About Us
About Us
52% of formerly incarcerated individuals are rearrested within three years, largely due to the lack of stable housing and employment. Global Assistance Initiatives provides safe supportive housing and critical resources such as job training, life skills training and counseling to ensure successful reintegration into the community.
Our Mission
We're dedicated to assisting formerly incarcerated individuals as they navigate the journey back into society. Through a combination of secure housing and holistic support services, we bridge the gap between release and long-term independence. Our goal is simple: to provide the stability required to reduce recidivism and help our residents become productive, empowered members of their communities
Our Vision
While Global Assistance Initiative is newly incorporated as a nonprofit, our mission is already in motion. Over the past 12 months, we operated as a private transitional housing initiative (Global Assistance Living Facilities), successfully providing housing and a fresh start for 14 individuals. We’ve done the groundwork, refined our model, and seen the lives changed firsthand. Now, we are transitioning to a 501(c)(3) structure to scale our reach and invite the community to help us house the next 14 and beyond.
Meet Our Founder
Grace Ayers | Founder & Executive Director
Grace Ayers is a seasoned Professional Paralegal and Civil Law Notary with over 18 years of comprehensive experience in the legal industry. Since entering the field in 2008, Grace has developed a diverse portfolio, navigating the complexities of Personal Injury and Family Law with precision and expertise. Her career is defined by her ab
Grace Ayers is a seasoned Professional Paralegal and Civil Law Notary with over 18 years of comprehensive experience in the legal industry. Since entering the field in 2008, Grace has developed a diverse portfolio, navigating the complexities of Personal Injury and Family Law with precision and expertise. Her career is defined by her ability to build and sustain organizational infrastructure. She has served as a vital consultant for multiple companies across New Orleans and Oklahoma City, most notably Khans Codes and Standards and Good Shevron. In these roles, Grace was instrumental in the foundational startup phase, architecting comprehensive operational procedures and drafting the critical governing documents essential for daily functionality and long-term compliance for those companies. This history of strategic leadership includes her tenure as the Paralegal for Liberty Bank, where she was instrumental in assisting with corporate governance and strategic planning. Today, Grace leverages her expertise as the owner of Global Assistance, a firm providing specialized freelance paralegal support and expert notary services to legal teams and individuals alike. Dedicated to the highest standards of her craft, Grace is an active member of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) and the National Notary Association (NNA). Beyond her corporate achievements, Grace is a prominent advocate for community restoration and youth empowerment. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Daughters Beyond Incarceration (DBI), an organization dedicated to supporting girls ages 8–18 impacted by parental incarceration through mentorship, wellness programs, and youth-led advocacy. Furthermore, she is the founder of Global Assistance Initiatives, a nonprofit providing housing and reintegration resources for formerly incarcerated individuals. Grace’s work represents a unique blend of sophisticated operational strategy, legal precision, and a lifelong commitment to social equity and generational healing.
Meet Our Board of Directors
Latoya Beaulieu | Chair & Secretary
Latoya Beaulieu | Chair & Secretary
Latoya Beaulieu | Chair & Secretary
Latoya Beaulieu serves as Chair and Secretary of Global Assistance Initiatives (GAI), an organization dedicated to expanding access to safe, stable housing for formerly incarcerated individuals and supporting successful community reentry. In this role, she provides board leadership, maintains official records and meeting documentation, a
Latoya Beaulieu serves as Chair and Secretary of Global Assistance Initiatives (GAI), an organization dedicated to expanding access to safe, stable housing for formerly incarcerated individuals and supporting successful community reentry. In this role, she provides board leadership, maintains official records and meeting documentation, and helps strengthen governance practices that promote accountability, confidentiality, and program effectiveness. Her professional background includes public-sector eligibility work with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services and Texas Health and Human Services, where she supported individuals and families by determining eligibility for programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, and disability-related benefits. She has also provided direct community services through Catholic Charities and Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Latoya holds an Associate degree in Health Information Technology from Delgado Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management from Western Governors University. She brings a strong commitment to service, compliance, and results-driven support for individuals rebuilding their lives through housing stability.
Janasia “Asia” Ayers | Treasurer
Latoya Beaulieu | Chair & Secretary
Latoya Beaulieu | Chair & Secretary
Janasia is a resident of Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She provides executive leadership and strategic oversight within healthcare and medical social services, focusing on compassionate, patient and client-centered care for individuals and families facing complex challenges. Asia earned degrees from the University of Southern Miss
Janasia is a resident of Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She provides executive leadership and strategic oversight within healthcare and medical social services, focusing on compassionate, patient and client-centered care for individuals and families facing complex challenges. Asia earned degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and Louisiana State University. Throughout her academic journey, she was honored for scholastic excellence earning induction into Phi Alpha’s Honor Society. In her leadership roles, Asia champions ethical practice, equity, and community-centered service. She is a vocal advocate for marginalized populations, ensuring they have access to dignity and support. She also prioritizes continuous learning, particularly in cultural competency. Asia also serves as Treasurer for a Louisiana-based nonprofit supporting formerly incarcerated individuals, providing financial oversight and contributing to strategic planning for impactful ways to give back.
Additionally, she owns multiple businesses: two LLCs in the baking, confectionery, and beverage industry, and a Professional Limited Liability Company (PLLC) focused on supportive services, including social and financial planning services.
Those who meet Asia recognize her vibrant, compassionate leadership. A devoted mother and positive role model, she guides others with her motto: “If you want it, let’s make it happen.” Asia values strong relationships, transformative impact, and building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Anthony Hingle Jr. | Director
Latoya Beaulieu | Chair & Secretary
Anthony Hingle Jr. | Director
Anthony was born and raised in New Orleans and was always a hard worker. He started working at the early age of 14 in NORD programs and the service industry, up until his incarceration at 18. He was also a self-taught barber in the community and perfected that craft while doing time as a means of surviving financially. On April 1st, 2021
Anthony was born and raised in New Orleans and was always a hard worker. He started working at the early age of 14 in NORD programs and the service industry, up until his incarceration at 18. He was also a self-taught barber in the community and perfected that craft while doing time as a means of surviving financially. On April 1st, 2021, after 32 years in Angola, Anthony’s conviction was amended, and he was released. While in Angola, Anthony grew, matured, and furthered his education by completing a Computer Technology course with Northwest Missouri Community College and a Carpentry Trade from Jumonville Technical College. Adding to his resume of accomplishments in the quest for bettering himself, he completed numerous Self-Help programs, including “Thinking for A Change,” “CPR,” “Financial Management,” “Effective Listening,” “Leading from Here to There," "First Responder Training,” and “Basic Life Skills Awareness.” Anthony has always been one to help others, and that passion has grown extensively through his experience working and caring for those in the infirmary wards and the medical dormitories while in Angola. Through his passion for helping others, he developed two programs: 1) “The Walk Through: The Reality of a Life Sentence” geared towards Re-Entry Mentees, and 2) “The Annual Patient Indoor Recreation Challenge” for the disabled and elderly. “The Walk Through: The Reality of a Life Sentence” gave Re-Entry Mentees with short sentences the understanding of a life sentence by way of spending time in the hospital wards talking with dying men who have spent 30, 40, or 50 years of their lives incarcerated. Anthony’s barber skills also afforded him the platform to share his story one-on-one with the Re-Entry Mentees in hopes of guiding them to the right path. “The Annual Patient Indoor Recreation Challenge” gave an opportunity for those confined to wheelchairs to participate in sports activities that were doable for their conditions, such as Putt-Putt Golf, Football Toss, Pool Table Shootout, Dart Accuracy, Frisbee Glide, etc. The Challenge was initially planned as a one-time activity, but it was so successful and uplifting that it was made annual for 6 years in a row. Now that he’s home, Anthony wants to be a voice for incarcerated people who don’t always have one. At Voice of the Experienced (VOTE), a grassroots organization founded and run by formerly incarcerated people (FIP) to help build power among FIP and currently incarcerated people, Anthony is focused on being a liaison between the incarcerated community and the free world. As the Office Assistant and the Lead Correspondent to all communications coming from the inside from currently incarcerated people, Anthony is the first contact and face for many people reaching out to VOTE.
Anthony is also an Ambassador for The Visiting Room Project (TVRP). TVRP began as a digital experience to allow the public to sit face-to-face with people in Louisiana serving life without parole (LWOP) to hear them tell their stories, in their own words. When people featured in TVRP started to come home, the program added Ambassadors. As a TVRP Ambassador, Anthony continues to share his story on panels and engagements that offer the public a look at why second chances should be afforded. He has a number of ideas for ways to connect communities and change the narrative around CIP and FIP. Stay tuned. In addition, Anthony also sits on the advisory board for THNOC(The Historic New Orleans Collection) for the “Captive State: Louisiana and the making of Mass Incarceration. He was also a member in the DBI(Death By Incarceration) Coalition that traveled to the UN to advocate to end any sentence in the United States that exceeds life expectancy. Now he’s part of a Coalition that’s encouraging and trying to process more Compassionate Medical Release in the state of Louisiana.