“You see that his faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.” James 2:22.

This quote from the New Testament surely applies to Disch-DeClouet Social Service Center Executive Director John Indest. After retiring at the young age of 60, he anticipated being able to play golf, fish and visit with his grandkids. While he was able to do all that, he still felt that there was something else he could accomplish in his life. 

“I was blessed to retire early and comfortably, but I felt called to volunteer. I first became a hospice volunteer, but that did not work out,” he said. “Then someone said, ‘Why don’t you try the Social Service Center?’ I did, and volunteered for nine years. I felt strongly called by the Lord to be here. When the Executive Director, Ms. Carol Gaignard was ready to retire, the committee asked me. July 1 of this year marks two years I’ve been Executive Director.”  

The Social Service Center, located on the corner of Bank and Pershing Street in New Iberia, is an independent non-profit organization which has operated for 45 years. It is a strictly volunteer organization,with no paid staff, funded by donations. “We get some donations from the Churches, but our volunteers and the lion’s share of financial gifts come from the generosity of our community, and we are so grateful,” Indest said. 

“The great thing about the Social Service Center is that most of the money goes directly to helping people. We return about 90 percent of the money we take in as services for our clients. Only about 10 percent is spent on keeping the lights on,” said Indest.

The Center serves approximately 400 families per month, which calculates to about 1,300 individuals helped. The Center can help in many different categories: rent and utility assistance, emergency housing, doctor and dental bills, non-perishable food and clothing.

 “We have a full clothing department — men, women, children’s school uniforms, even diapers for babies,” Indest said. The Daily Iberian assists with the Milk Fund, from which families can get 4-8 gallons of milk per month.

“We also provide emergency transportation; we’ve funded bus tickets to all over the country to help clients return home after a failed relationship or job loss,” he said. “We also pray with our clients; it is amazing the comfort we can give someone who is troubled by just praying with them.”

“Many of our clients are regulars, about 80 percent come in monthly. Almost 100 percent are from Iberia parish. We did provide services to a few people who had needs from the storms in Lake Charles, but mostly our Center is community helping community,” he said.

The Center was forced to shut down temporarily March 21, 2020, because of the COVID pandemic. “By the middle of May, I said, ‘we’ll have to open soon, the need doesn’t stop,” he said. The Center was back in business by the third week in May, with COVID precautions in place. “Our clients used to have one-on-one meetings with our volunteers; COVID stopped that. We’ve been operating with the minimal number of volunteers,” added Indest. 

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Center, and sometimes the hardest commodity to acquire. “It’s much easier to get someone’s money than their time,” said Indest. “We are awed by the generosity of our financial supporters, but we need people to give their time, just a couple of hours a week would make such a difference.”

How does one qualify for aid from the Disch-DeClouet Social Service Center? “We serve 25 people each day, from the line that forms in the morning. I usually open the doors at eight. Some of these folks have been in line since 5 a.m. to make sure of their spot. People who are not really in need wouldn’t do that,” he said. “I let the good Lord handle that.”

Average age of the Center’s clients is 55 years old, with the majority of them women. Many are on Medicaid, SSI or Food Stamps. The Center is open Monday through Thursday, with doors opening between 8 and 8:30 a.m., until the 25 clients have been served.