[StBernard] September News from the Community Center of St Bernard

[Westley Annis]

We're Moving!!! 


The Community Center of St Bernard will have a new location effective October 1, 2010. We aren't going far; our new building is at 1111 LeBeau St in Arabi, just next door to our current location at 1107 LeBeau. Our email, phone and fax information will remain the same. Please make a note of the new address and use it for all correspondence starting immediately. 

In order to make the move, the Community Center will close at 5 PM on Monday, September 27. We will reopen at 9 AM on Monday, October 4. Volunteers are needed to help us move our equipment on Tuesday September 28 through Friday October 1. If you have some free time during those days, please phone our office at 504.281.2512 and let us know when you can help. 

After we make the move, all of our programs will remain the same, except for our laundry which will be shut down effective September 24. The Food Stamps office and the Food Pantry and Clothing Bank will run as usual. However, anyone who is enrolled in the Food Pantry will now need to schedule a time to come for their food box. Please see Food Pantry Manager Krystle Johnson as soon as possible if you are a member of the Mustard Seed Food Pantry and you have not yet selected a time to get your food box each week.

While the programs and the schedule will stay the same, the layout for the Center will undergo some big changes after the move. Here's a diagram of the new facility showing where services will be located beginning on October 4. 

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We invite everyone to stop by our new location and see some of the changes that are going on as the Community Center continues to grow and develop. The Community Center of St Bernard has been proudly serving St Bernard residents since 2007, and we look forward to many more years helping families here in 'da Parish'. We'd like to extend a sincere THANK YOU to everyone who has supported us over the years, and we hope to see you all at our new campus! 


Holiday Hours 


The Community Center will be closed on Monday, October 11, 2010 for Columbus Day.


Welcome, AmeriCorps Members!


The Community Center of St Bernard is very pleased to welcome two new AmeriCorps Louisiana Delta Service Corps members, Ben Trussell and Alyssa Beck.

Alyssa is originally from Minneapolis, MN, and graduated from Seton Hall University with a degree in Biology. Alyssa was a work/study student for Seton Hall's Division of Volunteer Efforts where she was involved in many volunteer programs and activities, and she participated in service trips to El Salvador and Haiti. 

Ben joins us from Oregon where he graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the University of Oregon in Eugene. As a student Ben served as a peer advisor, and this experience led him to pursue an opportunity with AmeriCorps after graduation. 

Alyssa and Ben will be helping St Bernard residents through direct service in the Community Center's Food Pantry and the Mustard Seed Clothing Bank over the coming year. They'll also be recruiting and overseeing volunteers, doing community outreach, and representing the Center at community events. 

The Center is also glad to have another AmeriCorps VISTA member with us. Ben Brubaker recently graduated from Tulane University with a BA in Philosophy and African-Diaspora Studies. For the last 4 years, Ben has been the director of a New Orleans based organization called "Hip-Hop for Hope", which has helped raise over $21,000 for local educational programming. As an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Community Center, Ben hopes to contribute as much as possible to the Community Center through his work wiith social media and fundraising campaigns.

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We'd like to extend all of our AmeriCorps members a warm welcome to St Bernard Parish, and we know they'll have a great time while they're here! (Left to right, Ben Brubaker, Alyssa Beck, Ben Trussell). 


Second-Hand Books Needed! 


The Community Center is looking for donations of used books to put in our reading area and give out to local residents. Books should be suitable for children and families to enjoy and should be in average condition (no mildew, missing covers, or missing pages). Hardcover and paperback are both fine. Books can be dropped off at the Community Center of St Bernard, 1111 LeBeau St, Arabi from 9AM - 5 PM on Monday - Friday. THANK YOU! 


Just 2 Weeks Left to Vote for Iray! 


The Community Center is proud to announce that Executive Director Iray Nabatoff has been nominated for the 2010 Jewish Community Heroes Campaign. The Jewish Community Hero Award honors those making strides to repair the world, starting in their own communities. The campaign, organized by The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), celebrates the selflessness and courage of those who put others before themselves. 

Until October 8, 2010, anyone across North America can go online, submit nominations and vote for the real candidates they believe best embody the spirit of the award. The Hero of the Year will be provided with grant to be used as an investment in their community project or non-profit effort via his or her local Jewish Federation, or another recognized 501(c)3 charitable entity or Canadian equivalent, and he or she will be invited to and recognized at the 2010 JFNA/Federation General Assembly in New Orleans. 

The remaining four finalists will receive a smaller amount to be used as an investment in their community project or non-profit effort via their local Jewish Federations, or recognized 501(c)3 charitable entities or Canadian equivalent. 

You may cast one vote per Hero every 12 hours from now through October 8, so please take a moment to vote now at: 

http://www.jewishcommunityheroes.org/nominees/profile/iray-nabatoff/ <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/ba842cb8df> 

and then pass on the link.


THANK YOU for your vote and support! 


School Clothes and Backpacks help St Bernard Families!


The Community Center of St Bernard would like to extend a sincere Thank You to Lianna and Kevin Gardner and their parents. When they heard about the Gulf Oil spill, Lianna and Kevin were worried about how children from fishing families would be able to afford school supplies while their families were out of work. 

Even though they are only 5 and 6 years old, Lianna and Kevin were determined to do something to help. They came up with the idea of a clothing drive to collect school clothes and supplies. Thanks to lots of support from their parents and the local community, they were able to send around 250 pounds of clothing and more than 20 backpacks with school supplies to the Community Center where they given out to local children at the Mustard Seed Clothing Bank just in time for the new school year. Thanks again, Lianna and Kevin - you're thoughtfulness and generosity are very much appreciated! 


Your Holiday Shopping can help the Community Center


Hard to believe, but it's already time to start thinking about the holidays! This year, you can make a real difference to families still working to recover from the Gulf Oil Spill and hurricane Katrina while you mark off your shopping list. It's easy - just choose a gift from the Community Center's online store www.zazzle.com/billyccstb <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/b88f0a5ac4> . There are a lot of great items to choose from, like t-shirts, hats, mugs and more for all tastes and budgets!

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T-shirts are available in a wide range of colors and styles for all ages, with prices starting at just $12.95. Or pick up a bumper sticker for just $3.95! 10% of all sales benefit the Community Center of St Bernard. With your help, the Community Center will be able to provide essential services like food, clothes, hot meals and other assistance to St Bernard residents in 2010 and beyond.

Thank you for your support! 


Want More Community Center news? 


Check out our website, Facebook, Twitter and other online links: 

http://www.ccstb.org <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/55afe19dd5> 
http://www.facebook.com/ccstb <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/c4f0b0bd12> 
http://www.twitter.com/ccstb <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/02958f7e53> 
http://www.myspace.com/ccstb <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/d0d315c646> 
http://www.change.org/ccstb <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/95fd8b0fad> 
http://www.ammado.com/nonprofit/ccstb <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/0ee16a9373> 
http://ffon.tumblr.com <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/63cd1add07/fb884231b7/30655d51ec> 


Free Services Available from the CCSTB 


*	Public Phones 
*	Fax Send and Receive 
*	Copying Service 
*	Internet-connected Computers 
*	Food Pantry
*	Clothing Bank 
*	Performance space for local musicians and artists 
*	Computer training classes
*	Space for neighborhood gatherings, community meetings and support groups 
*	Satellite office space for other agencies (legal, medical, food stamps, etc) 
*	Dinner–dances, holiday celebrations, and other family–oriented gatherings