LOUISIANA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.dailyworld.com/article/20091229/NEWS01/912290302/1002

Agency hit by double tragedy

By William Johnson • wjohnson@dailyworld.com • December 29, 2009

Community Investors Inc., a local poverty-action agency based out of Church Point, has had a disastrous holiday season.

The trouble began just before Christmas, when the agency's World Wide Learning Center was burglarized and all 12 of its computers were stolen.

"You would think this would have been the worst thing that could have happened during the holiday season. Unfortunately for Community Investors, it was not," said Nina DuPont with the non-profit agency.

"On Dec. 24, during the tornado thunderstorms that passed through Acadia Parish, devastating many areas, a tree fell into The Food Pantry, destroying it," DuPont said.

She said the pantry, located at 452 W. Harmon St., Church Point, was supplying supplemental food for more than 360 area families before the disaster.

Not only was the building destroyed, but most of the stored food was ruined.

While the Learning Center building, located at 216 Main St., survived, without its computers, its mission is now in danger.

She said the four-year-old program is dedicated to giving children the tools they need to grow into responsible adults; helping young adults and at risk-teens to create a better lifestyle for themselves and their families; and providing seniors with the fundamental requirements of daily living.

To help accomplish this, DuPont said the center provided free after-school programs, tutoring and mentoring programs, Internet access for those without computers and offered guidance courses on peer pressure, drugs, domestic violence and educational classes.

For adults it also offered job training classes and adult education programs.

In addition to the loss of its 12 Compaq laptop computers, also stolen was a DVD/CD Rewriter, an ESP-7 Kodak wireless printer and a Dell Optiplex hard drive, as well as one keyboard, a mouse and an adult-sized brown, hooded sweater jacket.

Despite the devastating one-two blow, DuPont said Community Investors is determined to rebuild.

"We are requesting assistance in getting both of these projects up and running again," DuPont said.

Anyone wishing to help can send donations to: Community Investors Incorporated, Attention Project Rebuild, at P.O. Box 780, Church Point, LA, 70525.

She said monetary donations can also be made at any branch of the Rayne State Bank and Trust Company.

For more information, call DuPont at 337-580-4386 or e-mail her at ninadupont@communityinvestors.org.