The recipient entity's physical address:
           3600 Florida St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           3600 Florida St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          William L. Bellenfant (Deceased)
Baton Rouge General Hospital
3600 Florida Blvd. P.O. Box 2511
Baton Rouge, LA 70821

David H. Lion (Deceased)
9771 Jefferson Hwy. Apt. 118
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  3267

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $500,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Mr. Gary McConnell - Board President
6510 Province Ln
Baton Rouge, LA
70808-3580

Mr. Andrew Blanchfield – Vice President
P.O. Box 1151
Baton Rouge, LA 0821-1151

Mr. Matthew Valliere – Secretary/Treasurer
2441 Creek Hollow Ave
Zachary, LA 70791-2894

Mr. Stephen Mumford
14005 Memorial Tower Dr
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Rev. Ralph Howe Jr.
8965 Bayside Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA
70806-7952

Mrs. Theresa Kumse
2838 Terrace Ave
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Mrs. Susan Holliday
7645 Rienzi Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70809


Mrs. Rose Marie Fife
1860 Old Plantation Ln
Baton Rouge, LA 70806-8400

Mr. Robert Benton
5926 Menlo Dr
Baton Rouge, LA 70808-5049

Dr. Christopher McCanless
7456 S Bocage Ct
Baton Rouge, LA 70809-1165

Mrs. Karen Goodridge
511 Una St
Denham Springs, LA 70726

Dr. Warren Gottsegen (Emeritus)
865 Dubois Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Mr. Donald T. Phelps (Emeritus)
824 Nelson Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           The Hospice of Baton Rouge is building a comprehensive Grief Support campus for The Greater Baton Rouge community: The Retreat at Quarters Lake (The Retreat). The Retreat will provide free grief, bereavement and transitions counseling and support for children, teens/young adults and adults suffering from the loss of a loved one.

The Retreat will provide a tranquil environment and serve as a safe space for the citizens of the Greater Baton Rouge area to learn effective and appropriate coping mechanisms for processing and managing grief including, but also beyond, traditional clinical counseling.

While traditional transition, grief, and bereavement services will be offered, including individual counseling and support groups, The Retreat will also offer alternative, holistic therapies to ensure each individual is able to process grief in a meaningful way that is unique to them and their loss experience. Therapies offered will include, but are not limited to: art therapy, music therapy, animal therapy, guided spiritual exercise, and grief yoga and meditative movement.

Additionally, The Retreat will function as a dedicated education hub, allowing for collaboration with various community organizations and stakeholders, both inside of and outside of our existing health systems. As an Educational Center, The Hospice of Baton Rouge can help educate the community at-large on what grief entails; how it can present itself; and how various disciplines can work together to assist those bereaved individuals. The Retreat will also provide a permanent home for Camp Conquer, a free, 4-day children’s traumatic grief and loss program.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Professional Services. . . $0
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $500,000
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $0
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          Not Applicable

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          As the only nonprofit hospice in Baton Rouge, the Hospice of Baton Rouge has been supporting families and individuals with grief and loss for nearly 40 years. We are committed to meeting the needs of our community by making grief and bereavement services easily accessible to all those in need, not just hospice families.

Many children and adults in our community have to face the incredible difficulty of facing the traumatic loss of loved ones. Children, especially, have very few resources to appropriately understand and cope with grief, putting them at an increased risk of relationship, educational and behavioral problems.

Furthermore, with the ever-growing baby boomer population, coupled with the enormous stressors society, as a whole, has experienced in the face of the pandemic, grief and its corresponding impacts are becoming increasingly acute and far reaching. Lack of access to the few available, fee for service, programs has also been a barrier for our community. With the poverty rate in Baton Rouge at 26%, 1 out of every 3.8 residents may not even have the means for sliding fee services. In the midst of the COVID-19 aftermath, there is also a considerable population in our community suffering from complicated grief – and, many without the means to get the help they so desperately need.

State funds allocated will allow The Retreat to provide the appropriate resources to support and improve the lives of our friends and neighbors in need. Located in the heart of Baton Rouge, The Retreat will serve as an innovative and comprehensive healing destination. By not being able to pay for services, untreated grief can often manifest itself to increased family conflict via abuse, neglect; work struggles; self-harm; increased risk of incarceration and further mental decline. By investing in The Retreat, the State, and the entire Baton Rouge community will realize a decrease in the grim outcomes that are often a result of unavailable treatment.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          The Retreat by The Hospice of Baton Rouge will provide free programming and grief counseling for children, teens/young adults and adults suffering from grief due to a loss.

Through having a permanent home for Camp Conquer, children in our community will be gifted the tools to better understand what grief is, learn to not be ashamed of any perceived stigma around it and learn how to better overcome it in their daily lives.

Adults will be offered a variety of innovative and inspiring activity based therapies, many support groups and one-on-one counseling opportunities to help normalize the feelings that come with grief.

The Retreat will serve not only those who lost a loved one but those who are experiencing losses in their lives that are not death-related. For example, mothers that are dealing with infertility; military families that have a loved one that is deployed; children whose parent is incarcerated; partner who is in a domestic violence relationship; etc.

The Retreat will also help to increase awareness for physical and mental health-related topics throughout the community.

Humans are social beings, and grief is a social emotion. In providing a physical space with a dedicated purpose, a space that is peaceful, beautiful, and easily accessible will allow for natural and long-term healing for all who visit.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           12 months

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                 n/a
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                 n/a

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                 n/a

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                  n/a

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               n/a

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
               n/a

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
                n/a

          What is the nature of the relationship?  n/a

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                 n/a

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               n/a


Contact Information
name:  Craig W. Zaunbrecher 
                                       address:  3600 Florida St.
Baton Rouge, La 70806
                                       phone:  225 767-4673
                                       fax:  225 769-8113
                                       e-mail:  czaun@hospicebr.org
                                       relationship to entity:  Employee