The Bayou Community Foundation (BCF) has opened a Bayou Recovery Fund to prepare for future disasters in Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Grand Isle, and to help our communities recover when the next disaster strikes.

“Our prayers go out to the people of the Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas who have lost so much in the catastrophic floods, and we are proud of our Bayou Region residents who generously opened their hearts and their wallets to help our neighbors,” said BCF Chairman Stephen Peltier.

Recognizing that disasters can strike at any moment and preparation is key, BCF has established the Bayou Recovery Fund to promote and accept private donations for disaster relief before, during, and after the next disaster strikes Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Grand Isle.

“The Bayou Recovery Fund will be our Bayou Region’s ‘bucket’ to receive aid from people around the country and the world, and to distribute that aid to our own local nonprofits providing vital relief and recovery services specifically to our local communities,” Peltier explained.

The Bayou Recovery Fund has been opened within BCF’s account at the Greater New Orleans Foundation, and tax-deductible contributions are now being accepted on the BCF website at BayouCF.org.  In the event of a disaster in our area, the Fund will be promoted to donors across the state, country, and world, and 100 percent of contributions received will be granted out by BCF to Lafourche, Terrebonne, and Grand Isle nonprofits providing recovery services directly to our impacted residents.

“In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Gustav and Ike, and the 2010 oil spill, our Bayou Region lost out on what could have been substantial private aid donations because we didn’t have a community foundation to receive and grant out those funds.  That’s one of the reasons BCF was established, and with our Bayou Recovery Fund in place, our region can now get the attention it deserves,” Peltier said.

Donors can trust that their gifts to BCF and the Bayou Recovery Fund stay right here in our Bayou Region and directly address the needs of our unique and precious coastal communities.

Visit https://www.bayoucf.org/disaster-recovery/ to learn more about the Bayou Recovery Fund and to make a tax-deductible contribution.