Community Services / Organizations

200 Legacy Dr. 
Many, LA 71449
(318) 256-4140   (800) 256-4140
Website: https://www.sabinecoa.com 

Joining hands to the elderly of Sabine Parish

The Sabine Council on Aging, Inc. is a local nonprofit agency which:

• directs service to the elderly of the parish to promote and prolong maximum independent living
• keeps abreast of the latest developments in the field of aging
• addresses the unique concerns and needs of the elderly
• provides information to the elderly about agencies and government bodies

Transportation Routes: Zwolle North, Many, Rattan/Florien, Zwolle South/ Pleasant Hill, and Converse.

Services:

• Medicaid Transportation: Shreveport Trips on Thursdays Local trips daily. Dialysis to Natchitoches Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The Council on Aging has a total of seven vans.
• Pioneer Medical System: An emergency telephone response system. A low monthly rental fee of sixteen dollars. There are forty six units in service.
• Medical Card applications: An average of 25 per month taken.
• Information and Referral: Information is provided by way of telephone or person to person for those needing assistance from another agency.
• Telephone Reassurance: A call from our agency is placed daily to the Elderly, Handicapped or live-alone on weekdays. An average of 38 daily.
• Outreach: Initial seek and search activities to identify isolated and hard to reach individuals in order to assist them in gaining access to needed services. An average of 60 per month.
• Elderly Abuse or Neglect: Our agency provides a source to report instances of abuse and neglect and refer that information to the appropriate agency.
• Ombudsman: If a family member of a resident of nursing home or the resident himself has a complaint, an agency representative will review the complaint and attempt to resolve the problem.
• Legal Assistance: Legal seminars are held throughout Sabine Parish concerning topics of interest to the Elderly. Free one-on-one legal consulting with a lawyer.
• Education: Assistance for older persons to attain and maintain a favorable condition of health by helping them identify and understand their health needs and to secure and utilize necessary preventive and medical care. The SCOA has a Nutrition Consultant.
• Recreation: Bingo, Crafts, Trips, Quilting. Various activities are held at each site every month.
• Meals: The agency provides nutritious, hot meals to participants who are able to attend a meal site and to those qualified individuals who are homebound. The SCOA has four meal sites: Many serves an average of 17 daily; Zwolle serves an average of 20 daily; Pleasant Hill serves an average of 18 daily; and Converse serves an average of 10 daily.
• Homebound Meals: Homebound Meals are delivered to elderly who are homebound. These clients receive one hot meal daily. We serve approximately 255 clients a day.
• Advocacy: Action on behalf of older persons to secure needed services and benefits.
• Adult Medicaid Waiver: (Administered by DHH) Other wise known as Personal Care Attendants. We are presently serving two slots.

CONTRIBUTIONS:
Sponsor a Senior Citizen
If you would like to sponsor a senior citizen of Sabine Parish, please send the following information along with your contribution to the address above:
Amount: $______ Annually__   Quarterly__     Monthly__    In memory of:_____________
Your contribution is TAX DEDUCTIBLE; For a receipt please include your name and complete address.
Volunteer Your Time
If you wish to be a volunteer, please contact us with your Name, Address, and Area of Interest at the address or telephone number above.

15901 Texas Highway
Many, La 71449-5718
Telephone (318) 256-4112     Toll Free (800) 259-LAKE  (259-5253)     Fax (318) 256-4179
or visit https://www.srala-toledo.com/

Toledo Bend Lake

The Toledo Bend Project was constructed by the Sabine River Authority, State of Louisiana and the Sabine River Authority of Texas, primarily for the purpose of water supply, hydroelectric power generation and recreation. Construction of the Project began in April 1964 with completion of the power plant in 1969. The Reservoir is located in Louisiana and Texas on the Sabine River, which forms a portion of the boundary between the two states.

Toledo Bend Reservoir is the largest man-made body of water in the South, and the fifth largest in surface acres in the United States with water normally covering an area of 185,000 acres at full pool stage. From the damsite the reservoir extends up the river for about 65 miles to Logansport, Louisiana.

The Reservoir with its 1,200 miles of shoreline, offers an almost unlimited opportunity for recreational development and is a major element in serving the growing demand for water oriented outdoor recreation. Both private and public facilities are available for swimming, boating, fishing, picnicking, camping, etc.

The Toledo Bend area is unique for retirement. It is ideally suited to all ages. It offers a temperate climate, recreation, clean air and water, choice homesites, low property taxes, police and fire protection, and a stable economy in a scenic and historic setting in Western Louisiana.

Leaseback and Permits

As the regulatory authority for Toledo Bend Reservoir, Sabine River Authority of Louisiana has the responsibility of insuring the proper use of the shoreline of Toledo Bend by adjacent landowners. As such the leaseback and permit program was developed.

The leaseback along the shore of Toledo Bend is land owned by the SRA which lays between the top of power pool elevation of 172 feet and the take line, normally at the 175 foot elevation. This land was leased to the adjacent property owner and the leaseback agreement is a means whereby the private land owners may have the use of this property.

The lessee, or his heirs, has the right to remain in possession of the leaseback agreement for 99 years. The Leaseback Agreement allows for the construction and ownership of docks, boathouses, wharves and retaining walls for boating, fishing and swimming. The lessee also enjoys the exclusive use of the whole area to grow and to cultivate and to cut and remove timber and agricultural crops, including grazing of animals.

Applications must be made for and permission granted by the SRA to locate piers, docks, boathouses or other facilities that extend into the reservoir below the 172 foot elevation.

Although the lessee enjoys many privileges with the Leaseback Agreement, there are some restrictions: because the land below the 175 foot elevation is subject to flooding, buildings or structures for human habitation are not permitted on leaseback. Also in an effort to keep the waters of Toledo Bend pure, no bathroom facilities, septic tanks, oxidation ponds or tanks are permitted in the leaseback area.

A fee of $35 is charged for any permit to construct a dock, boathouse, wharves or retaining wall. Also, a permit transfer fee of $35 is required for ownership changes. Water withdrawal permits have an annual fee of $50. Anyone having questions or desiring information on leasebacks or permits should contact the Sabine River Authority at (318) 256-4112.

SRA Parks

The Sabine River Authority also owns and operates five large recreation parks on Toledo Bend Reservoir. These parks have a total combined area of 738 acres and offer several different services to the public. Each park contains a boat launching ramp, parking area, restroom facilities and areas for primitive camping. In addition to these facilities, San Miguel, Cypress Bend Park, and Pleasure Point Park also have a total of 180 RV trailer spurs, with either partial or complete utility hook-ups.

Toledo Bend Tourist Information Center

The Sabine River Authority also operates the Toledo Bend Tourist Information Center. Located at the foot of Pendleton Bridge on Highway 6 West, the center is open seven days a week and staffed to give tourists information on Sabine Parish and surrounding areas. They can also give anyone information on lodging, restaurants, marinas, fishing reports, etc. If you should need to contact our Information Center you can call (318)256-4114 or (800) 259-LAKE.

Clearing Boot Lanes & Recreational Areas

The Sabine River Authority’s stump cutting barges are steadily working to clear boat lanes and recreational areas. SRA is continuing to place buoy markings along the boat lanes to insure a safer lake for all to enjoy.

Enhancement Programs for Bass Fishing

The Lunker Bass Program the Sabine River Authority initiated several years ago rewards any angler catching a bass weighing 10 pounds or more with a replica of his catch if he agrees to release it live back into the reservoir. Also during the last three years, the SRA has contributed in excess of $150,000 to the Florida Bass Stocking Program bringing the total to over 8.5 million fingerlings placed in the Reservoir since the beginning of the program. A special live release barge, donated by Shimano Corporation to the SRA, is used in major tournaments to increase the number of live fish returned to Toledo Bend. For the last few years the Lunker Bass Program has been funded by the Toledo Bend Lake Association.

Taylor House c/o Project Celebration, Inc. 
Community Development Programs
580 West Main St.
Many, LA 71449
Phone (318) 256-6242     Fax (318) 256-2064
Taylor House Sabine Shelter: (318) 256-3408      (877) 256-6242 toll free

The Taylor House, located in Many, is a safe house for victims of domestic violence.

The Taylor House is a refurbished boarding house, fully equipped to support both victims and their children in a residential setting. It is a transitional house – between a crisis shelter and the outside world – for these families. The residents will be preparing to attend college, begin trade school or seek employment.

Taylor House provides domestic violence victims:

• A caring environment in which to begin a new life
• Individual and group counseling
• Assistance with legal, medical, and financial problems
• Assistance finding employment and/or returning to school
• Community education. Speakers are available to talk to interested groups and organizations about domestic violence and our program.

Facts about Domestic Violence

• A woman is battered every 8 seconds
• Half of all women in intimate relationships suffer at some time from domestic violence
• 50% of all girls who grow up with domestic violence grow up to be abused in their adult relationship
• 70% of all boys who witness violence in the home grow up to abuse their adult mates
• Every day, seven women die at the hands of their abuser
• Every year, more than five billion dollars is spent on family violence

Crisis Numbers

• June Jenkins (800) 54ABUSE
• Turning Point (800) 960-9436
• Hope House (318) 487-2061
• Many Police (318) 256-5617
• Sabine Sheriff (318) 256-9241
• Mansfield Police (318) 872-0520
• DeSoto Sheriff (318) 872-3956
• YWCA (800) 338-6536

Things to remember if physically attacked:

• Do whatever is necessary to protect yourself
• If possible, shield your face, head and abdomen. Call for help.
• Consider leaving with your children as soon as possible
• Get medical help
• Petition a court in your area for retraining order. This will prevent the abuser from having contact with you or your children.

If you would like to make donations, mail to the address above.

290 Pico Street (in Wrights’ Shopping Center)
Many, La. 71449
(318) 256-3491.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), was born in the Dust Bowl days of the 1930’s. NRCS is the federal agency that works with private landowners to help them protect their natural resources. This service is offered at no cost to landowners.

NRCS works in close cooperation with local soil and water conservation districts through local field offices that serve nearly every county in the nation to provide the technical assistance landowners need.

The Many field office serves all people who live and work on the land. The majority of technical assistance goes to helping farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners develop conservation systems suited to their land and individual ways of doing business. Rural and urban communities seek help in combating erosion, conserving and protecting water, and solving other resource problems. The local office helps local Resources Conservation and Development (RC & D) councils identify and solve human, economic, and environmental problems. They also work with schools, environmental groups and others by providing educational information programs. To help Sabine Parish landowners solve their problems they have the following USDA costshare programs available to assist:

• Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) – Jointly implemented by FSA and NRCS, this program establishes conservation priority areas where water, soil, and related natural resource problems exist. The program establishes five to 10 year contracts to provide technical assistance and pays up to 75 percent of the cost of conservation practices such as composting, dead litter facilities, ponds, cross-fencing, tree planting on pasture and cropland only, wells, and erosion control.
• Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) – The program provides technical assistance and cost-share payments to landowners interested in improving upland wildlife habitat, wetland wildlife habitat, threatened or endangered species habitat, fisheries and other wildlife habitat. Landowners may receive cost-share payments amounting to 75 percent of the cost of establishing eligible conservation practices, but total payments not exceeding $10,000 per individual. The NRCSs will develop a Wildlife Habitat Development Plan of Operations, which identifies necessary conservation practices, baseline wildlife habitat conditions, and a schedule of implementation and maintenance. Cost-share conservation practices must be maintained for a minimum of 10 years.
• Forestry Incentives Program (FIP)- This is a program for private, non-industrial forest landowners who own no more than 1,000 acres of eligible land and have land suitable for producing marketable timber crops. FIP is designed to share tree-planting and forest management expenses with eligible, private landowners to prevent future shortages of sawtimber, plywood logs and quality hardwood logs. Land owners can receive up to $5,000 dollars to enhance their timber land

Other programs such as Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetland Reserve Program(WRP), and others may be available if your land can qualify. All USDA services and programs are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, martial status, or handicap.

The Toledo Bend Lake Association (formerly Louisiana Toledo Bend Lake Association) is simply a group of citizens deeply interested in the community in which we live, a group of people involved in the betterment of the Toledo Bend Lake area. At present our membership total 150 persons with varying backgrounds and occupations. We are not a political organization, nor do we have an affiliation with any stale or federal agency. We are a nonprofit organization.

In recent time the Toledo Bend Lake Association has been deeply involved in the following projects:

• Florida Bass Restocking Programs
• Roadside Cleanup efforts
• Bass Tournament Promotions
• Parish Wide Recycling Program

For more information about the club or joining you can write to Toledo Bend Lake Association at P.O. Box 5, Many, La. 71449. Please joint today, we need your input, your ideas, and your enthusiasm.

290 Pico Street (in the Wrights’ Shopping Center)
Many, LA 71449
(318) 256-3491

The Sabine SWCD is a legal subdivision of the Louisiana State government responsible for the conservation of soil and water resources within its boundaries. Districts are governed by supervisors that are “farm friendly” and environmentally sensitive. Districts have a grassroots representation whose mission extends beyond production agriculture to achieve sustainability and environmental goals. The District boundaries and organizational structures are receptive to total resources and ecological management systems instead of singularly focusing on single treatments. The major function of the SWCD is to analyze needs, and develop a long-range program aimed at solving problems of soil and water conservation.

Through the District, these problems are solved largely by landusers with technical and educational assistance furnished by various organizations and agencies of government. Most of the technical assistance to the District is furnished by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The District, with NRCS help, assists landowners, land-users, operators and units of local and state government in solving soil, water, and related problems in the District. The District considers everybody in the parish as part of our conservation team. To meet this challenge the District Board and assisting agencies require participants to:

• attend district Board meetings and make suggestions
• become a cooperator with the Sabine · SWCD
• develop and carryout a conservation plan on your land
• become aware of our conservation needs and let lawmakers know of your concerns for these needs
• demand that community leaders plan ahead and use our land and its resources wisely
• encourage conservation education so that the youth are more aware of the environment and will become better stewards of soil and water resources
• help conserve the resources of the parish – soil and water conservation is everyone’s job!

If possible, volunteer your time! Remember everyone can man make a difference even if volunteers can only spend one hour a week.

The District has been recognized in the state and the nation for its conservation information and education programs. For the past three years, the District has been awarded top honors for their Soil and Water Stewardship activities. The District has won and has been awarded the NACD/Goodyear Award honor District for the past two years. Along with these accolades, the District has also won two national awards for their public information campaign for their “Deer Hunters Workshop” and print media for their “Volunteer Program” during 1998 under the National Association of Conservation District Equipment Manufacturers Institute (NACDIEMI) District Outreach Awards.

The Sabine SWCD includes 647,354 acres, which covers all of Sabine Parish. The district is governed by a five-member board of supervisors. The five-member board consist of three members elected by local landowners and two appointed by the State Soil and Water Conservation Committee.

All District services and programs are offered on a non discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap.