History

Evergreen Presbyterian Ministries was organized in 1959 in north Louisiana as a mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).   The ministry began when the parents of four young men with developmental disabilities dreamed of a place where their children could live as normal a life as possible, reach for their potential and become valued, contributing members of society.  The Presbyterian Church shared this important vision, and an old abandoned school building was secured in the community of Evergreen, becoming Evergreen School and serving individuals with disabilities.

By 1980, Evergreen quickly grew to serve almost 300 students, and the name was changed to the Evergreen Developmental Center.  The 1980’s brought to the field of disabilities a shift from institutional care to more community-based services.  Evergreen opened its first community home in north Louisiana.  In 1980, over 90% of Evergreen’s clients were served in an institutional setting, and by 1993, over 90% of Evergreen’s 300 clients were served in the community setting.