Rotary Club drive helps Emergency Aid

St. Mary Parish Red Ribbon Committee updated the Franklin Rotary Club Wednesday on the schedule for Red Ribbon Week.
Also, Emergency Aid Center for United Way, South La. was presented donations collected through September’s four-week Rotary food drive.
The Rotary’s weekly luncheon at the Forest restaurant began with a visit from Lena Henry and Jennifer Lanceslin, members of the Red Ribbon Committee.
“The kickoff will be Friday, Oct. 20,” Lanceslin said. “We’re going to decorate for Red Ribbon Week. Saturday, Oct. 21 will be the Motorcade, ‘Operation Red Light,’ (in which) law enforcement travels across the parish.”
Also up for the week:
—Sunday, Oct. 22: Day of Prayer.
—Monday, Oct. 23: Orange Day, in honor of Anti-bullying Month.
—Tuesday, Oct. 24: Character Counts Day.
—Wednesday, Oct. 25, wear red in honor of the Red Ribbon campaign, and DARE Day, (on which) law enforcement will visit schools.
—Thursday, Oct. 26 – Tobacco-free Day in St. Mary Parish.
—Friday, Oct. 27 – Purple Day for domestic violence awareness.
—Saturday, Oct. 28 – Parade of Schools and ‘Zoo to Boo.’
—Sunday, Oct. 29 – Day of Prayer.”
Also, Director of EAC, Patti Ibert gave a few words explaining what EAC does for the Franklin community.
“We feed West St. Mary Parish,” Ibert said. “…and that is from the Calumet bridge to the middle of Jeanerette, and we get a lot of help from the community.”
Located at 106 Commercial St., Franklin, EAC began feeding the needy, according to Ibert, out of the trunk of the car of Alfreida Laws, 38 years ago. After a couple of years, Ibert says Laws was joined in her endeavors by Nettie Thibodeaux, and from there, the EAC grew to what it is today.
Ibert has worked for EAC for 26 years, though only 10 of those years have been spent as director. She started as the receptionist, and worked her way up through the ranks.
After operating on its own, EAC got in touch with the United Way of South La., and began a partnership with the national organization. “United Way has always been good to us,” Ibert said.
EAC is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers and operated only through donations, and are open weekdays to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
“Everybody in the community, all our organizations, our churches, they all bring in food,” Ibert said. “As fast as it comes in, it goes. So far, we have serviced almost 3,000 people in Franklin, over 1,900 families. It’s very humbling.
“They call us: ‘The little agency with the big heart.’”
According to Ibert, the holidays are specifically daunting for EAC, in terms of donation necessity.
Anyone interested in donating, EAC can be found at 106 Commercial St., Franklin. The only thing they don’t accept is clothing.
For monetary donations, send to: P.O. Box 17, Franklin, La., 70538.