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
- 7 full-time employees
- 15 core volunteers
- Funded by private donations and grants
- 2006 annual operating budget $305,000
- 2007 Annual Report (PDF)
What We Provide
Emergency Assistance
(with approved application)
- Food
- Clothing
- Rent assistance
- Utilities assistance
- Bus tickets
- 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
Make a secure, online donation to Christian Service
From Brother Giovanni Reid, O.F.M.
Christian Service 2007 Telethon
Our annual Christian Service Telethon for 2007 airs Sunday, December 9 between 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm on Comcast City Wide TV, cable channel 6.
This event is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and we are counting on the support of all our members and friends. We especially thank Comcast for their generous donation of facilities, staff, and airtime.
You may donate securly online using PayPal or print, fill out, and mail us a donation card (PDF). For other ways to make a gift to Christian Service, see our Donate page.
For more details about this year's telethon, please read our Christian Service 2007 Telethon letter (PDF). Thank you for caring about our community.
New Things in Store for Christian Service in 2008
Thank You to all our loyal members who stuck by us in our year of transition. We could not have done it 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 two special people whose qualifications match the remedy for the services needed of our clients. We are proud to have them on board with us and I want to introduce them to you, our members. We feel both will be an asset and a good fit for what we have plan in the year 2008.
Emmanuel McIntyre, Ph.D. Christian Counseling, Doctor of Philosophy, Louisiana Baptist Master of Theology, United Theological Seminary Shreveport, Louisiana.
Cathy Knighton, M.A., LAC Licensed Addiction Counselor, M.A. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Louisiana Tech University.
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 currently serve. Some of the issues come from an internal need to help us better serve our clients.
- 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 lastly 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.
- 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, CPR).
For more updates on our staff and programs, please read our latest newsletter (PDF).
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.