NEW ORLEANS — Closing out her "Month of Giving," New Orleans Saints and Pelican's owner Gayle Benson announced she is funding the construction of a new Good Shepherd School in full.
The Gayle and Tom Benson Good Shepherd Elementary School: Giving Hope Campus will be located on Desire Street in the Florida/Desire Neighborhood. This will be GSS's second location.
Mrs. Benson announced GSS students and staff with the help of mascots Sir Saint and Pierre the Pelican.
"It will not only contribute to the continued success of the Good Shepherd School, but it will also pave the way for a new chapter in its history," Benson said. "It is our hope that this campus becomes a beacon of hope. A place where dreams are cultivated and futures are shaped."
In the last few years, Catholic schools across our area have been closing largely due to funding and lack of enrollment, but GSS is beating the odds and is now able to expand with this donation.
GSS President and CEO Thomas Moran said, "It allows us to serve students in the community they live in."
Moran said the GSS school was founded in 2001 by the late Fr. Harry Tompson. His goal was to help low-income kids reach their potential by giving them a high-quality, faith-based education, with support beyond the classroom. It's a mission Moran said they can now continue to fulfill with the donation from Mrs. Benson.
"To know children will have an elementary school there that children can walk to, parents can go right across the street to the Giving Hope Center or to the Thrive Training Center and get everything that they need without leaving that community, that's what we want to do. We're changing the lives of children and their entire families," said Moran.
An exact amount for the donation was not released, nor was the date on when the new school could be completed.
In addition to a new school, students were also treated to two free tickets to see The Nutcracker just in time for the holiday season.
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