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

[Westley Annis]

Free Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Screenings on March 18


Students and staff from Charity School of Nursing at Delgado Community College will be at the Community Center of St Bernard, 1111 LeBeau St, Arabi on Friday, March 18 from 10 AM until 4 PM to offer free blood pressure screenings and blood sugar testing. The medical outreach sessions will help raise awareness about the importance of monitoring basic health indicators like blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as enable nursing students to gain valuable hands-on experience serving the community. The medical screenings are free to the public, and no appointment is needed. 

For more information about the programs and services available through Charity School of Nursing, please phone 504.571.1270. For more information about resources available at the Community Center of St Bernard, please phone 504.281.2512 or visit www.ccstb.org 


Income Tax Preparation Help Continues 


Loyola University New Orleans College of Law is once again partnering with the Community Center of St. Bernard, 1111 LeBeau St, Arabi to offer free income tax preparation services and electronic filing services through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). Sessions will be held at the Community Center of St Bernard from 10 AM until 2 PM on the following Saturdays: March 26, April 2 and April 9. No appointment is needed; however, residents are requested to arrive by 1:30 PM to ensure that their tax returns will be able to be completed by 2 PM. 

In order to receive assistance, taxpayers are reminded to bring photo identification and Social Security cards for each person included on their tax returns, as well as any W-2 forms, 1099 forms, Social Security statements and all other tax documents. For further information, please contact the Loyola College of Law VITA Program at 504.861.5668. Loyola's VITA Program is affiliated with the Asset Building Coalition of Southeast Louisiana and the American Bar Association. 


Legal Advice on Oil Spill Claims Available Through April 


Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) will hold weekly Oil Spill outreach hours on Mondays from 10 AM - 4 PM at the Community Center of St. Bernard, 1111 LeBeau St, in Arabi. The sessions will be continue through April 25, 2011. Established in 1979, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services offers low-income people free legal aid for a variety of civil legal issues, including problems with income taxes & predatory home loans.

During the Oil Spill outreach sessions SLLS staff will discuss general questions about the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF) claims process, assist clients with compiling their claims and calculating losses to submit to the GCCF, distribute informational materials about SLLS services and educational materials about the GCCF claims process, and perform intake procedures and set up appointments for clients who wish to discuss their claims, or other legal needs, directly with an attorney.

Although SLLS will answer general questions and distribute education materials to the general public, they are limited to providing direct legal services to those clients whose income is below 200% of the poverty level. These limits are $21,660 annually for a single person, $29,140 for a household of 2, $36,620 for a family of 3, and $44,100 for a family of 4. Clients should bring proof of their income such as a bank statement, social security award letter, or pay stub, in order to qualify for SLLS services. Residents who are not eligible for SLLS assistance will be directed to appropriate partner organizations. No appointment is needed to attend the Oil Spill outreach sessions. For more information, please phone SLLS at 504-340-1381 ext. 29. 


Homework Help Available Every Wednesday in March! 


 <http://portal.mxlogic.com/images/transparent.gif> 


Free Art Workshops on March 18 & April 1 


 <http://portal.mxlogic.com/images/transparent.gif> 

Please note that all children must be accompanied by an adult.


Oil Spill-Affected Residents Receive Free Computers


Thanks to a generous donation from the Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council (CACRC) in Baton Rouge, 25 local residents who have been affected by the oil spill were able to receive free computers at the Community Center of St Bernard on Wednesday, March 2. All of the computers were refurbished Pentium 4 models that included Windows XP Professional SP3, OpenOffice suite, Anti-spyware tools, and Educational games. 

In order to qualify for a computer, residents affected by the oil spill had to complete the first unit of the MoneySmart financial literacy course developed by the FDIC. This unit, entitled Bank on It, explains basic principles of banking, and is intended to help residents learn to manage their finances and use any claims settlements wisely.

Receiving computers on March 2 were Janet Woodward, Angela Hansford, Kelly J Teel, Jr, Deborrah A Dalon, Annette Goutierrez, Melissa Assavedo, Jennifer Kieff, Judy Kieff, Leslie Smith, Sheri Thompson, Audrey Raymond, Clarissa Wilhelm, Billie Hatheway, Ashley Beach, Cecilia Young, Elaine Dominio, David Thompson, Antionette Beasley, Kyle O'Neill, Eddie Knight, Salvador Lara-Rico, David Rodriguez, Natale Benenate, Heidi Countryman, and Tommy Navarino.

The Community Center of St Bernard is pleased to announce that the CACRC has committed to making a second installment of 25 computers available in March. Any residents affected by the oil spill who would like to receive one of these computers should come to the Community Center office at 1111 LeBeau St, Arabi during normal business hours of Monday – Friday 10 AM to 5 PM to register. 

Residents will need to complete the online version of the MoneySmart Bank on It course at the Community Center in order to qualify for a free computer. Computers will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. The deadline for completing the Bank on It course is March 31, or when all 25 of the computers have been given out.

Welcome, Je'Nae! 


The Community Center is very pleased to welcome Je'Nae M. Bailey to our food pantry staff! Je'Nae is a New Orleans native who graduated from Warren Easton High School. She went on to receive her BA from Lane College in Jackson, TN and is now completing course work in both Mass Communications and Criminal Justice. We're very glad to have her with us, and hope she'll enjoy her time at the Community Center of St Bernard! 


Consumer Law Seminar on April 2 


On Saturday April 2, 2011, the Law Offices of Marc R. Michaud will partner with the Community Center of St. Bernard to offer a free seminar focusing on all areas of Consumer Law, including Wrongful Foreclosure, Unfair Credit Reporting and Identity Theft, Unfair and Abusive Debt Collection, as well as general Unfair Trade Practices. The seminar will begin at 1 PM at the Community Center, located at 1111 LeBeau St in Arabi. 

The guest speaker will be Attorney Marc R. Michaud, who has extensive experience working with and against multi national banks and corporations, mortgage lenders and servicers, debt collection agencies and credit reporting bureaus. Since opening his solo law practice, Mr. Michaud recovered over a million dollars for individual clients in cases of identity theft, wrongful foreclosure and unfair and deceptive acts and practices. According to Attorney Michaud, “Since the beginning of what we now call the 'Great Recession,' unscrupulous banks and other lenders have joined their debt collector brethren and have become even more bold in the tactics they employ to squeeze their customers and non-customers alike. And it's only getting worse. It's important for individual consumers to know their rights, and to know how to fight back when necessary." 

Attorney Michaud's presentation will include an overview of the techniques certain banks and collectors use to circumvent established consumer law in order to maximize profit and shareholder value at the individual consumer's expense. Participants will learn what their rights are and how to respond when faced with questionable collection practices. Importantly, Mr. Michaud can and will tailor the seminar to the participants' needs and concerns. 

The Free Consumer Law seminar on April 2nd is open to the public and no reservations are needed. For more information, please call the Law Offices of Marc R. Michaud at 504.267.1657 or go to marcmichaudlaw.com <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?CommunityCenterofStB/de163db931/fb884231b7/d23fa96b91> . 


Tsunami Dance Company Offers Free Children’s Dance Class on April 16


Tsunami Dance Company will offer a free dance class for children ages 8 -12 years old on April 16th, 2011 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM. The class will be held at the Community Center of St Bernard, 1111 LeBeau St, Arabi.

“Our hope is that this class will benefit the children in the community by raising awareness of the New Orleans dance community, offering accessible exposure to the cultural arts, cultivating youth interest in dance, educating kids about modern dance and the creative process, and training students in the art of modern dance,” notes Tsunami Dance Company’s Artistic Director Kettye Voltz.

The free class will offer children a unique dance experience with professional modern dancers and teachers from Tsunami Dance Company, a New Orleans-based modern dance company that incorporates athletic, innovative movement with a dynamic, contemporary style in its original works while encouraging a healthy lifestyle, fun ways to exercise, and a positive outlet for young people.

The two hour class will consist of dance instruction and play, as well as short excerpts from Tsunami Dance’s current repertory, and a question and answer session. No registration is required for the class, but participants should wear comfortable clothes and shoes. For more information, please contact Kettye Voltz, Artistic Director, Tsunami Dance Co, at (504) 865-8810.


Donations needed for Fundraising Auction! 


April 2011 will be the first anniversary of the Gulf Oil Spill, as well as the 5th anniversary of the Community Center 's receiving its status as a 501c3 nonprofit organization. To commemorate these occasions, as well as to raise some much-needed funds so that the Center can continue to assist families in need, the Community Center is going to hold a series of fundraising eBay auctions. 

Right now we need donated items to put up for auction such as gift certificates to your favorite store or restaurant, new electronic or other retail items, and collectibles or antiques. The Center will be happy to provide a donation receipt for tax purposes. If you have anything that might be suitable for the auction, please phone Iray Nabatoff at 504.281.2512. Thank you for your support - with your help, the Center will be able to provide necessities like food, clothes and referrals to the more than 5,300 people who depend on us for help every year!


Want More Community Center news? 


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

http://www.ccstb.org