc) to conduct transitional life skills programs for familiesconduct transitional life skills programs for families