HLS 21RS-2477 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 93
BY REPRESENTATIVE LYONS
COMMENDATIONS: Commends St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church for its community
involvement
1 A RESOLUTION
2To commend St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church for its community involvement.
3 WHEREAS, St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1880; it has been
4led by five pastors over the course of its history: Reverend Joseph L. Dennis, Reverend
5George Washington Williams, Reverend James Charles Wing, Reverend Talton Willie
6Lewis, and its current pastor, Dr. Melvin Collins Zeno; and
7 WHEREAS, St. Joseph has provided disaster relief services on numerous occasions;
8in 2016, the church helped salvage houses and provide food and clothing for victims of
9disasters in South Carolina, and in 2017, it provided the same services to Hurricane Harvey
10victims in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Port Arthur, Texas; in September 2020, the
11church provided gift cards and cash assistance to residents of Lake Charles following
12Hurricane Laura; and
13 WHEREAS, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the church's Feeding Ministry
14provided more than six thousand meals annually; it has also assisted Habitat for Humanity
15in the construction of twenty-three houses, and its Philadelphia Missionary Ministry
16continues to help house the homeless and feed the hungry; and
17 WHEREAS, St Joseph instituted a social justice ministry in 2019 to help the
18community understand the rights and privileges of American citizens; the ministry has
19brought in representatives to discuss child care, child support and custody, domestic
20violence, and voters' rights; and
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HR NO. 93
1 WHEREAS, during the pandemic, St. Joseph distributed shoe boxes filled with
2personal items and distributed gift bags of healthy foods at the Ozanam Inn; the church also
3delivered turkey baskets to families for Thanksgiving and distributed gifts to foster children
4for Christmas; and
5 WHEREAS, St. Joseph also offers youth enrichment programs to the members of its
6community; the church's Boys to Men program offers mentorship to boys ages five to
7seventeen; the church's Youth and Young Adult Department organized its Education
8Incentive Program to motivate children to strive for academic success; and
9 WHEREAS, St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church is an invaluable institution in
10Jefferson Parish, and it is most deserving of recognition for its community involvement.
11 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
12Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church for
13its community involvement; does hereby recognize the church's dedication to Jefferson
14Parish and people in need everywhere for over one hundred forty years; and does hereby
15extend sincere hopes that it continue to serve as a beacon of light in times of darkness.
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
17pastor of St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 93 Original 2021 Regular Session Lyons
Commends St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church for its community involvement.
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