Christian Service Program
Shreveport — Bossier City, Louisiana
Established in 1970 by Sister Margaret McCaffrey
Christian Service Program
- Founded in 1970 by Sr. Margaret McCaffrey, a Roman Catholic sister under private vows, to assist persons who lack the basic necessities of life
- Executive Director Brother Giovanni Reid, O.F.M. (since 1998)
- 12 member Board of Directors
- 6 full-time employees
- 2 part-time employees
- 15 core volunteers
- Funded by private donations and grants
- 2006 annual operating budget $305,000
- 2007 Annual Report (PDF)
- 2008 Annual Report (PDF)
What We Provide
Emergency Assistance
(with approved application)
- Food
- Clothing
- Rent assistance
- Utilities assistance
- Prescription medications
- Furniture
Programs
- Hospitality House (soup kitchen)
- Mother Stewart House (women's transitional housing)
- Herbert House (men's transitional housing)
- Samaritan Homes (families)
- A Second Chance at Learning (literacy program)
Programs for Seniors and People with Special Needs
- Employment for seniors
- Housing for handicapped individuals
- Assignment payee for Social Security
Volunteer Opportunities
- Service Learning for college students
Our Partners
The annual Christian Service Telethon
is sponsored by Comcast
and was Sunday, the 11th of December 2011
from 12 noon until 6 pm. We hope you tuned us in.
To view your 2011 Telethon Appeal Letter, click here
Associate Pastor Derek Joyce accepts 2011 Sister Margaret McCaffrey Award for Outstanding Organization on behalf of First United Methodist Church of Shreveport. Presenters Tom Pace, Board Chair Christian Service & Cynthia Hightower-Jenkins, Poor Man's Supper Chair
Make a secure, online donation to Christian Service
From Brother Giovanni Reid, O.F.M
New Things in Store for Christian Service in 2012
Brother Giovanni asks that anyone interested in volunteering with Christian Service Program, please do so. We are in need of bookkeepers and generally all kinds of "people persons." If you are interested in simply keeping in touch with some of the elderly people in our community during difficult weather in summer and winter, we can use your help. Contact us at (318) 221-4857 for more information.
"Thank You" to all our loyal members who stuck by us this year. We could not have done it all without your help. I want to announce some changes we have made for the upcoming year.
In order to improve the effectiveness of our work, the Christian Service Program has hired a special person whose qualifications match the remedy for "the hammer and nail" service needs of our clients. We are proud to have him on board with us and I want to introduce him to you, our members. We feel he will be an asset and a good fit for what we have planned for the rest of the year 2012.
Christian Service has several new initiatives and a few old ones that address specific issues that are still plaguing us on a community level. Many of these issues have been identified through the client-base that we serve. Some of the issues come from an internal need to help us better serve our clients. The Christian Service Program Learning Center has several internet computers available for individuals over 18 years of age. A picture ID is required for all participants. Please contact us in advance to make your appointment. You may call (318) 221-4857 or (318) 453-0591 to get more information about the Christian Service Program Learning Center.
Christian Service 2011 Telethon
Our annual Christian Service Telethon for 2011 aired on Sunday, December 11, 2011 from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm on Comcast City Wide TV, cable channel 6.
This event is our biggest fundraiser each year, and every year we count on the support of all our members and friends. We especially thank Comcast for their generous donation of facilities, staff, and airtime.
If you missed the Telethon program, you may still donate securely, online using PayPal. Or you can mail us a donation card and check, or use your credit card. For more details, or for other ways to make a gift to Christian Service, see our Donate page or find the "Donations" section on last page of any recent newletters from Christian Service Program. Our newsletter is called "The Good News."
Please also enjoy the narrative The Purpose of Our Rainbow by Sister Margaret from 1988.
- Affordable Housing This is still a very serious issue in Caddo Parish. We are concerned with affordable housing for the single parent with children, for persons with special needs, and for our senior citizens.
- Literacy Staggering numbers of adults still do not have reading and writing comprehension. We want to implement positive change and identify and then attack the barriers to adult learning.
- Technology Literacy Computers are a gateway to information. Although we will still have books, we are living in a digital age; therefore we endeavor to make technology learning fun not fearful. Please contact Telesa Mitchell, Brother Giovanni Reid, or Tim Snell by calling (318) 221-4857 or (318) 453-0591 for information about workshops during 2012 at the Christian Service Program's Learning Center (1200 Sprague Street.) Usually small and individualized, task-based sessions help adults feel more comfortable with computers.
- Senior Employment Employment for supplemental wage earners on fixed incomes is vital to improving the dignity of independent living for senior citizens.
- Service Learning This provides student mentoring opportunities for Christian Service future wage earners.
- Life Skills Training This includes health and safety education (HIV, TB, and other health topics).
For more updates on our mission and programs to assist the poor, please read our latest newsletter (PDF), or call our main office (318) 221-4857.
AUDIO SECTION
- Click Here to play a one minute excerpt on "Hope" from Sister Margaret's 1988 archives.
- Beginning Christian Service Program in 1970 is 2 minutes long excerpt from Sister Margaret's tapes.
- Beginnings (part 2) is 4 minutes.
Brother Giovanni Reid, O.F.M. is the Executive Director of the Christian Service Program
It is the philosophy of the Christian Service Program that each person, regardless of race, religion, or gender is deserving of respect and has a right to a life of dignity. In the services that we provide and the work that is performed by the staff of the Christian Service Program, we reach out to persons who lack the basic necessities of life, and we strive to assist with those needs in a manner that respects the dignity of each person served and helps them to achieve independence and self-sufficiency.