Baton Rouge steps up when it counts

Whether it’s helping after hurricanes and tornados or reaching out to the homeless, Baton Rougeans continue to step up and help those in need.

Here at 225, we’re afforded the chance to see moving gestures of help, so we know firsthand Baton Rouge is full of generous people.

In November, we published a series of articles about homeless people in Baton Rouge and others at risk of becoming so. The stories, reported and written by LSU journalism students, presented Baton Rouge homelessness in raw, gritty fashion.

Many of our readers stepped forward and pledged to help.

A few wealthy individuals, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were especially moved by one person in particular: a single working mother of four children whose husband left her. Despite having a college degree, she was unable to support her four children and reluctantly turned to church assistance. Another reader of more modest means bought her family’s Thanksgiving dinner.

Of the various people the stories focused on, the offers of help went to the single working mom.

People often say to us they get tired of the “entitlement attitude” they observe in too many Louisianans, and they get angry at people who scam the system just to get more. But we were encouraged to see so many people still willing to take the initiative to help others—with not necessarily a handout, but a hand up.