Program areas at New Life Community Development Corp
Our Thankful for Families program began in 2021 and continued in 2022 to provide unrestricted financial support to local low income families overcoming ongoing hardships of the COVID 19 pandemic as well as Hurricane Ida storm damage. 81 families received $250 gift cards totaling $21,000 to assist in fighting ongoing food and housing insecurity and covering other critical expenses.
The New Life Community Health Center was open 100 days supporting 2,330 visits from 203 unique clients including 1,856 showers to homeless neighbors. Forty volunteers served a total of 2,338 hours to deliver this care and to train students and providers.
The New Life Food & Clothing Pantry operated on 51 days providing 892 bags of groceries to local families. Our Homeless Ministry operated on 103 days, preparing and distributing 6,988 meals to a growing number of neighbors living on the street. 26 unique volunteers dedicated time to support distribution of meals and groceries to a total of 230 unique individuals.
Our Success Groups program supported 17 families, restoring community and opportunity through small group cohorts and distributing $39,071 in monthly stipend support, matching grants and emergency cash relief to families at the epicenter of the Covid pandemic. Families invested in their futures by paying for healthcare, expanding small businesses, paying down debt and covering emergency and ongoing expenses as many sources of income were temporarily or permanently reduced or eliminated
Our Young Governors teen leadership development program continued to navigate pandemic conditions with a hybrid structure of some in person as well as virtual meetings. Our class of 2022 marked the 11th year of the program with a class of nine teens and four youth leaders, who combined represent 5 nations and speak 7 languages (including English). Together, they completed training in community organization, conducting needs assessment and designing and executing a community service project that supported unhoused neighbors in the community, with two outreach days engaging and providing supplies to 70 unhoused neighbors.They also engaged elected officials and leaders of other community based organizations to understand root causes of homelessness and join in efforts to combat those issues on the front line and in areas of policy making.