Freddia Ruffin Roberson, Director of Field Operations
ijb@smilecaa.org
Ph: (337) 234-3272 , Ext. 203
Field Operations provides direct assistance and referrals to assist individuals and families on their journeys toward economic and social independence.
The department, headquartered in Lafayette, is composed of high profile programs which help SMILE to fulfill its mission. The programs include Housing Services, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Transportation. The heads of the programs are supervised by the Director of Field Operations.
Field Operations also serves as an umbrella unit for the Community Action Centers in the tri-parish service area of St. Martin, Iberia and Lafayette. Known as CACs, each Center is supervised by a Parish Manager, who reports to the Director of Field Operations.
Field Operations oversees the Agency’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, a federal program that assists families with their utility bills. The Agency receives more than $1 million annually from the state to provide utility assistance in the tri-parish service area, as well as in Acadia and Jefferson Davis Parishes.
Most Field Operations program staff are federally funded through the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) monies that the Agency receives from the La. Workforce Commission (former La. Department of Labor). SMILE is one of 42 community action agencies statewide that receive CSBG funding. The CSBG funding is also used to provide emergency assistance, including rent, utility and medication payments.
In addition, Field Operations programs are funded through the United Ways of Acadiana and Iberia, La. Department of Transportation and Development, HUD, FEMA, as well as local and parish governments. These monies are used to provide direct services to those in need.
The three Community Action Centers, known as CACs, serve as focal points for the delivery of services in the parishes of St. Martin, Iberia and Lafayette. Each center is headed by a Parish Manager, who is assisted by a support staff and serves an advocate for the disadvantaged.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program – known as RSVP – traditionally has helped people, age 55 and older, find service opportunities in their home communities. But now the program is reaching out to Baby Boomers — even younger — who are interested in volunteering their time in Lafayette Parish.
Susannah Johnson Malbreaux, Project Director
smalbreaux@smilecaa.org
Ph: (337)234-3272, Ext. 252
SMILE has been providing transportation services for four decades. The Agency provides weekday demand response service for medical and social service appointments, employment, job training, education programs, as well as grocery stores in Iberia Parish.
Its Transportation Program includes general transportation and rural public transit.
Mary Decuir, Transportation Coordinator
722 Walton Street
New Iberia, LA 70560
Ph: (337) 369-9387
Toll Free: 877-604-0797
The Quality Control/Special Projects Manager is responsible for in-house monitoring of programs. Also assists with grants and communications, including community assessment, annual report and public relations.
Joe Gregory, Quality Control/Compliance Officer
jgregory@smilecaa.org
Ph: (337) 234-3272 , Ext. 248
The St. Martin, Iberia, Lafayette Community Action Agency, Inc., or SMILE serves as the primary provider of social services in our tri-parish region of Louisiana.
