[PHOTOS] Bayou Community Foundation Grants $327,100 to 32 Local Nonprofits

The Bayou Community Foundation (BCF) awarded grants totaling $327,100 to 32 nonprofit organizations working in Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Grand Isle to fill critical needs in our coastal communities, particularly as the area recovers from Hurricane Ida. 

The 32 nonprofits gathered for the annual ceremony which filled the room with people across the bayou region that put their hearts into the community. The grants will fund food and medicine distribution, baby supplies and parenting resources, homeless housing, women and children in crisis, mental health counseling, addiction recovery programs, education and job training for at-risk youth, along with other services that meet the needs of residents most impacted by Hurricane Ida.

“Faced with unimaginable challenges in the wake of Hurricane Ida, nonprofit organizations are working harder and shining brighter than ever before. Today, Bayou Community Foundation celebrates the local nonprofits that work tirelessly to help the neediest among us and demonstrate the compassion and resiliency of our unique Bayou community,” said President Henry Lafont. “Thanks to the amazing generosity of our donors, BCF is delighted to fund $327,100 in grants to 32 organizations that are feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, protecting the vulnerable, and making our entire community an even better place to call home.”

BCF, which has been in operation since the Fall of 2012, has strived to help nonprofits to further assist community needs. Since 2013, the foundation has funded 242 grants for $1.97 million through its Annual Nonprofit Grants Program which helps nonprofit organizations deliver critical human services, education, workforce development, and coastal awareness programs. BCF has also funded nearly $6 million in grants from the Bayou Recovery Fund since 2020 to support relief and recovery efforts following Hurricanes Ida and Zeta along with a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is truly the most wonderful day of the year for Bayou Community Foundation as we witness the power of philanthropy at work! With generous gifts to our Grants Fund and Bayou Recovery Fund, donors have opened their hearts and pocketbooks to help sustain these critical nonprofit programs and support our community on our road to recovery,” said Executive Director Jennifer Armand. “We thank our grantees for their important work and our donors for making today’s grants possible. Giving makes great things happen!”

The grants would not be possible without the generous support from donors. Donors for the foundation’s 2022 Grants Program include The Gheens Foundation, Chevron, Callais Family Fund, along with local individuals, families, and businesses who are passionate about our coastal community and its hurricane recovery.

“At Chevron, we believe in contributing to the communities where we live and work,” said Leah Brown, Public Affairs Manager for Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. “We’re proud to support the Bayou Community Foundation and their mission to build and sustain Lafourche Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Grand Isle. We look forward seeing the positive impact these grants will produce in the near term, as well as what we can continue to accomplish together in the future.”

“The Bayou Community Foundation grant will support our current efforts to provide housing for mothers and their babies, and fund our new Diaper Bank to distribute diapers, wipes, and formula and fill basic baby needs that are costly and in short supply,” said Amanda Oden, Executive Director of nonprofit Lifted by Love. “We hope to be able to provide more support on a larger scale on a more frequent basis so families have the resources they need for their children to thrive. We are grateful for the continued support of Bayou Community Foundation and excited to share our latest project with the families in our community,”

Congratulations to the following 32 organizations that received grants from BCF totaling $327,100 during a ceremony yesterday at the Larose Civic Center:

A Place of Restoration – $10,000 – Construction of family recovery and educational development center

Bayou Civic Club – $10,000 – Repair and replace tables, benches, and canopies around Larose Regional Park

Beacon Light Baptist Church – $10,000 – Distribution of food and supplies at a food pantry in northern Terrebonne Parish

Bunkhouse Shelter, Inc. – $10,000 – Emergency shelter and hot meals for the homeless in Terrebonne & Lafourche

CASA of Terrebonne – $10,000 – Recruitment and training for new CASA volunteers

Catholic Charities Houma-Thibodaux – $55,000 – Caritas food bank and mobile food pantry in East Houma

Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center – $10,000 – Parenting program, an emergency fund for clients in crisis

Faith Ministries, International – $7,000 – Distribution of food and household supplies to the needy

Fletcher Tech Comm College Foundation – $10,000 – Industry certification courses for Falcon Academy students

Friends of P.A.C.T. Place – $3,350 – Parent Café sessions to support and strengthen families in crisis

Girls on the Run Bayou Region – $2,500 – Curriculum & supplies for life skills program in Terrebonne & Lafourche

Helio Foundation – $10,000 – Food distributed at Mom’s Pantry in four Lafourche & Terrebonne schools

Hope Extreme – $13,250 – Hope Fridges in East Houma to provide fresh food to those in need

Hope Restored Pregnancy Resource Center – $10,000 – Parenting & healthy relationship education for fathers

Jacob’s Ladder – $5,000 – Addiction recovery programs & industry certification training for incarcerated individuals

Lafourche ARC – $5,000 – Sign-making equipment for new work program for individuals with disabilities

Lafourche Education Foundation – $10,000 – Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library books for preschool children

Lifted by Love – $12,000 – Transitional housing program for 25 young women and children

MacDonell Children’s Services – $11,000 – Laptops, internet access for student and young adult residents

New Life Counseling Center – $7,000 – Reduced-cost mental health counseling sessions for underserved residents

Plymouth Rock Baptist Church – $3,000 – Distribution of food and household supplies to the needy

St. Vincent de Paul Tri-Parish Pharmacy – $10,000 – Distribution of 3,600 free prescriptions to the poor and elderly

Terrebonne ARC – $10,000 – Cooking equipment to support work program for individuals with disabilities

Terrebonne Churches United Food Bank – $8,500 – Distribution of food and household supplies to the needy

Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence – $10,000 – Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

The Haven – $10,000 – Domestic Violence Flexible Housing Fund providing safe homes for 40-50 families in need

Upside Downs, Inc. – $10,000 – Annual community event for young people with disabilities and their families

Wallace Community Center – $5,000 – Beyond the Bell after-school program for needy youth in Alidore community

We Can All Ring – $3,500 – Speaker system for bell concerts performed by individuals with disabilities