A Mission of Fulfillment
“All people have the right to learn, to achieve, and, in turn, find dignity and purpose in life. Everything we do at Holy Angels is designed to offer this to each individual we serve.”
About Holy Angels
Since 1965, Holy Angels has served individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Shreveport area. The nonprofit organization offers residential, medical, recreational, and workforce services, and under the leadership of CEO Laurie Boswell, Holy Angels’ staff of more than 280 serves 185 residents, along with 100 participants in the day program each day. The Holy Angels headquarters sits on a sprawling and wooded campus of offices, residences, program facilities, and a chapel.
Residential and Day Programs
The mission of Holy Angels is to offer those it serves “a path to self-fulfillment through education, empowerment, spirituality, independence, and work.” To accomplish this, Holy Angels offers both residential and day programs.
Residential Programs & AngelCare
Holy Angels’ residents are spread throughout thirteen group homes and three dorms, one of which is a retirement dorm for older residents. Each resident’s medical needs are considered when assigning him/her a place to live. Holy Angels’ residents range in age from infancy to retirement age, with some spending much of their lives with Holy Angels. Holy Angels offers its residents a variety of therapeutic services and activities through its AngelCare program. These include occupational therapy, speech therapy, and pet therapy, including horseback riding, exercise programs, and other services.
Day Programs & AngelWorks
In 2012, Holy Angels began offering day programs, comprised primarily of AngelWorks workforce training. AngelWorks offers participants training in one of five service areas: business services, culinary arts, creative arts, horticulture, and Holy Rhino Coffee. A gift shop on Holy Angels’ campus sells baked goods, as well as paintings, crafts, and jewelry created by AngelWorks participants. Shreveport-based Rhino Coffee partners with AngelWorks to employ participants at its coffee roasting and packaging facility. There is even a Holy Rhino blend, which serves as a tribute to Holy Angels.
The Effect on Those They Serve
In the spirit of self-fulfillment, Holy Angels designed the AngelWorks programs to do more than keep participants busy. Holy Angels’ Habilitation Manager Martha Hammock explained that, “It is so meaningful for them to actually create something that is not going to be thrown away, but something that is going to be treasured. AngelWorks gives them a reason to get up every day.” And the AngelCare program adds more than just a bed to the residential program. Its therapeutic services are designed to meet the individual needs of each resident. AngelCare’s services seek to treat the intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual health of each resident.
Going Above and Beyond
Holy Angels’ programs are costly. The majority of funding for Holy Angels’ programs comes from Medicaid, which pays a fixed, per-person dollar amount for each resident and individual enrolled in the day programs. Because Holy Angels is committed to a path of self-fulfillment for each individual, its programs cost more than Medicaid pays, leaving Holy Angels with a $1.5 million shortfall each year. To address the gap, Holy Angels relies on individual and corporate donations and sponsorships, along with other fundraising efforts. Holy Angels has found Louisiana businesses to be ideal partners in workforce partnerships and sponsorships.
Holy Angels believes that a properly trained staff is vital to serving its residents and participants and therefore places much value in staff training. AngelUniversity, the staff training program, provides initial training, continuing education, and career pathways to members of the Holy Angels staff. Holy Angels works to provide upward career mobility for its employees, offering a path for entry level staff to become Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). These training programs, along with everything they do, are designed to improve the lives of those Holy Angels serves.
To learn more about Holy Angels, visit laholyangels.org. If your business would like to start the discussion about getting involved with Holy Angels, contact Kristen Powers at kpowers@laholyangels.org
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