Welcome House update provided to Rotarians

When it was his turn to organize the program for the day, Rotarian Ron Lawson realized that with a number of new members over the past few years, many may not be too familiar with the club’s work with The Welcome House.

Thus, Tuesday, at the Rotary Club of Crowley’s meeting, the club welcomed the director of The Welcome House, Stacey Miller, to the meeting to provide an update on the homeless shelter.

“First, we want to thank God,” said Miller; “but, we also want to thank the Rotary (Club) and the C.O.C. (Community Outreach Corporation).”

Miller began speaking by showing the club of the heart-pulling statistic from the past six months showing the large number of people it has helped and from where the shelter’s residents are coming from, and, they are not just coming from Louisiana. She explained that she just welcomed a family from the state of North Carolina.

With Miller Tuesday was also one of The Welcome House’s success stories, Sarah Ramos, another out-of-state resident.

Ramos explained that she landed at the shelter by following her heart and not her head.

In a need for a new direction in life and determined to get there on her own power and will, Ramos found The Welcome House. There, she explained, she found herself, re-established her relationship with God, found employment and will be going to school beginning in January to become an LPN.

Miller credits the shelter’s online presence for its broad reach, not only through residency but through in-kind donations coming from all over.

She also explained that residents are coming from all walks of life prior to The Welcome House and residents are allowed to stay at the facility for six months, but the average stay time is actually closer to the 2.5-3 months range.

Miller is proud of the success the shelter has had and continues to have. She knows it isn’t 100 percent, but explained that The Welcome House is “there for those who have a need” and is there to fulfill that need.

She also called upon a resident who has become the assistant director of the shelter as well, Debbie Broussard.

Broussard explained that she came to the shelter three years ago and “left everything in God’s hands.” Because of that Broussard can now say she is a college graduate and has now earned full-time employment with Wolverine out of Eunice as well as being the assistant director of The Welcome House. It is because of all of these that Broussard says she “has a lot to be thankful for” in her life.

Miller explained that the statistics and the stories of The Welcome House continue to grip her heart. But she also sees the numbers and stories, particularly the successful ones, as motivation and proof of God’s work in Crowley.

“You have planted a seed here in Crowley that is growing and is thriving,” she said.

Miller also took time to talk highly of how the shelter is helping teach children to be givers as well, using the example of Eunice High’s senior class choosing The Welcome House for the second year in a row as its philanthropy project.