Monroe, LA – Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana (CCNELA) held their Annual Meeting virtually on Wednesday, March 24, 2021. A few highlights from the year were:

• Over 150 child care programs received personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies to assist them in reopening their centers.
• Since July 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, CCNELA has provided over 500 coaching sessions and trainings to child care centers throughout our region.
• More than 300 Al’s Pals lessons have been taught. This national program gives children tools to identify and manage their emotions.
• CCNELA has given hundreds of free gardening, activity kits, and school supplies to families in our community through our Drive-Thru Super Saturday events.
• Over 130 children have been served in our Early Head Start centers, and 15 teachers have graduated from our Ancillary Teaching Certificate program.
• 36 families have received an array of evidenced-based parenting services that support the development of healthy and caring behaviors in the Children’s Coalition Family Resource Center (FRC).
• Hundreds of middle school students have been trained in the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program. CCNELA trained over 450 students in this program just in the last month.
• There are 19 Student Ambassadors in our U-ACT program in Union Parish.
• The Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems program hosted a virtual baby shower with 60+ participants receiving vital information and gifts.
• Our Tulane Mental Health Consultation Team has been serving 17 child care centers.
• 20 children served in our Pre-K Expansion program this year.

During this online Annual Meeting event, staff members and community award winners were recognized as well as new Board members and officers were elected.

• Five-year staff members
  
  • Kelsey Brice, Larhonda Elzie, Aven Ford, Misti Guerrero, Sarsobu Jackson, Cara Johnson, Tamiko Johnson, Angie Naron, Ivy Parhms, and Roberta Walker.
• Ten-year staff member
  
  • Mary Barrios
• Award Winners 2020
  
  • Friend of the Coalition – Mike Walsworth
    
  • Volunteers of the Year – Sarah & Nathan Tremaine
    
  • Youth Volunteer of the Year – Hallie Winters
    
  • Saul Mintz Early Childhood Champion – Emily Williamson (posthumously)
• Award Winners 2021
  
  • Friend of the Coalition – Stephanie Herrmann and Union Parish Library
    
  • Volunteer of the Year – Gerry Binkley
    
  • Saul Mintz Early Childhood Champion – Drax Biomass
• Board of Directors 2021-2022
  
  • Cathy Agan, Kathryn Bagley, Denise Breard, Diana Breen, Caleb Burns, Tommy Carr, Stephanie Carter, Cathi Cox-Boniol, Andrew Dodson, Ashley Gilbert, David Hartt, Laura, Hartt, Leigh Hersey, Myisha Jackson, Jennifer Johnson, Lisa Kiper, Terry Matthews, Lisa Miller, Joe K. Montgomery, Alpa Patel, Cynthia Rodriguez, DeRon Talley, Patience Talley, and Mark Wilson
• Board Members Completing Their Years of Service
  
  • Janis Barraza, Mark Parrish, and Carmen Sims
• New Officers for the Board of Directors
  
  • Mark Wilson, President
    
  • Cynthia Rodriguez, Past President
    
  • Lisa Kiper, President-Elect
    
  • Alpa Patel, Secretary
    
  • David Hartt, Treasurer

“The support our center continues to receive from the Children’s Coalition during the COVID-19 pandemic has been immeasurable and unparalleled.” -Hillary & Don Liu, Ph.D., owners of Ruston Early Learning Center

“Child care is essential for pandemic response and economic recovery. Despite the key role child care providers are playing in support of other essential industries during the COVID-19 pandemic, the child care system as a whole is in crisis due to the economic impact. The Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana has taken action and has successfully shifted to meet great needs and challenges during the pandemic and extraordinary weather events in our region.” -Leann Bond, Executive Director

​The Children's Coalition Dragon Boat Festival will not return in 2021. Due to the risks associated with COVID-19 and spreading it to others, specifically with the CDC guidelines of not being within 6 feet of others for a cumulative total of 15 minutes in a 24-hour period, we have made the decision to cancel the event again this year. Your health and safety continue to be our priority, and we encourage everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available — wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet from people who do not live with you, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, washing your hands frequently, and getting vaccinated.

This fun, family-friendly event will be sorely missed. Not only has Dragon Boat been an important fundraising endeavor for the Children’s Coalition, but it was a great time for our community to gather outdoors and cheer on teams of local schools and businesses that competed for the fastest time.
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Dragon Boat has supported underfunded programs like Signs of Suicide, Nurturing Fatherhood, Healthy Living, and Youth Development as well as our Children's Coalition Family Garden.​ In this challenging year, we still need your support. If you are able, please click below to learn how you can give to the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana. 

We hope to host the Dragon Boat Festival in 2022 and see you there!