19 Ideas to Transform Lafayette
Here’s how nonprofits would use Lafayette’s slice of the American Rescue Plan Act to make our community better.
(Not sure what this is? Find out about One Big Project)
Multi-Agency Emergency Shelter Solution
The Problem
ARCH’s collective mission is to ensure that everyone in Acadiana has access to decent, affordable, stable housing and that all episodes of homelessness are rare, brief, and non-recurring.
Unfortunately, due to COVID, multiple hurricanes, and other economic issues, many people in Acadiana are hurting. There has been a significant increase in homelessness and domestic violence, while concurrently, a dramatic decrease in available emergency shelter beds. We know that as the eviction moratorium is ending, we will see even greater numbers of people left homeless. Resources are scarce, and we are already unable to meet the needs of everyone who is reaching out, asking for help.
The good news is that there are real, systemic solutions that could shape a future where those who are experiencing homelessness get the care and support that they need. ARCH and its partner agencies have been working together for months to develop these solutions.
The Project
Currently, limited shelter opportunities exist for families with minor children, people fleeing domestic violence, veterans, those who are HIV+ or who have AIDS, and people living outside of Lafayette Parish. Again, it is important to note that these resources are limited.
The joint shelter solution would provide additional shelter opportunities to the aforementioned populations as well as households outside of those categories (ex. single adults, adults with adult disabled children, etc.). Additionally, the site would not only include emergency shelter, but some affordable housing, so that clients who have more complex challenges can regain stable, productive lives. This solution is seeking a property that is easily convertible to a one hundred room plus non congregate shelter.
Locally, the cost of shelter is approximately $55 per night. The cost of jail is estimated to be between $62 to $67 per night. With shelter, food, basic necessities, and supportive services like case management included, shelter solutions are not only the more cost effective option, but the solution with the greatest outcomes for success.
Eight coalition member agencies are offering to co-create the joint shelter solution.
They include: ARCH, Catholic Charities of Acadiana, The Outreach Center, The HUB – Lafayette Urban Ministries, Beacon Community Connections, Faith House of Acadiana, Family Promise of Acadiana, and AcadianaCares.
Together, these agencies, along with dozens of additional organizations who have signed on in support, will work collectively to: provide outreach services; staff and operate a clean, decent non-congregate shelter; offer food services; provide case management support; extend programmatic activities to clients that may include workforce development, support groups, and faith based activities; offer housing navigation case management and/or onsite shorter-term affordable housing.
The Price Tag
We are asking that LCG partner with this coalition to provide funding in the amount of $6.5 million. A permanent, low-barrier, non-congregate homeless emergency shelter ($5.5 million) and support for Faith House ($1 million)
Ochsner Lafayette General Mobile Medical Unit
The Problem
COVID vaccine hesitancy in rural areas is a major barrier that public health practitioners, and healthcare providers need to address to achieve vaccination equity.
Disparities in COVID vaccination between urban and rural communities can hinder progress toward ending the pandemic. Health practitioners should continue collaborating with government officials, healthcare providers, community based organizations, faith leaders, and local employers to address vaccine hesitancy and ensure equitable vaccine access and distribution, particularly in rural areas. These focused, multi-partner efforts can help increase vaccination coverage and reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID.
A recent NPR analysis found that vaccine hubs, were largely missing from predominantly Black and Hispanic communities. The mobile unit will help solve this problem and allow our teams to continue to support the high vulnerability communities throughout the communities that Ochsner Lafayette General serves.
The Project
We are pleased to share this information regarding Ochsner Lafayette General Mobile Medical Unity. A mobile medical unit is a rolling medical center with full and functional medical equipment that can be moved and settled in a new place swiftly as the situation demands. As mentioned above, Ochsner Lafayette General Mobile Medical Unit seeks to bring healthcare services closer to the people in our surrounding communities throughout Region 4 and our services will be carried out by highly trained professional doctors and nurses.
The Ochsner Lafayette General Mobile Medical Unit goal is to establish a first class medical unit that will move from one location to another to take care of both Medicaid and Medicare with no preference on social economic status or race and genders. We will ensure that there will be no out-of-pocket cost to patients; we will bill the insurance company, not the patient. The Mobile Medical Unit will operate seven days a week. Additionally, we will support the community on weekends when necessary for specific events. We will have a standard medical call center that is manned by trained health workers. Ochsner Lafayette General Mobile Medical Unit will be owned, operated, and managed by Ochsner Lafayette General. A mobile unit will support 21st century healthcare’s population health pathway in meeting the healthcare needs of the medically under-served in the rural area’s that are populated with majority of our elderly and minority families. This type of mobile care has reduced the door to needle time in caring for patients and reduces admissions to the emergency room and admissions to the hospital.
At Ochsner Lafayette General, we are committed to improving the health and well-being of the Acadiana community. Further, we need to continue to invest in technologies and services that keep our community and patients healthy.
We would be humbled to have your support to help us ensure these community healthcare needs are met.
The Price Tag
$1 million
Paving the Polls for Early Voting Souls
The Problem
The 2020 elections saw the culmination of an effort by LWVLFT to secure a second early voting site for Lafayette at the MLK Jr. Multi-Purpose Center, but COVID made ensuring safe elections a necessity. The success of the new site was marred by one factor—the quality of the pavement.
The Center is located in an ARPA qualified census tract and serves economically disadvantaged voters. The Center played a crucial role in the COVID elections by relieving crowding at the main site downtown. The 2020 elections featured the highest ever rate of early voting — a trend likely to continue. There was pre-existing need for the site, but it was heightened by COVID. The Center ended up filling multiple community needs related to COVID and to economic inequalities in the community.
One Saturday, the parking lot was used for both voter parking and food distribution. Medical experts warn of the need to prepare for future pandemics. It seems important to shore up the Center to serve its many functions in the community.
The Project
The LWVLFT proposes that LCG allocate ARPA funds to repave the parking lot to the Martin Luther King Jr. Multi-Purpose Center. There is a need to raise the level of the parking lot nearer to the level of Cora Street to eliminate the steep drop-offs, as well as to repair and possibly widen the sidewalks leading to the parking lot entrances. The first entrance toward the busy Cora and Willow Streets intersection particularly needs to be relieved of a sharp right into the street leading to the parking lot, which is treacherous for wheelchairs and pedestrians alike. Other areas of the sidewalk on Cora Street adjacent to the Center are in need of repair. It may be worth adding a turning lane off Cora Street and into the lot. Pavement around handicapped parking spaces in front and back is rough and in need of repair, including the pavement where wheelchair ramps meet the parking lot pavement. The MLK Jr. Center itself also needs disability-friendly, hand-activated automatic doors at both front and rear entrances.
The Price Tag
The Lafayette Consolidated Government funds many such projects and should have a good idea of the cost, which is probably relatively low in ARPA terms.
Young Leaders of Lafayette
The Problem
The Cycle Breakers Coalition’s mission is helping to break the cycles of poverty, incarceration and trauma through programs providing mentoring, conflict resolution skills, character development, survival skills, leadership training and more.
Lafayette Parish has a high percentage of families who struggle to afford basic necessities: housing, food, child care, health care, and transportation. According to the United Way of Acadiana, 40% of families in Louisiana and 36% in Acadiana (more than 54,000 families) are barely able, and often unable, to afford living expenses. With poverty comes instability and trauma. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a lot of parents, particularly mothers, out of the workplace. High-quality after school programs will help parents to re-enter jobs. The Cycle Breakers Coalition seeks to meet this need by providing the Young Leaders of Lafayette After School Program, based on the successful model of the Young Leaders Summer Camp.
The Project
In the summer of 2021, the Cycle Breakers Coalition provided the Young Leaders of Lafayette Camp program: a June session and a July session. These camps included consistent mentoring, emotional support, communication skills, and social activities aimed at forming healthy relationships free of violence. Young Leaders campers took a tour of UL Lafayette that included seeing a dormitory, Edith Garland Dupré Library, and other notable spots on the UL camps, as well as trying on graduation regalia. Throughout the camp sessions, guest speakers came to talk to the children and youth, including Cheylon Woods, Director and Archivist of the the Ernest J. Gaines Center; Carlos Harvin, Director of Minority Affairs for Lafayette Consolidated Government, Joshua Edmond, minister and community activist; Hollis Conway, Director of Parks, Arts, Recreation, & Culture for Lafayette Consolidated Government, and others.
The Young Leaders children themselves inquired about the possibility of expanding the summer camp into a year-round after-school program, and Cory Levier, the director and CEO of the Cycle Breakers Coalition, agreed to try to bring this program to fruition. This after-school program will not only be a safe place for children and teenagers to spend the afternoons; it will be an opportunity for life-changing interventions that present new paths for these youth. It will serve as consistent, strong support for children who need it most. The Young Leaders Summer Camp is already a successful program with many community partners, both public and private, including O Baked It, Twins Burgers and Sweets, Nyper Industries, Lafayette Consolidated Government, and UL Lafayette. This camp has already helped children in Lafayette. With financial support, the Cycle Breakers Coalition can provide more help to more children. This program is vital to the short-term and long-term physical and mental health and safety of children in our community.
The Price Tag
The Cycle Breakers Coalition requests $250,000, which would allow the program to run for two years.
From Sacrifice to Support – Transitional Housing Complex for Veterans
The Problem
Ever since there has been the United States Armed Forces, there have been soldiers and sailors that come back home and fall on hard times; not just mentally or physically but financially as well. All too often do these hard times lead to veterans becoming homeless, with no ability or resources to transition from their service to our country (i.e. Sacrifice) to civilian life. To combat this ongoing issue in the Acadiana Region, and to alleviate the burden of ARCH’s proposed project, Multi-Agency Emergency Shelter Solution and St. Michaels Cove’s waitlist, American Legion Post 69 will establish a transitional housing complex for veterans in our area (i.e. support).
This will allow ARCH to focus on civilian homeless needs and we will both diminish the growing numbers of people having no shelter; whether it be during a pandemic, a hurricane, or any other emergency that the Acadiana region faces.
The Project
Our American Legion Post 69 has served Lafayette and the Acadiana Region for the last 101 years. Just because enlistment is over for the veteran members of Post 69 does not mean service to our community is over. Service is what we do and it’s who we are. We have recently acquired a larger facility, and we intend to construct a transitional housing complex in close proximity to this new facility, which would allow homeless veterans to move off the streets of Acadiana, gain valuable assistance and training, and then progress to permanent jobs and stable housing in our community. We are already working with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs and other local veteran organizations to bring in the best programs to our veterans, to support their transition back into a functioning society. Nothing is more critical to this goal than stable housing. Let’s give back to those that have given so much to ensure our freedoms.
The Price Tag
Approximately $2.3 million
Hearts of Hope Center for Sexual Trauma
The Problem
The COVID-19 crisis has emboldened perpetrators of sexual violence. Sex offenders are using the pandemic to gain or renew access to victims, intimidate survivors into silence, and interfere with survivors’ attempts to seek safety and justice. Sexual assault survivors report their trauma is amplified by quarantines, economic pressures, and fears for the future. For child victims the COVID-19 crisis has left them trapped with their perpetrators and exposed to online predators. Hearts of Hope’s Children’s Advocacy Center has seen an 83% increase in child victims where sexual abuse or severe physical abuse is being investigated during January through September of 2021 as compared to this time in 2020. While demand is at an all-time high, donations, fundraising, and grant funding have substantially decreased.The Project
It is imperative that children and adults experiencing adversity in our region receive trauma-informed care to mitigate any negative outcomes; however, locating specialized service providers willing to work in the area of trauma is daunting. Exacerbating this problem is locating providers offering trauma-specific interventions for low-income families and poverty populations. Hearts of Hope aims to provide these necessary services to children and adults in Lafayette Parish free of charge but needs funding. Hearts of Hope provides free services to victims of sexual violence through three programs: the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC); the Sexual Abuse Response Center (SARC) and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) program. They offer distinct services that are collaborative in the effort to assist survivors of sexual assault and abuse. Hearts of Hope collaborates with the Lafayette Parish Department of Child and Family Services, Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Broussard Police Department, Scott Police Department, Youngsville Police Department, Carencro Police Department, the 15th JDC District Attorney’s Office, and other involved parties, for case tracking and coordination of services to survivors of sex crimes. Hearts of Hope conducts monthly meetings with the Lafayette Parish Sexual Assault Response Team (LPSART) and the Children’s Advocacy Center Multi-Disciplinary Team (CAC-MDT), thus ensuring a victim-centered response to those reporting crimes of sexual violence. There is no other agency in Lafayette Parish that provides these direct services to victims of sex crimes. Hearts of Hope is requesting $750,000 in funding over the next 3 years to assist with the direct services and operational expense of the agency. This will allow for no interruption in services or termination of staff due to the agency’s significant decrease in funding.The Price Tag
750,000A Demonstration of Strength in Unity
The Problem
The Lafayette community is multiculturally rich and is poised for greatness with innovative ideas and people who are passionate about matters that are important to the community as a whole. However, our efforts are disjointed and, therefore, weakened to the point of ineffectiveness. Promoting diversity in its truest forms, is the first step to not just tolerance, but true acceptance of all our community’s inhabitants and the richness of their ideas and talents.The Project
NCBI Lafayette worked with community members from every segment of our population to develop shared vision to include: (1) Collaboration with Lafayette Parish School Board to bring together groups of students from every school in the community to teach them to work together to gain knowledge of our local government, learn about our local history, the importance of arts and culture, and social/emotional skills. (2) The students would then work together on a project of their choice to demonstrate their strength in the diversity of their membership using their shared knowledge. (3) We would also coordinate with our local libraries to encourage and teach personal research skills and to host guest speakers. NCBI Lafayette affords 35 years of experience and numerous awards in recognition of its excellent diversity and inclusion programs. Our expertise along with our collaboration skills make us the best organization to accomplish these goals.The Price Tag
$50,000Building a Diverse and Inclusive Workforce
The Problem
COVID has forced parents of children with disabilities, caregivers and individuals with disabilities to take extraordinary precautions to protect themselves, many leaving the workforce. This compounded historically higher levels of unemployment for households with a member with a disability. Despite barriers, COVID introduced workplace accommodations that help balance caregiving, employment, and productivity. Our project addresses barriers to employment experienced by parents of children with disabilities, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities by implementing a fully immersive employment training and counseling program. The unique life experiences of the disability community create employees who are creative problems solvers, responsive to change, and inclusive of diversity. Our program will utilize the unique strengths of the disability community, and our network of resources to assist parents, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities to re-enter a post-COVID job market.The Project
The mission of Families Helping Families of Acadiana is to assist and strengthen individuals with disabilities and their families through a coordinated network of resources, services, and support. As Lafayette Parish’s only family resource center assisting people with disabilities of all ages and disabilities and their families, our project will expand on our agency’s mission by empowering parents of children with disabilities, caregivers, individuals with disabilities, and potential employers through employment training, networking, and counseling. Project funds will be utilized to create a fully immersive training program and facility to assist unemployed and underemployed parents of children with disabilities, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities in acquiring skills to become competitive job applicants and employees. For a holistic approach to employment, training for employers will also be provided to create a work culture that balances respectful disability etiquette with appropriate workplace accommodations. Our project promotes sustainability and investment in individuals for a lifetime of competitive employment, financial management and goal setting, and the promotion of a diverse workforce. We will focus on four major components of the employment process: preparation, search, interview, and maintenance. Through our relationship with the Lafayette Parish disability community we identified four major barriers to employment: job search skills, access to technology, transportation, and employer disability education. By marrying the program components and the identified needs of the disability community, we hope to address the disparities present in the employment rate of the families and individuals we serve.The Price Tag
Families Helping Families of Acadiana is requesting $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 which would allow us to operate this program for a minimum of 4 years. We have plans to develop a sustainability plan to ensure that the program endures past this funding.The Girl Scout Leadership Experience
The Problem
This past year has been unprecedented, and we have witnessed local girls cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, learning loss, mental health decline, and isolation. As we push forward to create a new normal, girls need Girl Scouts more than ever. And the world needs more Girl Scouts.
As an organization, Girl Scouts has always been dedicated to supporting girls’ success, especially their academic achievement. “More than half of public schools teachers reported a significant learning loss in students during the pandemic in academics and social-emotional progress” (CNBC, 2021).
The pandemic is directly taking a toll on our children both academically and on their physical and emotional health, especially in children living in houses of low socioeconomic status. Our organization and program are employing strategies to minimize learning loss and positively influence the mental health of the girls in our communities. We hope to provide an evolving, safe space to support girls.
The Project
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a one-of-a-kind, all-girl, girl-led leadership development program comprised of a collection of engaging, challenging, and fun activities that reinforce leadership training and compliment formal education and school curriculum.
The programs and program support we provide to our members help accomplish five main leadership outcomes: girls will develop a strong sense of self; girls will exemplify positive values; girls will seek challenges; girls will develop healthy relationships; and girls will solve community problems.
Our mission continues during times of uncertainty, and girls need our program now more than ever. As a resilient and nimble organization that has adjusted to meet the needs of girls for over a century, we responded swiftly and effectively to the impacts of COVID-19 and are focusing efforts on mitigating learning loss and supporting girl’s mental health.
We are respectfully proposing the use of this funding to start and maintain Girl Scout troops in Lafayette Parish schools. With this funding, we would like to start and support the Girl Scout Leadership Experience programming to approximately 100 girls in 2-3 elementary schools in Lafayette Parish. The project would start and support the formation of Girl Scout troops, which require adult volunteer support, so local girls have access to extra curricular, leadership programming within a safe and inclusive environment. The funds would cover the costs of annual Girl Scout membership registrations, which takes care of insurance for girls’ safety, the costs of Girl Scout Leadership programming materials, and volunteer support materials and costs.
The Price Tag
$5,000
Lafayette Fresh Food Initiative
The Problem
Nearly half of the city of Lafayette residents live in census tracts that the USDA has designated as a “food desert”—where low incomes and little access to sources of fresh food can lead to health issues, hamper economic development, and contribute to a lower quality of life. The food desert covers most of north Lafayette. Of the nearly 65,000 residents who live in Lafayette’s food desert, more than half are low income and persons of color. In the six poorest census tracts in the food desert, where the issue is most pronounced, 25% of households don’t have a car. And the problem is getting worse. Over the last few decades, the Northside has lost all but a few of its healthy shopping options. Food deserts have largely resulted from systematic inequities. Residents have been fighting back, working at the neighborhood level to start farming their own produce and starting up markets to reach their neighbors. But they are in need of capital investment, support, and engagement.The Project
Over the last year, representatives from the United Way of Acadiana, Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority, and Lafayette Consolidated Government convened nearly 50 different individuals and organizations to work on grassroots, inclusive solutions. Our goal is to reduce the size of the Northside food desert by one-third over the next five years. Our proposal would use $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds as the required match to a $1 million Collective Impact Grant from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. The LPTFA would also contribute $500,000 toward the effort, and other smaller sources of contributions bring the budget to approximately $3M. -$390K to establish a UWA fund – the Lafayette Fresh Food Initiative – dedicated to engagement, advocacy, neighborhood coordination, SNP incentives, urban gardens, and events. -$285K to build a Local Food Network Initiative, the necessary capital investments to connect local farmers to end users, including restaurants, neighborhood farmers markets, and local stores. Also ensuring that every neighborhood is able to support a farmers market. -$207K for the Corner Store Initiative, a special loan fund for equipment upgrades for small local neighborhood stores to begin to provide fresh produce and healthy pre-prepared meals. -$1.6 million for Northside Grocery Stores Initiative, a special revolving loan fund designed to support the development of new grocery stores and expansions to existing local stores, as well as marketing and economic development support for potential sites and stores. The LPTFA is in the process of creating a certified Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) that will help manage the lending aspects of this program. Proceeds from the various loan funds will be used for long-term sustainable funding for the work of the Fresh Food Initiative. The UWA will manage the program aspects of this work with the help of an advisory committee.The Price Tag
$1,000,000 ARPA contributionConvenience Centers
The Problem
Currently, in Lafayette Parish, we have an issue with illegally dumped items. That means large mattresses, washers and other bulky items that citizens dump for various reasons. This type of dumping is harmful to our environment as well as our landscapes. While those that live in the city of Lafayette do have a bulky waste pickup, their local waste company picks those items up, but it’s on a set schedule rotating every five weeks. The problem there being that if your refrigerator broke at the beginning of the month, but your bulky waste pickup isn’t until the end of the month you have no choice but to either keep the item inside, place it on the side of the road for it to sit for weeks, or illegally dump the item.The Project
This project would build out locations in Lafayette for large waste items. These locations would be set up to handle different intakes, such as tire disposal or mattress. This project, if funded, would employ 1-2 people per location to assist in intake and check identification. We know waste has increased with the rise of COVID, and with it, our capacity should for intake should as well. In addition, large dumped items can create health hazards as well if left to rot in the wrong place over time. Convenience centers would help mitigate that problem.The Price Tag
$4,000,000 (With employee cost.)T.E.A.C.H. (Technology, Employment, Adjustment, Community, Home)
The Problem
Prior to COVID-19, the American Foundation for the Blind indicated that approximately 70% of adults who are Blind and DeafBlind are unemployed or underemployed. Since the pandemic, the problem has worsened. Several concerns exist including being afraid to use public transportation safely, social distancing and relying on touch and tactile information. In all sectors, businesses have become creative and even supportive of employees working from home. This population who are underemployed are the perfect fit for employers that need productive employees. What better workers to fill these jobs than reliable, committed, and trained individuals who are eager to work? Workforce recovery is critical for this disability group. These needs can be met by focusing on teaching safe travel practices, providing advanced training and digital tools, identifying employment needs in the local community, and connecting job seekers to work.The Project
Through training, public awareness, and education efforts, Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center will ensure that businesses and other members of the community know about the abilities of workers who are Blind, Visually Impaired, and/or DeafBlind. Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center will provide assessments to identify and determine employment strengths; offer digital tools and education on videoconferencing platforms; provide adaptive technology, telework and/or call center training; train persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired, and/or DeafBlind to fill needed local food service positions; assist with job search, coaching and placement. These programs will be offered annually for three years. Included in the program: · Transportation · CDC Safety Provisions · Marketing · Dormitory Accommodations · Daily Meals · Purchase of Personal Adaptive Technology · Professional InstructionThe Price Tag
3 million for 3 yearsAcadian Brown Cotton – Preserving the Past and Creating the Future
The Problem
Locally, the problem is best described by our Governor John Bel Edwards. “Louisiana’s rural communities are the lifeblood of our state. Their natural resources feed and fuel the world, yet their citizens bear a disproportionate burden of poverty and lack of adequate access to healthcare, education, broadband and other essential needs. Our work to address these disparities has become even more urgent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Eight areas have been identified as necessary for improving quality of life in Louisiana’s rural regions: economic development; education; healthcare; infrastructure; clean water agriculture and forestry; workforce development and broadband. Globally, Louisiana suffers greatly from the impact of climate change, diminished demand for petroleum products, and the absence of regional fiber production. Acadian Brown Cotton – Field to Fashion in Acadiana addresses and provides immediate solutions both locally and globallyThe Project
Acadian Brown Cotton is a local heirloom plant that has been farmed, spun, and woven in Acadiana for centuries. It is grown without the use of pesticides and with little water compared to other cotton plants. Our mission is to preserve heirloom Acadian Brown Cotton seed, spinning and weaving traditions, revitalize local fiber production using regenerative agricultural practices, and create a traceable supply chain to support a sustainable regional textile industry. Since establishing our organization we have: Founded the Acadiana Fibershed, the first and only Fibershed affiliate in the deep south, Preserved over 400 pounds of heirloom ABC seed at the ULL Seed bank, Curated Acadian Brown Cotton: The Fabric of Acadiana exhibit and Acadian Brown Cotton Day at the Hilliard Museum, Qualified as a Certified Louisiana Product, Partnered with Escape from Poverty to provide skilled job training in Acadiana and National Coalition Building Institute to better form an inclusive way forward We are currently: Recruiting new farmers, Studying the relationship between planting practices and color variation in the cotton, Creating a forum for farmers to share sustainable farming and living practices, Expanding our fibershed to include other natural dyestuffs and fibers such as indigo, hemp, and wool from Gulf Coast Sheep, Engaging with the ULL Industrial Design department to develop alternative and zero waste uses for ABC, Collaborating with Belfast Mills to produce samples of commercially spun yarn, We are working towards: Purchasing manufacturing space and machinery, Developing product designs that exclusively utilize local manufacturing, Expanding distribution of fiber, yarn, and finished products regionally, Recruiting national manufacturing partners for Acadian Brown Cotton. A local mill creates more independent fiber production, fosters an environment of agricultural and design entrepreneurship, revitalizes rural Acadiana and is climate beneficial.The Price Tag
$530,000Building and Developing Communities
The Problem
We help finance new construction, acquisition and rehabilitation of affordable homes and rental housing. We will solve the problem of inadequate, blighted and non-existent affordable housing in Lafayette.The Project
Rebuilding houses on the Northside of Lafayette. To alleviate blight. To provide the citizens of Lafayette with safe, sanitary, secure and affordable housing. SUN CHDO is certified by Lafayette Consolidated Government and the State of Louisiana as a CHDO. SUN CHDO will acquire 25 properties with clear title at $5,000 per property = $125,000. 25 single family dwellings, on slabs, will be constructed at a cost of $100,000 per unit = $2,500,000. Square footage = 957 living area. 82 non- living area, total of 1039 square feet.The Price Tag
$2,625,000Sun Wellness Center
The Problem
SUN WELLNESS CNTER will provide services within the jurisdiction of Lafayette Consolidated Government. SUN wellness Center is a centralized preventative resource center designed to address underlying health issues via early intervention, information dissemination, prevention, chronic disease therapy, vision of wellness, exercise, and behavioral health. The goal is to reduce the number of citizens hospitalized and increase the number of clients who have a medical plan.
The Project
SUN Wellness Center will provide preventative services to 1000 clients each year. Clients will have access on-site and through outreach areas with in the jurisdiction of Lafayette Consolidated Government to the following preventive services: addressing underlying health issues, early intervention, referral to community clinics and physicians, substance abuse and mental health referrals, nutritional information and workshops, i.e., cooking classes, community gardening workshops.
The Price Tag
$400,000
The McComb Neighborhood Duplex
The Problem
The problem of non-availability of decent rental housing that serves very low- to moderate-income families who are experiencing a rent burden and/or over crowded facilities in a very limited supply rental market where low income households are priced out.
The Project
To develop 2 two-bedroom units to serve up to 2 low- to moderate-income renter households with affordable housing that should be occupied by a minimum of 4 people up to a maximum of 8 total people based upon availability of HOME funding.
Will develop more units when funds are available to expand the supply of affordable housing.
The Price Tag
$312,000
The Elderly Housing and Beautification Project
The Problem
This initiative is designed to assist the elderly in Southwest LA with exterior painting, minor repairs and roof replacement.
The Project
We will help the elderly in Lafayette, Louisiana with home repairs including exterior painting, minor repairs and roof replacement. This initiative will include professional painters and prep, volunteer painters, paint and supplies.
The initiative will continue for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026. Our non-profit will repair 25 homes per year at a maximum cost of $4,000 per home.
The Price Tag
$500,000
Northside Innovation and Business Hub
The Problem
Access to affordable turn key commercial spaces and learning opportunities on the Northside. We seek to provide a space for local businesses to sell and develop their products and community to have access to a space to learn new skills that will help propel their lives and start ups in to the future.The Project
Our project will create a space for local business owners to incubate their businesses. We propose the building an innovation space that includes a commercial kitchen, meeting spaces, a virtual lab, and retails spaces at affordable rates and/ or free for the community.The Price Tag
1,500,000ABL Community Reach Out
The Problem
Southwest Louisiana has the highest population of DeafBlind citizens in the United States due to Usher Syndrome. Blindness is also prevalent due to high rates of Diabetes and Retinitis Pigmentosa. The community of Lafayette should be educated and made aware of the needs, rights, and abilities of this disability group. Isolation and lack of communication, especially during the Covid-19 crisis has limited the independence of the DeafBlind and Blind population. Due to the lack of communication, these individuals miss out on pertinent information about major current events, and disasters/emergencies.The Project
This three year program will bring together resources for the DeafBlind and Blind population in Lafayette. Providing meetings and support groups to assist with building self-advocacy skills and become more informed about current events, disasters and emergencies. Also, giving the residents and city government the information and education to better understand the needs of this disability group. • Support Groups and Low Vision Forums – Informational monthly meetings promoting self-advocacy, peer to peer networking, and mental health sessions. • Phone, Text and E-Mail Emergency Connection – Accessible access to communication of resources for DeafBlind and Blind individuals, emergency weather updates, and City/Parish news. • Transportation, Interpreting and SSP(Support Service Providers) – Provide pre-scheduled transportation, interpreter and SSP services for program calendar meetings, consumer organization meetings and city/parish functions. • Marketing – Educating the Lafayette community about the value of including their DeafBlind and Blind neighbors in local functions, meetings, and employment.The Price Tag
$600,000 for 3 yearsAbout One Big Project
This is a platform for nonprofits to show Lafayette’s councils and the public how they could use American Rescue Plan Act funding to address the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Submissions were open from Sept. 20, 2021 to Oct. 15, 2021, and the projects we received are displayed above and were forwarded on to the city and parish councils