The Louisiana Lighthouse

Did you know that the Greater New Orleans area is suffering from the highest rate of trauma related disorders in the history of our Nation?

Research shows that while mental health problems tend to decrease two years after a disaster, in St. Bernard Parish, a Gulf coast community, the rates of trauma related disorders have continued to increase, and that was before the Gulf oil crisis. Each week hundreds are turned away from counseling centers in St. Bernard Parish alone due to a lack of resources and facilities.

The creation of the Louisiana Lighthouse (LLH) addresses this critical need for the entire region. Through innovative partnerships with the Gathering Counseling Center, the International Association of Healing Rooms, and local Pastors and Church leaders the LLH will become a safe place where people can experience healing. This unique partnership focuses on the total person fostering new support systems and helping reestablish a sense of community for individuals that have lost family, friends, and church homes.

Our licensed counseling staff will provide specialized comprehensive mental health services to individuals and families, and our experienced prayer teams offer ministries, such as Healing Rooms, focusing on physical and spiritual healing of the individual.

The International Association of Healing Rooms serves in 400 US cities helping thousands of people each year without charge, but our chapter needs a centralized location to provide a state office and training facility. The Gathering Counseling Center serves hundreds of clients each year providing more than 40 appointments each week, but the demand is too great for their current facility. But through the donation of an 8,600 sq ft building, the LLH was born and will be the solution to these challenges and allow for future growth of services addressing critical needs in this hard hit area.

Right now we are working on renovating an 800 square foot section that will become our Healing Rooms and counseling offices where people can come an receive inner healing, but we are in need of $17,750 to complete the renovations. Here is the budget for completing this vital project:

• $4,350 Heating and Air Conditioning equipment and installation

• $2,500 Concrete work for new sidewalk and entrance

• $2,000 Create emergency exit per State Fire Marshal

• $2,250 Exterior work

• $750 Interior doors

• $4,200 Interior walls finished and painted

• $1,600 Flooring, molding, and trim

• $200 lighting

Help us bring physical, emotional, and spiritual healing to this region and the State of Louisiana, through a financial contribution. Your tax deductible contributions can help change someone’s life.