Three weeks ago, Celine, an x-ray technician at Lafayette General Hospital in Louisiana, entered the breakroom for a much-needed moment of peace on a long shift of doing chest x-rays. Ever since Louisiana was declared to be a COVID-19 hotspot, the unit has been working non-stop to help “flatten the curve”. She and everyone else on the unit found in their inboxes a “power-pack” including protein snack, a hydrating sports drink, a candy treat and a note saying “we see you – thank you for your service”. While enjoying this delightful snack in a moment of respite, she noticed the bulletin board across the hall was full of encouraging notes from students who had prepared the power-packs. Celine and others on her unit shared feeling blessed for the recognition and asked how to get more of these “power-packs”. Before long, other front-line healthcare workers and first responders heard of the power packs and also requested them. Now over 250 power packs per week are being delivered – and the number of requests is growing daily.
Behind it all is a group of quarantined students at Evangelhouse Christian Academy, a therapeutic boarding school for girls in St. Martinville, LA. This effort was conceived of and is led by dedicated staff member Marissa Trahan. In an after-work conversation with a close friend who works at Lafayette General, they were sharing the challenges of being essential healthcare workers through the Louisiana stay-at-home ordered quarantine. The idea struck Marissa that she could help make a difference with a little treat and a word of thanks. In her spare time, she started making a few packs and dropping them off. Word of showing thanks to front-line medical professionals quickly got out on social media, and soon Marissa was flooded with donations from the community. “After my apartment ran out of room to store the donated supplies, I knew I needed some help to keep up with the requests. Now I am being contacted daily with funds, supplies, even gas for my car to help with the effort.” She shared the need with staff and students at Evangelhouse, and they quickly rose to the challenge of sorting individually wrapped snacks, writing notes of encouragement and helping organize the effort. Marissa and her team of student volunteers expect to be making over 1,000 packs per week for essential healthcare workers before the end of the month.
Marissa and the students at Evangelhouse have shared feeling like they are contributing to the efforts to stop COVID-19 in a small but meaningful way. While working toward their treatment goals and remaining safe and secure on the Evangelhouse campus, they continue to volunteer their free time to this effort. If you would like to donate to the cause, please contact marissa@evangelhouse.com to arrange a tax-deductible donation to the Evangelhouse COVID-19 relief fund.
Evangelhouse® Christian Academy is a boutique, fourteen-bed therapeutic boarding school for girls ages 12-18 in St. Martinville, LA. The academy offers a unique integration of licensed clinical therapy in a non-denominational Christian environment. To learn more, visit www.evangelhouse.com
