SHINING LIGHT FOUNDATION                                                                           

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 6:00 pm

LOCATION:   Live Oak Wealth Advisors, 1042 Camelia Blvd, Suite 11, Lafayette, LA

ATTENDEES: 
Dr. Carolyn French, President

Cynthia Dauphin, Vice President

Bruce Snow, Treasurer                                                                          

Sandra Wilcox, Secretary   

Cheryl Evans

Marcie Jacquet

Marietta Labauve

Michelle Luquette

Mike Hefner

Renee Moreau

GUESTS:

Mary Hefner

Kade Turner, CASA

Our guest speaker Kade Turner, Executive Director of CASA shared information about the Court Appointment Special Advocates where 45 volunteers serve to help children.  Mike and Mary Hefner were the 2023 Outstanding CASA volunteer recipients.  CASA helps children who are abused or neglected and mostly in foster care.  Volunteers visit their homes to check the children’s needs are met.  They can also meet with teachers and medical professionals to compile a court report and make recommendations to the judge.  Each case worker can have almost 15 children assigned.   Nicholas Thomas at LPSS handles the foster care children.  CASA contacts him to clear the advocates going into the school.  CASA has been funded through the state.  Rosa’s Angels helps to get foster children a Christmas present.  Currently 320 children in Lafayette foster care.  

Michelle will make sure that Nick at the Lafayette School Board is informed so CASA volunteers can be allowed to visit the children they monitor while they are in school.  Michelle will also share her contacts at various civic organizations with Kade.  

On motion from Marietta, seconded by Bruce, the minutes of meeting held 9/12/2023 were approved.

Treasurer’s Report as of 9/29/2023

$  2,786.73 Beginning Balance 8/1/2023

$     375.00 Scholarships

$     131.72  Expenses

$  5,244.53 Donations 

$         1.46 Interest

$ 7,526.00 Ending Balance

$78,393.99 Invested

$     675.00 Escrow.

Account Balance 9/12/2023:  $85,612.32. (Money Market $8,201.30; Securities $71,411.02)

Old Business

Carolyn had previously forwarded an email in reference to our dear board member Dr. Don Ennis, who passed away.  There will be a memorial service in the Spring of 2024.   

New Business

The brochures have been updated with the new board member names.   Traci Aucoin/LPSS communicated with the principals.  A suggestion was made by Cynthia about creating a scrapbook for Shining Light to include pictures of the students.  It was decided not to implement due to privacy issues with student photos.  

Carolyn reviewed the prior strategic plan created by some UL students for Shining Light and will email a copy to the board members.  We need to identify backups for Secretary, Parliamentarian, Treasurer and Webmaster.  Michelle Luquette volunteered as backup Secretary.  Mike Hefner volunteered as backup Parliamentarian.

The guest speaker for our next meeting will be from Faith House.   

Scholarships:

There were no scholarship requests.

Meeting adjourned at 7:05 pm.  Next meeting date will be held on November 10, 2023, at Live Oak Wealth Advisors, 1042 Camelia Blvd., Suite 11, Lafayette, LA.  Refreshments at 5:30 pm.