In 1959, Herbert and Irlene Sam started A-Rocket Moving and Storage. Motivated with the compassion he saw his mother (Angelle Breaux) give to others as a young boy, Herbert felt compelled to employ people that needed a second chance. Those people often included the least, the lost, and the last, ex-offenders. His mother’s motto was “When you know better, you’ll do better.” It’s a basic principle that has contributed to the success of A-Rocket for the last 49 years. The company has been equipping people through training and example for almost a half of a century. At A-Rocket, a man could be trained in the moving and storage business, and based on job performance be promoted to supervisor,regardless of his past. Hard work and diligence was enough to start him and his family on the pathway to living a whole and complete life and making a valuable contribution to their community.

They began helping others because it was the right thing to do. In the surrounding communities there were limited reform programs and businesses that were helping this large and growing population with employment. Mr. Sam and his son DeAndre, who has been the CEO of the company for the last 25 years, have modeled a good work ethic for these men and taught them the value of earning a good day’s wage. A-Rocket Moving and Storage has often been a place where these men have had their manhood restored after the emasculating experience of prison.

Mr. Sam in the latter years of his life had a desire to do more than just provide second chance employment to this under-served segment of our population. Over the years he’s recognized the value of A-Rocket being a family oriented company and embraced his employees like they were family. In 2003, Angelle's Project was birthed as a result of his love for the community and the disenfranchised.