Son of a Saint, the nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring mentorship and transforming the lives of New Orleans’ fatherless boys, is pleased to announce a $275,000 pledge from Jones Walker LLP. The total financial commitment will be extended over the next five years to power Son of a Saint’s programming activities and future plans, including the naming rights within the organization’s new facility. In addition, the funding will support operational costs associated with organizational growth to strategically increase the number of Son of a Saint mentee participants. Jones Walker has actively supported and partnered with Son of a Saint since 2013.

“We believe in the mission of Son of a Saint and are proud to continue our support of this outstanding organization that provides a lasting impact on fatherless boys in our community and is building a better future for the next generation of New Orleans,” said William H. Hines, Managing Partner of Jones Walker and Son of a Saint Board of Directors Vice Chair.

The pledge from Jones Walker bolsters Son of a Saint’s ability to provide its mentees deepened and extended services across all facets of the program, including mentorship, emotional support, and development of life skills, personal enrichment and positive peer-to-peer relationships. The impactful support also extends to specific wraparound services like tutoring, mental health counseling, college and ACT prep, career development, health and wellness initiatives, plus other critical needs. The Jones Walker pledge also provides critical support for Son of a Saint’s permanent home, which will be established over the next year in its Mid-City headquarters building.

“This impactful pledge from Jones Walker will give us the ability to transform more lives. The majority of boys we serve have lost their fathers to violence or long-term incarceration and our work with them is individualized, preventative, enduring and holistic. Our first groups of boys who started with us back in 2011 are now entering higher education institutions like West Point, University of Maine, Grambling and LSU among others,” says Son of a Saint Founder and CEO Bivian “Sonny” Lee III. “Just like we stick with our boys for years, we also value the consistent treasures that companies like Jones Walker provide to allow us to continue our work. This recent pledge shows tremendous trust in not only our program model, but also our leadership. The effects of this long-lasting support cannot be understated.”

Son of a Saint has increased its class of mentees from 10 boys in its inaugural year to its current slate of 100 young men. That constitutes a more-than-tenfold increase in just nine years. 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. Son of a Saint holistically sponsors youths between the ages of 10 and 18, 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 sonofasaint.org or call 504.655.8416. Son of a Saint also welcomes contributions or other donations, which can be mailed to 2803 Saint Philip St New Orleans LA 70119. Follow Son of a Saint on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter via @sonofasaintorg for live updates about the organization and its participants.

About Jones Walker
Jones Walker LLP (joneswalker.com) is among the 120 largest law firms in the United States. We serve local, regional, national, and international business interests. With offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Texas, the firm is committed to providing a comprehensive range of legal services to major multinational, public and private corporations, Fortune® 500 companies, money center banks, worldwide insurers, and emerging companies doing business in the United States and abroad.

About Son of a Saint
Son of a Saint launched in 2011 to address the burgeoning problem of fatherless boys in the New Orleans area. Under the direction of Bivian “Sonny” Lee III, the 501(c)(3) organization is dedicated to its mission of transforming the lives of young males through mentorship, emotional support, development of life skills, exposure to constructive experiences and formation of positive, lasting peer-to-peer relationships. For more information or to get involved, visit sonofasaint.org.