This Tuesday, all of us throughout Terrebonne and Lafourche have a tremendous opportunity to come together as one to show the world how much our precious bayou region means to us. Simply put, we have a chance to Give Bayou.

May 1 is GiveNOLA Day for the Bayou Region, a 24-hour online giving event designed to support our local nonprofits that go above and beyond to make a difference in our region. Their hard work and dedication is making our community stronger, healthier and a happier place to live. There are 55 nonprofit organizations from Terrebonne and Lafourche participating in the online giving event, all of which provide truly amazing services, from mentoring programs for at-risk youth to medicine for the poor and elderly. In fact, there are so many local nonprofits participating, there is sure to be at least one organization that is near and dear to your heart. You can view a full list of participating nonprofits at GiveBayou.org.

Bayou Community Foundation is one of those 55 organizations participating in GiveNOLA Day for the Bayou Region, and BCF is also excited to coordinate the Give Bayou campaign, which encourages local residents like you and me to give on Tuesday.

BCF was born nearly six years ago as a bucket of philanthropy for our cherished coastal communities and to support the great works of local nonprofits filling the needs in our area. BCF is the only community foundation specifically working to strengthen our entire Terrebonne, Lafourche and Grand Isle communities and create a compassionate, sustainable future for all.

In keeping with this mission and the great support of our donors, BCF has awarded 95 grants since 2013, totaling more than $782,000 to bayou region nonprofits. These grants are life-changing investments that provide food for hungry families at local food banks, books for pre-school children learning to read, a safe haven for abused women and children, plants for rebuilding our wetlands, jobs for disabled residents and so much more.

This summer, BCF expects once again to award more than $200,000 in grants to local nonprofits, and every dollar you give to BCF Tuesday will help to grow our grants fund. Your gift will allow BCF to reach a monumental milestone for our community of $1 million in grants awarded. Your gift will have a tremendous impact on our neighbors in need and our community as a whole.

Time and time again, when faced with adversity, those of us who call Terrebonne and Lafourche home pull up our bootstraps and do what we need to do to get the job done. We are generous, hardworking people who proudly take care of our own. We have seen this in the aftermath of hurricanes and storms that have pummeled our Bayou Region; in our willingness to tax ourselves to build levees and floodgates; and in our push to secure critical highway infrastructure like La. 1. Supporting our local nonprofits that take care of the neediest among us and that are working hard to educate our young people, heal the sick and protect the vulnerable is another important way we demonstrate the great pride we have in our region.

Our local nonprofits have a goal of raising a total of $100,000 in online donations Tuesday, and you can help make this goal a reality. Between now and 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, I invite you to join me in making a quick online gift to one or more of the 55 Terrebonne and Lafourche nonprofits participating in this one day of giving.

Giving is easy. Simply visit GiveBayou.org to view a list of our participating nonprofits, determine which organizations you would like to donate to, then visit GiveNOLA.org to make your online gift with a credit card. Your gift goes directly to the nonprofit and begins working right away here in Terrebonne and Lafourche. With donations starting at only $10, everyone can be a philanthropist on GiveNOLA Day.

Be a champion for our local nonprofits and our entire bayou region Tuesday. Please, Give Bayou!