St. Charles Parish Community Action Advisory Board Meeting - January 15, 2026
St. Charles Parish Community Action Advisory Board Meeting - January 15, 2026
Note: The raw transcript dates the meeting as Wednesday, January 14, 2026, but the provided metadata indicates the meeting occurred on January 15, 2026. This summary uses the latter date per instruction.
The meeting was called to order at 5:03 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. A quorum was present. The agenda and minutes were approved by motion.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the agenda and previous meeting minutes (motioned and seconded).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were recorded.
Discussion Items
- Old Business – Alternate for Board Members: The chair reminded members that alternates (e.g., Carol and Donnie) are available to attend meetings if a regular member cannot, and encouraged communication about absences.
- New Board Member – Betty E. Bickham: Zena introduced Betty E. Bickham, a long-time St. Rose community member and participant in St. Rose One Voice. After a brief introduction, a motion was made and seconded to accept Ms. Bickham as a regular board member. The motion passed unanimously.
- Director’s Report (Joan Diaz):
- New year, same services with high demand. The office coordinates with partners like Social Concerns (Carol).
- The budget provided $1,600 for food bank purchases (e.g., cereal, peanut butter, meat, pasta) to supplement donations from Second Harvest. An Entergy donation carried over for food purchases.
- A grant from Entergy funded a $5,000 ice machine for the Kelowna Community Center; currently staff fetch ice from the fire station.
- Improvements at community centers: a propane tank (idea from Darren Dewey) will allow purchase of a commercial gas stove to support the lunch & learn program (now serving 150 meals). At St. Rose, the center is at full capacity with before/after care, tutoring, senior activities, etc.
- Assistance programs face monitoring changes and new federal requirements. LaHEAP funding is static; United Way provided $35,000 for ramps (down from $100,000). St. Charles Borromeo Labor of Love volunteers (led by Dave Caraway) build ramps, steps, and rails, keeping project costs low (e.g., $5,000 ramp done for $2,000 in materials).
- Home repairs: limited to local funds up to $5,000; roofs no longer done due to cost/liability. Partner with Rebuilding Together for larger projects. Example: a home in New Sarpy was demolished via Restore Louisiana after hurricane damage.
- Questions from Board: A board member asked about liability insurance when volunteers work on homes. Diaz explained homeowners sign a waiver; risk management reviews volunteer work. For homeownership, they require the homeowner’s authorization (do not work on rentals). Another member asked about bathroom/kitchen repairs; Diaz said they assess stability and rely on volunteer judgment.
- Monthly Program Report (Sheila):
- LaHEAP: 2025 funds fully expended; 2026 contract signed and mailed. Total program budget $303,306.87 (program support $15,148, client services $287,806). Anticipate serving 650 clients. Online applications are available but clients often need in-person interviews starting February 2 (appointments begin January 26).
- Emergency Assistance (local funds): Served 8 clients in December, spent $2,880.01 for water, electric, rent, shelter.
- HUD Rental: No funding spent in December. Share the Warmth: No applications taken.
- Second Harvest Food Bank: Served 58 clients (impacting 100 people).
- HOME Program: Work in progress on one project; December expenditure $29,550.
- Hell and Safe State Program (St. Charles Borromeo volunteers): Completed two decks, replaced rotten wood/unsafe stairs for one household; expenditure $3,932.08.
- USDA: Inspections for three homeowners, two projects awarded, one work beginning in January; three homeowners received environmental review.
- Wheelchair Ramps: No ramps built in December; two homeowners on waiting list. Small ramps built by volunteers; large ramps bid to contractors.
- Community Centers:
- St. Rose: Lunch & Learn 107 participants; snacks served 1,345 across four centers; AM drop-in 35 (avg 28); after school drop-in 65 (avg 38); facility use 27; library outreach 6; adult craft 7; info/referrals 19.
- Kelowna: After school drop-in 22 (avg 6); facility use 8; library outreach 9; adult craft 17; info/referral 1. (AM drop-in discontinued due to low participation).
- Boutte: After school drop-in 15 participants.
- SNAP: No applications processed in December; referrals to Catholic Charities.
- Tax Assistance Question: A board member asked about free tax filing for seniors. It was noted that the East Bank library offers this service; the senior center used to but changed. The board will refer clients to the library.
Key Outcomes
- Betty E. Bickham was unanimously approved as a regular board member.
- The next regular meeting is scheduled for March 11, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in the council chambers (no meeting in February due to Mardi Gras and staff attending a conference).
- The meeting was adjourned with prayer.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. It's the St. Charles Parish Community Community Action Advisory Board Meeting Wednesday, January 14th, 2026. It is actually 5 03 p.m. in the council chambers. Our meeting is called to order with the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer. Father God, I thank you for this afternoon. Bringing us here all together in this 2026 year. We look for all blessings that you have upon stored upon us for this year and to make it successful where we're out in the community, servicing one another, helping one another, and giving each other all the strength. Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the flag, the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty, justice for all. Recognizing that we do have a quorum. A motion to accept the agenda. All in favor? I move to motion because we accept the agenda is great. Thank you. And the minutes are approved. Thank you. We have some old business. The alternate. Um to vote for Miss Betty E. Bickham. And I would like to add one word, if I may, for the alternate to remind folks, if you can't make a meeting, Carol happens to have an alternate that can travel with her. And um, if you just text Carol and Donnie, he's he can serve as an alternate for different folks as well. Um and then so I think everybody's pretty much been covering for themselves or letting me know, and we we can always have that alternate. And so we have a new member, I think that Zena would like to introduce. And I'd like to introduce Miss Betty E. Bickham. She is part of the Saint Rose community as long as I can remember her being in the community. I've been in here 20 years after Katrina, and she has been part of the St. Rose Community One Voice that um, and that's how we met through the Saint Rose One Voice, where we had the opportunity to work together. So on this day, I'm asking to vote Miss Betty E. Bickham as part of our board um alternate regular regular, not an alternate correction. We would love her as a regular um to fill the seat. All in favor. We need a second to your motion. I need a second. First, I have motion. Okay. Betty, we're gonna give you the floor for a second. Tell us a little bit about you. My government name is Elizabeth. I answer to Betty. You call me Elizabeth, I don't turn. Um, I've been in St. Rose since 1970. I worked here at the courthouse. I don't remember what yeah, I also work at Housing Authority for a couple years. Um, I have a degree in accounting. I currently work with FEMA as a third party for disaster, and I have another company that normally I'm out of state, but I'm trying to find something back home because I'm tired of traveling.
openpublica.com