Success Stories

Lakeria Taylor

" I am currently a junior at Louisiana Tech University and I was fortunate to be apart of the Summer Youth Program. I have been totally blind since the age of three due to Retinoblastoma, which is a cancer of the eye. Despite being a person with a disability, I do not let this dictate my life and the goals that I have set for myself. While working for the H.E.L.P. Agency this summer, I was surrounded by colleagues who believed in my goals and vision just as much as I do. Each day that I walked through the door, I learned valuable life skills that I can use as an aspiring law student and my career. I learned the importance of project management and teamwork while planning an interview workshop for high school teens around Lincoln Parish. I also learned organization skills while working on the website for the Agency and a plethora of other daily office tasks. All throughout the summer, I have been encouraged, pushed, and was put in situations where I learned self-discovery and I know that my future success will be due in part to the work and experiences I had here at the H.E.L.P. Agency."

Tiffany Honeycutt

" Ms. Tiffany Honeycutt is a single parent of two small girls, a full-time college student, and a full-time worker. The agency first met Ms. Honeycutt when she came and applied for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program with help on her utility bills. Once the agency added a new program activity such as the After-school Child Care Assistance Program; Ms. Honeycutt applied and was granted assistance for her daughters to attend via agency financial assistance. Before applying for the after-school child care program, Ms. Honeycutt was paying out of pocket expenses for both daughters to attend the Boys and Girls Club Afterschool program. The agency's assistance helped decrease households out of pocket expenses to drop by removing some of the financial burdens by affording assistance child care program and utility assistance program. Now, Ms. Honeycutt is a recent college graduate receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work where she now works as a Social Worker. "

Jada Weatherford

" My name is Jada Weatherford. I will be a senior at Ruston High School this year. This summer I had the privilege of working with some great leaders at The H.E.L.P. Agency. Before the program started, I did not know what to expect and I was very anxious. After starting the program, I found myself stepping out of my comfort zone and enhancing my communication skills. I was taught the importance of leadership, project management, accountability, interpersonal skills, and unity. The H.E.L.P. Agency gave me, along with others, an opportunity to create an interview workshop from the ground up allowing me to excel my project management skills. The feedback I received from creating such a successful workshop was enduring and made me feel accomplished. I just want to thank all of the H.E.L.P. Agency staff for this wonderful experience and opportunity to further achieve my goals in life. Coming to an end of this experience, I have gained leadership skills and I have learned how to openly communicate with others. It was challenging, yet I strived for greatness and accomplished it"

Kwa'Tavius Terry

“Working as an intern for the H.E.L.P. Agency has honestly been a great learning experience for me. I was able to work in an environment that allowed me to complete my tasks with autonomy. This allowed me to learn how to be productive without waiting on someone to tell what to do and how to do it. So when I was working on the projects that I was expected to finish, I was able to come up with a number of creative ways to complete them. That experience was very important for me to go through because it will be applicable in any field or industry I work for in the years to come. Along with the very educational work environment, there is a sense of togetherness that would be hard to find elsewhere. I never felt like an outsider while working with the agency’s staff. They made me feel more than welcomed there. The staff are very friendly yet professional which is a necessity in nonprofit, community driven organizations. They will dedicate their time to make sure that the client’s needs are met. I am very thankful that the agency allowed me to intern for them.”