Bayou Community Foundation Grants $226,000 to 30 Local Nonprofits

HOUMA, La (press release) – The Bayou Community Foundation (BCF) awarded grants totaling $226,000 to 30 nonprofit organizations working in Lafourche, Terrebonne and Grand Isle today to fill critical needs in our Bayou Region.

“The past year has tested us all, and through it all, our nonprofits have shined brighter than ever before. Today, Bayou Community Foundation celebrates our 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 $226,000 in grants to 30 organizations that are feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, protecting the vulnerable and making our entire community an even better place to call home.”

Since 2013, BCF has funded 210 annual grants for $1.65 million, in addition to nearly $700,000 in grants awarded from its Bayou Recovery Fund in 2020 for COVID-19 and Hurricane Zeta Relief. The 2021 grants support food and medicine distribution, housing for the homeless and victims of abuse, resources and tutoring for at-risk youth, job and recreation programs for residents with disabilities, counseling and addiction recovery programs, and more.

“Throughout our community, local nonprofits are working hard each and every day to address critical needs that often go unnoticed by many of us. There is no place like home, and with generous gifts to the BCF Grants Fund, our donors have opened their hearts and pocketbooks to help sustain these critical programs and strengthen our community,” explained Executive Director Jennifer Armand. “We thank our grantees for their important work and our donors for making these grants possible.  Giving makes great things happen!”

Donors to Bayou Community Foundation’s 2021 Grants Program include The Gheens Foundation, Chevron, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and many local individuals, families and businesses who are passionate about our coastal community.

“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 real positive impact these grants will produce in the near term, as well as what we can continue to accomplish together in the future.”

“A Place of Restoration is so grateful to the Bayou Community Foundation for this ‘Restoration Through Service’ grant,” said Jeremy Smith, Executive Director of the Terrebonne Parish nonprofit. “Our mission is to help men in addiction, and with this grant, we will be able to help them by teaching them to help others. We will be cooking and serving meals at the House of Hope on the second Saturday of every month. One of the most powerful transformations in the life of a recovering addict is the change from being a taker to being a giver. It will be our privilege to serve the community as we watch this process take place.”

The following 30 organizations received grants from BCF today totaling $226,000:

A Place of Restoration – $7,500 – Cooking equipment and food supplies to prepare hot meals for the needy

Bayou Civic Club – $7,500 – Replacement of air-conditioning system in Larose Civic Center gym

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

CASA of Lafourche – $4,000 – Recruitment and training for new CASA volunteers

CASA of Terrebonne – $6,000 – Recruitment and training for new CASA volunteers and support for tutoring program

Catholic Community Center – $6,000 – Food Bank shelving and storage; distribution of food and supplies to needy

Caritas Food Pantry – $10,000 – Distribution of food and household supplies to needy

Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center – $10,000 – Family Values Parenting Program and distribution of baby supplies

Dulac Community Center – $6,500 – Computer lab and classes for needy students and elderly in the area

Faith Ministries, International – $3,000 – Distribution of food and household supplies to the needy

Friends of P.A.C.T. Place – $3,000 – Security system upgrades to improve safety for participating families and staff

Helio Foundation – $7,000 – Food distribution to needy students at Terrebonne Parish Title 1 elementary schools

Hope Center – $9,000 – Commercial freezer and pallet-moving equipment for Food Bank

Hope Restored Pregnancy Resource Center – $11,000 – Outreach to local women in crisis pregnancies

House of Prayer of Thibodaux – $7,000 – Community playground for young children with special needs

Jacob’s Ladder – $3,500 – Addiction recovery programs for individuals in prison and transitioning back into society

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 books for preschoolers

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