Project Lazarus
Faith-Based Residence House/Assisted Living - Men/Women w/AIDS
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Volunteer Opportunities, In General * (ANY/ALL Types)
Volunteers provide important physical and emotional support to our residents. Their committed gift of time and dedication is vital to Project Lazarus' dail...
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About this facility
- Mission
- Project Lazarus was founded out of compassion and service to all people.
Project Lazarus provides services to people with AIDS who can no longer live
independently, or whose family can no longer take care of them. The primary purpose of Project Lazarus is to provide continuity of care in a homelike environment. The highest goal of Project Lazarus is to enhance the quality of life of those it serves.
Project Lazarus does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, economic status, sexual orientation, or handicap.
- Service
- Temporary
Notes
Founded in 1983, Project Lazarus is the oldest and largest residential facility providing assisted living to people with AIDS in the Gulf Coast region. Project Lazarus, initially called and still sometimes known as Lazarus House, was founded by a group of clergy and lay people who were asked to help a person with AIDS who was being discharged from the hospital, but had nowhere to live.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans responded to this need by offering the upstairs of an old convent for the purpose of housing homeless people with AIDS, thus creating the first "Residence House". The downstairs area of the facility housed the Deaf Center and Food for Friends. In 1985, this area was renovated to create another "House". Initially the program was staffed entirely by volunteers. Lazarus quickly became known as a place where people could come to live when they had no home, or when friends and family could no longer care for them.
The need was great enough that the Archdiocese again responded by allowing the program the use of a second facility. A full time Director was hired, and since that time the program and staff have continued to grow and meet the increasing needs of the community.
From the beginning, when a single house was opened to people with AIDS, Project Lazarus has increased its capacity to four houses. Each floor in the two buildings is considered a Residence House, and each house accommodates six residents in small group-home settings. Lazarus now maintains a paid staff of 32 people, and more than 150 volunteers who provide 24 hour-a-day care to its residents.
Lazarus provides both transitional and permanent housing. The four houses are created to foster a home like atmosphere, each with private bedrooms for 6 residents. Resident rooms are uniquely furnished and decorated, and residents may choose to decorate and individualize them as they wish. They are all equipped with cable television and telephones. Additionally, the houses have common living areas and bathrooms as well as family style kitchens that never
close. Project Lazarus encourages maximum independence, but provides minimum to total care based on individual need.