Mt Grace for Women on Deer Pen Road won the support of the Winn Parish Police Jury in the form of a resolution concerning new construction of affordable housing, following a presentation by director Jessica Arcement and Mindy Still.

Arcement told the lawmakers that they were seeking the support of the jury as Mt Grace Adult & Teen Challenge pursues a grant for barndominium-style housing. to replace the current residential cabins.  “We’re grateful for what we have but an update is needed.”  The new construction would allow the center to grow from 32 residents to 38.

“Mt Grace for Women is the training center for women in the organization of Louisiana Adult and Teen Challenge,” Arcement explained . “We are located in Winn Parish and enjoy serving our area. LAATC is an inpatient treatment program for men and women struggling with life controlling issues. We have 8 centers in Louisiana.

“A lot of people in Winnfield think ‘Mt Grace’ is our thrift store in town. And while that is the name of our store, Mt Grace is actually the program that our store provides for. Every time you shop there, you’re giving to our program and helping us to remain a tuition-free. There’s no monthly fee to stay here so it helps us remain tuition-free. It enables us to never have to turn anyone away who can’t afford to get help. 

“We also have our cafe in Dodson that our Men’s center runs and we have a food trailer our women’s center runs, called Grace Wins. It will be opening in front of Mt Grace Thrift Store in March.  Our heart is to continue to serve Winn Parish at our local centers, Mt Grace for Women in Winnfield and Mt Grace for Men in Dodson. 

“We also want to do it with excellence and to always have the ability to improve our campuses and improve our programs. We’re grateful to our community and their willingness to always help us accomplish that.”

Jurors Author Robinson and Frank McLaren each made positive comments about the benefit of the Adult & Teen Challenge program within the community.  “It impacts lives.”