NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Son of a Saint, the nonprofit dedicated to inspiring mentorship and transforming the lives of New Orleans’ fatherless boys, received a $1.15 million donation from Lucid Founder and CEO Patrick Comer and his wife Christina supporting Son of a Saint Scholars, the organization’s state government-authorized School Tuition Organization (STO), which collects and uses taxpayer donations to provide scholarships to students that meet the program’s income requirements to attend nonpublic schools. Son of a Saint Scholars is one of only three STOs approved by the Louisiana Department of Education to provide critical funding aid to students attending the tuition-based schools throughout the state.
The Tuition Donation Credit Program, a system established by the Louisiana Legislature, allows for STOs and also empowers Louisiana families with the financial resources to choose the school that best prepares their child for college and careers. Based on the program’s criteria, all STOs are tax-exempt, not-for-profit organizations with 501(c)(3) status. Taxpayers then earn a 100 percent credit toward their Louisiana state tax liability for the year in which they make a donation to a particular STO.
“Christina and I are firm believers that education provides the support that can lift all of us up and removing financial barriers means that more students have access to the best programs in the state,” says Comer. “Son of a Saint Scholars is a vital program that gives deserving kids the financial assistance they need to receive a quality education. Our goal is to extend support to those that don’t have the financial means necessary and to use this partnership as a way to further transform our community for the better.”
Son of a Saint shares a similar sentiment about the impact of this support and how this partnership can inspire others for success.
“This donation represents the single largest contribution for Son of a Saint Scholars in our organization’s history and will enable us to assist thousands of children who are seeking life-changing educational opportunities to attend our region’s tuition-based institutions,” says Son of a Saint Founder and CEO Bivian “Sonny” Lee III. “Forming this partnership marks a pivotal moment and sets a promising example for other visionary business leaders, in tech and other industries, to use their success in business to impact future generations of New Orleanians and uplift our community. We thank Patrick and Christina for their generous support.”
In addition to the donation, the Comer family has also helped Son of a Saint Scholars form a new relationship with another Greater New Orleans tuition-based institution, St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Metairie.
“It is a great privilege to have our unique school partner with an amazing organization like Son of a Saint,” says St. Martin’s Episcopal Interim Head of School Ford Jones Dieth Jr. ’89. “I hope to see this grow into a longstanding partnership between Son of a Saint and St. Martin’s Episcopal School.”
Since its inception in 2011, Son of a Saint has increased its mentee participants from 10 boys to now include 200 young men across Greater New Orleans. That constitutes a twentyfold increase in its 11 years of existence. As Son of a Saint continues the crucial work of mentoring and enhancing the lives of fatherless young men in the New Orleans area, the organization is poised to add more programming, more mentors and more boys to its cause, ideally reaching 250 mentee participants by the start of 2023. Son of a Saint holistically supports young men between the ages of 10 and 21, providing them with mentorship, education, mental health services and travel experiences, as well as internship and service-learning opportunities.
For more information about the organization, including programming, enrichment activities, leadership profiles and opportunities to get involved, visit www.sonofasaint.org or call (504) 655-8416. Son of a Saint also welcomes contributions or other donations, which can be mailed to P.O. Box 19205, New Orleans, LA 7017s9. Follow Son of a Saint on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter via @sonofasaintorg for live updates about the organization and its participants.
