Bayou Community Foundation Awards $57,900 to Nine Local Nonprofits for Hurricane Zeta Relief

The Bayou Community Foundation (BCF) awarded grants totaling $57,900 to nonprofit organizations serving residents in Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes and Grand Isle today from its Bayou Recovery Fund for Hurricane Zeta Relief.

The grants fund emergency distributions of hot meals and nonperishable food, clothing, roof tarps and building materials, and economic recovery programs to help local residents most impacted by Hurricane Zeta’s landfall on October 28. In total this year, the Foundation has funded 117 grants valued at $882,000 for local nonprofit programs that fill critical needs in our community.

“Bayou Community Foundation is pleased serve as the philanthropic ‘bucket’ for our community, providing an effective way for individuals, families and corporate donors to help local victims of Hurricane Zeta. All contributions we have received fund these emergency grants to local nonprofits that are providing critical relief and rebuilding services,” said Bayou Community Foundation President Henry Lafont during the virtual grants ceremony.

“This is the fifth grants program for BCF during this challenging year, an amazing testament to the work of our community foundation to create a compassionate and sustainable Bayou Region,” Lafont said.

On October 28, Hurricane Zeta came ashore at Cocodrie, causing widespread damage and power outages across southern Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. Communities like Grand Isle, Leeville and Golden Meadow were hit especially hard by the high winds and storm surge.   One day later, Bayou Community Foundation activated the Bayou Recovery Fund for Hurricane Zeta Relief to begin accepting contributions from donors who wanted to help storm victims with recovery and rebuilding, and to open an emergency grants program for local nonprofits providing relief services.   Corporate supporters of the fund include BHP and Entergy Louisiana.

“2020 has been an incredibly challenging year with a global pandemic, economic crisis, and the most active hurricane season on record. South Louisiana has experienced significant impacts from all three events, but these communities have an incredible resilient spirit and it is inspiring to see people on the ground supporting each other. We hope that our contribution and partnership with the Bayou Community Foundation will help enable the important work of local organizations for our neighbors,” said Selby Bush, Head of Corporate Affairs for BHP.

In addition to the $57,900 in Hurricane Zeta relief grants directly funded by BCF, funding partners Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and the Al Copeland Foundation have awarded $23,000 in grants to five local nonprofits through BCF’s Hurricane Zeta Grants Program. This brings the total funding for local hurricane relief grants to $80,900.

BCF was established in 2012 by Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish residents who, after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2010 oil spill, recognized the need for a community foundation to strengthen our Bayou Region and to serve as a philanthropic vehicle to accept donations and make grants in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. Bayou Community Foundation is a tax-exempt public charity located in Houma, LA.

For more information on the Bayou Community Foundation, visit www.BayouCF.org or contact Executive Director Jennifer Armand at ArmandJ@BayouCF.org

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Plymouth Rock Baptist Church, Houma

$11,000 for food distribution in Smith Ridge and Chauvin

Bless Your Heart Nonprofit, Larose

$10,000 for food basket distribution in Golden Meadow

The Hope Center, Galliano

$10,000 for home repair and rebuilding assistance for local residents

Lifting Hands Ministry, Thibodaux

$5,500 for hot meals for first responders and south Lafourche residents

Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church, Grand Isle

$5,000 for hot meals distributed to Grand Isle residents

Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, Montegut

$5,000 for roof tarps, building materials for repairs, and food assistance for tribal members

Terrebonne Churches United Food Bank, Houma

$4,000 for food distribution

Friends of Bayou Lafourche, Thibodaux

$3,900 for “Fish Leeville” south Lafourche business recovery program

Gulf Coast Baptist Church, Galliano

$3,500 for commercial cooking equipment to provide hot meals in south Lafourche

In addition to these direct grants from Bayou Community Foundation, we are pleased to announce the following grants awarded by our funding partners through BCF’s Hurricane Zeta Grants Program:

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation – $19,000 to four local nonprofits:

Faith Ministries International, Gray, $3,000 – distribution of food and cleaning supplies to families in Dularge, Chauvin and Pointe-aux-Chenes

Lifted by Love, Houma, $6,000 – non-perishable food and bag lunches, infant formula, diapers and wipes, and clothing distributed to hurricane victims in Terrebonne Parish

Second Harvest Food Bank, $5,000 – warehousing and transportation of food distributed to Lafourche and Terrebonne food pantries

Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, Montegut – $5,000 – roof tarps, building materials for repairs, and food assistance for tribal members

Al Copeland Foundation – $4,000 to Rotary Club of Golden Meadow for Christmas food and toy distribution for needy families in south Lafourche