Underprivileged Opportunity Coalition

As a private, non-profit organization, STARC has helped thousands of people since we started nearly 35 years ago. While we've grown over the years, our services still involve individuals reaching out to individuals to connect with the ability that lies behind the disability. You could say that we're in the business of building independence, day by day and step by step.STARC was founded in 1972 by Laura Delaup with two other mothers after her eight-month-old daughter, Heaven, was bitten by a mosquito and contracted encephalitis. The disease left Heaven developmentally disabled, and she became one of three original STARC participants. Today, STARC's east and west divisions serve over 700 individuals and their families in St. Tammany, Washington, St. Helena, Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes at any given time.

The Hospice Foundation of the South is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing essential medical and emotional care for terminally ill patients and their families. Their facility, known as the Hospice House, offers a welcoming home environment at no cost for those in preferred hospice programs during their final days. Founded from the foresight of supporting indigent hospice patients, the Hospice Foundation has grown to create St. Tammany Parish's only hospice home, where skilled caregivers ensure residents receive both compassionate care and emotional support. Their mission revolves around fostering a serene atmosphere for families to come together and make lasting memories while caring for their loved ones in the twilight of life. Generated from the website