Nonprofit Impact: Families Helping Families

Featuring: Families Helping Familiesof Southwest Louisiana Assisting Those With Disabilities Since 1992 

Susah Riehn is the executive director of Families Helping Families SWLA. She began working for the organization the year of its conception in 1992 and acquired her current position in 2023. In this installment of Nonprofit Impact, we hear from her to discover the irreplaceable work Families Helping Families is doing in the local community.  

What is the overall goal of Families Helping Families? 

We are a one-stop shop for individuals with disabilities and their families. Our team provides information and referrals, education and training, peer support and advocacy skills. What makes us unique is all of our program staff have personal experience. They have children with disabilities, live with a disability themselves, or in some cases, both. 

Our mission is to enable and empower individuals with disabilities and their families by providing information, referrals, education, training, peer support and advocacy skills. Our vision is that all individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to attend school, live, work and play in their own community. 

What are your top three immediate priorities? 

We remain committed to continue serving families throughout our five-parish area, secure funding to strengthen our early childhood program, and providing education and training to address the everyday challenges of living with a disability. 

What is the everyday impact you see in the local community stemming from your Families Helping Families? 

I love when families realize help is out there, and they’re not walking this journey alone. That’s why we do what we do. 

What do you wish people knew about Families Helping Families that you feel is not understood? 

We really are families helping families. We’ve been there: searching for answers, looking for help, feeling overwhelmed. That’s why we’re here to walk beside you. We do our best to connect people with the right resources, show them how to use them and support them as they make your way through the maze of services. Nobody has to do this alone. 

For more information, visit fhfswla.org.