Hard News Story
(Luling, La.) Nonprofit organization teams up with the community to come together, and help those affected by Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles.
As the organization, Wholeheartedly, gets ready for their “Love on Lake Charles” event, they held their first drive to collect donations. The first drive wasn’t too successful, but the organization kept moving forward with the event. Soon after announcing and posting multiple times on social media, donations were starting to pour in.
“This is what my daughter Jayla liked to do,” Keyoka Joseph said. “She loved to give to people in need, and she loved to volunteer.”
Wholeheartedly started with one little girl with an extraordinary heart. Jayla Smith loved volunteering and helping the community in any way possible, from National Lemonade Day to church fundraisers. Jayla passed away at the age of nine in 2016, but her spirit still lived in her mother. That’s when Wholeheartedly was born. The mission was simple, to give wholeheartedly.
Almost three years after Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Laura slammed and blemished Lake Charles, Louisiana. “Love on Lake Charles” was an idea that became a reality. The donation drive and help service were starting up again. The members of Wholeheartedly (Keyoka, Charlene, and Stacia Joseph) would not only collect donations, but they would drive out to the area. They were heading out bright and early Saturday, Sep. 25, to go and go give out supplies and assist those who need more help with disaster recovery.
Luling local Taila McCarthey has agreed to participate in Saturday’s drive out.
“It hurts to see people lose everything. It’s like what we went through with Katrina,” she said.
Like the victims of Hurricane Laura, McCarthey once lost everything. At just age five she remembers returning home to absolutely nothing.
“It is crazy how things like this pull our community together,” she said.
Local church-goer Jamie Johnson said, “It’s just the feeling of helping someone in need, that makes me want to go out there. Our church, Freedom Outreach Ministry, decided to partner with the Non-Profit and something in my soul just touched me and said go lend a helping hand.”
Freedom Outreach Ministry started off giving a donation, then they decided to go out and help alongside the Wholeheartedly crew.
Both the organization and Freedom Outreach Ministry are planning to spend the whole day there, and lead any services they can. They are also to team up with a fraternity, so they can have strong arms for lifting and carrying the more heavy things.
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