With the support of donors, the Foundation has invested over $15 million to fill critical community needs since 2013.
(Houma, LA) – Bayou Community Foundation (BCF) announced grants totaling $355,500 to 32 nonprofit organizations today to fill critical needs like hunger, homelessness and mental health care in Lafourche, Terrebonne and Grand Isle. This year’s Nonprofit Grants Program brings BCF’s total charitable investment in local nonprofit programs and hurricane recovery efforts to more than $15 million since 2013, thanks to generous donors here and throughout the country.
“Fueled by the incredible generosity of our donors, BCF is proud to serve as the philanthropic engine for Lafourche, Terrebonne and Grand Isle, powering impactful grants for these 32 nonprofits that are tackling big challenges and serving our neighbors in need with kindness and compassion,” said Board President Henry Lafont, Jr.
BCF’s 2025 grants fund nonprofit programs that feed the hungry, house the homeless, provide mental health counseling and addiction recovery, and fill other critical community needs such as life-saving medications for the poor and elderly, academic enrichment for at-risk youth, and support services for foster children and residents with disabilities.
“This is truly our most wonderful day of the year at Bayou Community Foundation—celebrating the nonprofits who change lives every day in Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Grand Isle, and honoring our compassionate donors whose generosity fuels this important work. Together, we are growing good and building a bayou community where all can thrive,” said Executive Director Jennifer Armand.
Over the past year, BCF has strengthened efforts to address hunger, behavioral health access, and housing in Lafourche, Terrebonne and Grand Isle through its Grants Program, resource directory BayouHelp.org and ongoing Rebuild the Bayou Program. Among the 32 grants announced today, 20 awards valued at $221,500 directly support work supporting residents with these priority needs.
Nonprofit Path of Life Recovery received its first grant from Bayou Community Foundation this year – a $10,000 grant to furnish the new POLR House in Thibodaux that welcomes its first six residents this month. POLR House provides safe, recovery-focused housing with counseling, mentorship, job placement and life skills training to local women who are transitioning out of incarceration and are impacted by addiction or mental health struggles.
“The POLR House fills a critical gap between release and reintegration into the community for women who have life-long hurts and habits that led to their incarceration. We want to provide an accepting, loving, welcoming home to residents when they first walk into the door, to show them they are wanted here and we are invested in their long-term recovery,” explained Director Jeff Walthers. “Thank you, Bayou Community Foundation, for this tremendously impactful grant that will help us make the POLR House a home for women who need this fresh start and support to build the productive, fulfilling and independent lives they want for themselves.”
Donors to BCF’s grants program include The Gheens Foundation, Woodside Energy, Chevron, Synergy Bank and many other local individuals, families and businesses who are passionate about elevating the lives of local residents and strengthening our entire community.
“Woodside Energy is proud to contribute to Bayou Community Foundation’s 2025 Nonprofit Grants Program,” said Paa-Joe Akoto-Ampaw, Woodside’s Vice President Gulf of America. “This valuable program helps to address critical needs in Lafourche, Terrebonne and Grand Isle. Woodside has a strong history of investing in southern Louisiana and we are committed to supporting what matters most to communities in the Bayou region. Congratulations to the 32 nonprofit organizations that received grant awards. We thank them and BCF for their continued work to improve the wellbeing of local residents.”
“At Chevron, we believe in contributing to the communities where we live and work,” said Jeremy Haken, Public Affairs Manager for Chevron in the Gulf of America. “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 produce, as well as what we accomplish together in the future.”
The following 32 organizations were awarded grants totaling $355,500 during today’s ceremony hosted by Cenac Marine Services in Houma:
A Place of Restoration – $6,000 – Lawn equipment to expand work program for men in addiction recovery
Bags of Hope – $5,000 – Provide “backpack” food bags for 60 low-income students per week in Terrebonne Parish public schools
Beacon Light Baptist Church of Houma – $5,000 – Provide 150 single mothers and children in need with food each month
Bunkhouse Shelter, Inc. – $10,000 – Emergency shelter and hot meals for the homeless
CASA of Lafourche – $15,000 – Recruit, train, and support volunteer court-appointed special victim advocates
CASA of Terrebonne – $6,000 – Fill unmet needs of foster children and travel costs for advocates serving local children who have been placed out of town
CHeriSH Times Two – $10,000 – Assistance for foster youth transitioning out of foster care and workshops for high school students in Terrebonne
Colonel Closet at Nicholls State University – $10,000 – Food, hygiene and household items for students in need
Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center – $10,000 – Parenting program and baby care items for parents in need
Family Preservation Court (32nd JDC) – $5,000 – Transportation, housing, childcare assistance to support family reunification
Firm Foundation of Houma – $7,000 – Funding of Facility Day Manager for operation of Homeless Day Center
Fletcher Technical Community College – $10,000 – Expansion of Work Ready U Program for students facing enrollment challenges
Friends of Lafourche Parish Drug Court – $5,000 – Counselor training and assistance for Drug Court/Family Preservation participants
His Brightest Stars Nonprofit Corp. – $11,000 – Sensory tools and equipment for Special Education students in Lafourche Parish
Hope Center – $8,000 – Food and hygiene items distributed to residents in need in South Lafourche
Hope Extreme – $10,000 – Food distribution to students and families in need enrolled in after-school program
Lafourche Education Foundation – $15,000 – Specialized small-group learning tools for at-risk students in Lafourche Parish Schools
Lifted by Love – $10,000 – Distribution of essential baby care items to low-income parents in Lafourche and Terrebonne
MacDonell United Methodist Children’s Home – $7,500 –Training and credentialing of Functional Family Therapist
New Life Counseling Center – $15,000 – 428 counseling sessions for low-income Lafourche and Grand Isle residents
One Day at a Time Group – $8,000 – Educational materials and repairs to recovery program meeting center in South Lafourche
Path of Life Recovery, Inc. – $10,000 – Furnishings and transportation for transitional housing program for women
Second Harvest Food Bank – $20,000 – 3 million pounds of food for Lafourche/Terrebonne/Grand Isle pantry partners and student “backpack” food bags
St. Francis Vegetable Garden – $10,000 – Maintenance of 4 community gardens providing fresh produce to area food banks
St. Vincent de Paul Tri-Parish Pharmacy – $20,000 – Life-saving medications for low-income seniors
TCU Food Bank – $25,000 – Food distribution at 11 sites across Terrebonne and Lafourche feeding 30,000 people
The Haven, Inc – $14,000 – Implementation of Dating Violence Prevention Program in Lafourche and Terrebonne
Wallace Community Center – $10,000 – Behavioral health and nutrition programs for at-risk students and residents in Raceland area.
We Can All Ring – $3,000 – Bronze bells for Bayou Bell Ringers serving individuals with disabilities in Lafourche
Women’s Restoration of Houma – $20,000 – Expansion of transitional living facility to increase number of women participating in the addiction recovery program
Youth Community After School Program – $10,000 – Tutoring and enrichment activities for at-risk students in Terrebonne Parish
CCHT Catholic Community Center – $25,000 – Walk-In refrigerator and freezer for Galliano food bank (funding provided by a grant from Feeding America/Dollar General through Second Harvest Food Bank)
Founded in 2012, Bayou Community Foundation works to create a vibrant and diverse community of Lafourche, Terrebonne and Grand Isle where all can thrive. BCF helps donors grow their charitable gifts to fill critical needs in our community, strengthen nonprofit capacity and implement collaborative efforts that elevate the lives of residents in our unique and precious coastal community. For more information, visit www.BayouCF.org or contact Executive Director Jennifer Armand at Jennifer@BayouCF.org.
