Partner Agencies & Programs

Backpack Extravaganza
The Backpack Extravaganza targets children and families from low-income households.  Target age/grades are Kindergarden to 12th grade students who reside in St. John the Baptist Parish. 1000 free backpacks, school supplies and hygiene kits are given to St. John the Baptist Parish (East and West Banks) students each year.

Boy Scouts of America  504-889-0388
Open to boys and young men ages 6-18.  Provides training and oversight to adult volunteers for the delivery of character building and skill development for success in the real world. Includes the areas of leadership, good citizenship, outdoor education, personal fitness, team building, and family involvement.

Cancer Association of GNO  1-800-624-2039
Assists St. John residents with prescriptions, co-pays and supplies for those currently fighting cancer. Also provides preventative and educational services (early detection, stress management, prevention of cancer, and services relating to tobacco and marijuana) and also allocates funds for research.

Catholic Charities  985-652-0021
St. John Counseling Solutions - Provides affordable mental health counseling to individuals seeking therapy, but may not be able to afford it. The program utilizes master’s level, licensed professional counselors as well as provisionally licensed professional counselors to provide these much-needed services in St. John Parish.

Child Advocacy Services  985-536-8384
Provides advocacy and clinical services to children and families, community education/prevention classes, as well as other services supporting its mission to "...give voice, healing and security to children".

Dolly Parton Imagination Library
St. John United Way partners with Dolly Parton Imagination Library and our generous donors to provide one free age appropriate book each month, to their home, for all St. John Parish children from age birth to five.

Girl Scouts Louisiana East 504-733-8220
Open to girls ages 5-18. Girl Scouts helps prepare girls for future roles as professional women and active citizens. The program model, known as the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, is designed for girls to take the lead and make decisions, steer their own course, and exercise leadership in a variety of arenas (including STEM).

GNO Therapeutic Riding Center  504-466-9960
Horse Assisted Therapy for disabled children and adults.

Louisiana Splash and Water Safety
Provides water safety classes, swim lessons, water aerobics and water activities for all ages and abilities. They target special needs, adults, kids, first responders and water safety consulting.

Metropolitan Centers for Community Advocacy  504-837-5400
Metropolitan Centers for Community Advocacy provides wrap-around services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Modesty 504-322-0570
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving ladies in South Louisiana with a mission to Restore Lives, Meet Needs, and Bring Change. “Redefine” supports their mentorship and leadership programs as well as enrichment classes. The mentorship program caters to the development of junior high and high school aged young ladies.

New Wine Development Corporation/STEM 985-653-0008
NWDC works to enhance the quality of life of individuals and families in need in the River Parish region by providing positive youth development through summer camp and before and after school programs.  New Wine also offers emergency and transitional housing. They assist with disaster recovery, as well as, health and wellness programs and initiatives. NWDC's Before & Aftercare STEM program is designed to provide Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to students attending St. John the Baptist Parish schools, specifically, those 5 to 13 years of age.

NFL Character Playbook
The National Football League (NFL) and St. John United Way are partnering by making Character Playbook, a digital resource educating students about healthy relationships, available to all St. John Public schools free of charge. Designed for students in grades seven through nine, Character Playbook, developed and administered by digital education leader EVERFI, reports that over the past three years, nearly 500,000 middle school students, nationwide, have accessed the curriculum for personal development. The course has also raised students' expectations about healthy relationship dynamics. Upon completion of the course, the majority of students say they feel prepared to play a positive role in their communities whether by stepping in to help someone who is being treated with disrespect or by taking an active role in conflict resolution.  Additionally, schools that teach character education report higher academic performance, improved attendance, reduced violence, have fewer disciplinary issues, a reduction in substance abuse and less vandalism.

Red Cross  985-785-0647
Emergency disaster services, both natural or manmade. Provides relief to victims of disasters, and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Responds to home fires by assisting families with temporary shelter, food, clothing, and counseling.

Respite Care Services  985-785-0971
Provided through the Arc of St. Charles, respite care services are designed to provide relief to caregivers to spend time away from the family member requiring extensive attention.  The caregiver has the opportunity to attend appointments, engage in recreational activities, run errands or simply rest.  Services can vary and are based on individual needs.

Second Harvest of GNO  504-734-1322
Second Harvest provides food assistance to over 262,000 individuals in 23 parishes throughout South Louisiana through a network of over 240 community based organizations.  The mission is to lead the fight against hunger in South Louisiana through food distribution, advocacy, education and disaster response.

Special Olympics Louisiana  985-345-6644
Provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for all children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

St. John Ministry of Care  985-652-2729
Ministry of Care provides temporary crisis assistance to families living in St. John Parish in the areas of Utility Assistance, Food Assistance, Medicine Assistance, Rental Assistance & Referrals to other agencies.

St. John Theatre 985-536-6630
Funds support the St. John Theatre Workshops to expose low income kids to the performing arts. Through this exposure they become more confident and expressive. These are qualities that will enhance their personal and academic pursuits, causing each child to become a well-rounded member of the community.

STEM - St. John
This program will work to grow future Innovators, Creators and Entrepreneurs through STEM inspiration, engagement and exposure leading to 21st Century opportunities through a cradle to career pipeline. Targets all K-12 students in St. John Parish.

Via Link Information and Referral   2-1-1 or 1-800-749-2673  (Crisis Line)
Provides health and human services related information and referrals, crisis intervention and suicide prevention counseling 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, including help in times of disasters and emergencies. Callers are referred to appropriate community resources to meet their needs.

Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana, Inc.  504-482-2130
Provides labor and materials to build wheelchair ramps and home accessibility repairs for low-income, elderly, and disabled residents of St. John Parish.