Mayor Roach has served as the leader of the City of Lake Charles since 2000 and has worked closely with the city and parish governments and other agencies to form partnerships and pool resources that benefit not only the city, but also the entire area of Southwest Louisiana. Through his largesse and that of the city, Catholic Charities receives a grant to “assist those facing eviction from their homes.” A native of Lake Charles, Roach served as the assistant city attorney for Lake Charles from 1985 -1987 and had two terms as state representative from 1988-1996.
The St. Peter Claver Award seeks to honor individuals or organizations who have served those in our community most in need by partnering with the work of Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana. Sometimes these are individuals who are volunteers at the agency, but often they are not. Catholic Charities states as its mission ‘to empower people, in the Spirit of Christ, to respond to the basic needs of the people of Southwest Louisiana.’
Weber, who moved to Lake Charles with his family at age nine, graduated from Landry Memorial High School and McNeese State University. He served as a loyal and dedicated teacher in the science department of Sulphur High School for 35 years. A volunteer in the Catholic Charities food warehouse, Weber “never tires from his work brining food to those who are in need, seeing as his commission, from Matthew 25, feeding those who are hungry.
A member of the Our Lady Queen of Heaven St. Vincent de Paul Society, Weber “works at keeping the warehouse well stocked with boxes to pack the groceries for distribution and can often be seen carrying the boxes to the cars of those who come to us for food. Bob has brought food to other parishes for Catholic Charities and is in charge of picking up donated items from many of the area Churches as well as food which has been donated from community gardens.”
In making her annual “State of Catholic Charities” talk, Trejo spoke of the many paid and unpaid members of the staff. “Each Monday morning the phones in the office ring incessantly with calls from people in need of rent, utility, funeral, medication, or TWIC application fee assistance. These calls are answered by staff and volunteers. Then the calls are screened by two of our volunteers. Rental calls are passed to Shirley Walker, our caseworker, who expertly deals with landlords and the tax assessor’s office. Nearly all of the Utility Assistance calls are handled by Debra Richard and Barbara Leblanc, both volunteers. They take information over the phone and then see the clients in person to determine their eligibility before I pledge their assistance. In 2012, Catholic Charities assisted 133 households with almost $20,000 in utility assistance. This was almost entirely due to the work of volunteers.
Continuing, she said, “At present a program we are putting great energy into is our Beat the Heat Program. With the help of the 4th Degree Knights of Peter Claver Assembly 22 and numerous donors including the City of Lake Charles, we provide window unit air conditioners for individuals 65 years of age and older or for people with disabilities. The Knights install the units in the homes. This program is run totally by volunteers with only paid staff oversight. Last year 82 households received these air conditioner units in four of the five civil parishes in the Diocese.
“Throughout all of the office programs, it is Gloria Hypolite, our office assistant, who manages all with a serenity rarely seen in such a busy place. She calmly keeps all the plates spinning with a smile for everyone.” Trejo noted that the largest number of volunteers can be found in the Food Distribution Program. “Monthly, they come to unload the food truck from Second Harvest of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana,” she said. “That same day, they prepare the food for the volunteers who will come later to pack the food for distribution. The packers, some gathered by Bob Weber each week and some gathered by Lily Zaunbrecher, prepare 310-320 boxes of food for each monthly distribution according to specific packing lists set by their Warehouse Manager, Blanche Landry, who keeps the inventory lists organized. Then, on the day of Distribution, Weber and Bob McCorquodale organize the box distribution, and Debra Richard keeps the paperwork in order for new and returning clients.”
Catholic Charities receives grants for some of the work it does, and Trejo pointed out how grateful they are for the funding.
“However, the majority of the discretionary money that we have to help people comes from people like you attending the Jazz Brunch. By discretionary, I mean that often grants come with stipulations for the geography of the client or the need of the client. For example, a grant may say that we can only help a person in Calcasieu Parish with rent. Then a person comes to us who has found a place to live in Beauregard Parish. This requires that we spend our donated money rather than our grant money.
“Donors have always been quick to meet specific needs as they have arisen,” she continued. “For example, last weekend I learned of a family facing a serious threat to one of the members of the family. They had to move their trailer quickly from its location, and the cost was $2,000. I put out emails and posts. Within a period of four to six hours, the full amount was raised. The family and I want to thank all who donated and who continue to pray for their well-being.”
In concluding, Trejo noted the very important Partners in Hope program of Catholic Charities, which offers people to become involved in the ministry of Catholic Charities on a regular basis. “You can become a part of the solution for not only people like this family, but for others who have desperate needs—a mom with a one-year-old living in her car and working each day to try to earn enough to pay a deposit on a house, for example. With this ongoing and consistent giving from donors, we can help more people each month move from living on the edge of disaster to a place where hope is possible.”
Learn more about Partners in Hope by e-mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., mailing Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana, 1225 Second Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601, or calling 337-439-7436 on Tuesday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
