Southern Mutual Help Association

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Southern Mutual Help Association (SMHA) was founded in 1969 to be an Agent of Change in rural Louisiana. Its mission is to build strong, healthy and prosperous rural communities, with emphasis on low-wealth families, women, people of color, and on families and communities whose livelihoods are interdependent with the lands and waters. SMHA and its leadership have been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally, receiving numerous awards for innovation and excellence in community and economic development. Since its founding, SMHA has pioneered new approaches to challenges facing Louisiana’s rural communities, standing strong against the root causes of poverty, racism, sexism and classism.

Durand was named in 2008 by Governor Bobby Jindal to the State Pharmacy Board representing consumers. She also served as State Representative for District 46. During this time she chaired the Health and Welfare Committee, served on the House Executive Committee and Homeland Security Committee. She was the first female to be elected State Representative from St. Martin Parish. Durand also was active with the Woman's Policy and Research Commission and had 37 years of experience in the Louisiana oil and gas industry. During her life she also served as a board member for the Acadiana Regional Development District, the Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center and the New Start Center. She was a recipient of numerous local and state awards, including several for environmental and conservation efforts.

New Iberia, LA - Local community hero, Robby Carrier Bethel, is one of 50 honorees named by national grant maker, the Marguerite Casey Foundation. The foundation is celebrating what would have been Cesar Chavez’s 87 th birthday by honoring individuals who are carrying out his mission of civil rights work. Bethel is being recognized for her work with the rehabilitation of the West End neighborhoods of New Iberia. Bethel was nominated by local non-profit organization, Southern Mutual Help Association who has worked with Bethel over the years. SMHA recognizes the importance of Bethel’s work, as it aligns with SMHA’s own efforts to build prosperous, sustainable rural communities. The Marguerite Casey Foundation is a private, independently owned grant-making foundation from Seattle, WA and has been recognized in 2007 as one of the "Top 50 U.S. Foundations Awarding Grants for Civil Rights and Social Action.” The foundation created the Equal Voice Newspaper in 2009 as a means to "break news, follow issues, investigate and shed light on the lives of families living in poverty in the United States”.

Corporate Giving Corporate philanthropy is a key component of a healthy and viable community. If your business or the company you work for supports a corporate giving program, please consider Southern Mutual Help Association. The organization’s corporate giving options include annual giving programs that provide charitable grants to SMHA as part of an annual operating budget, corporate foundations which create independent, tax-exempt foundations for charitable giving, corporate funds which are donor-advised and managed by a community foundation, employee matching programs and non-cash giving through volunteerism.

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