WASHINGTON, La. — Ten St. Landry Parish organizations accepted checks at the Washington Town Hall, each one backing a different need, from a sensory room where children in foster care can feel safe to microscopes for students studying biology and allied health.
Together, the grants total nearly $50,000 from the St. Landry Affiliate Foundation, part of Community Foundation of Acadiana’s (CFA) Affiliate Grants Program.
Recipients joined together in the Washington Town Hall for a ceremony honoring their work followed by check presentations.
The grants were awarded through the St. Landry Affiliate Foundation, part of Community Foundation of Acadiana’s (CFA) Affiliate Grants Program. The program is supported by charitable funds that individuals, families, and businesses have established at CFA to create lasting local change in their own communities.
St. Landry Affiliate Foundation’s board awards grants from the permanent, endowed St. Landry Fund. Board members reviewed each proposal before approving awards of up to $5,000.
“St. Landry Parish has produced a lot of wonderful people. Many of those have generously given back to this endowment, and they have clearly stated that they want to create a support mechanism for the place they call home,” said Missy Bienvenu, president and CEO of CFA. “The goal is for this fund to continue to grow, so that in 10 years, 20 years, 100 years down the line, there are secure, sustainable resources that have been protected and stewarded for St. Landry Parish.”
Lynn Moreau, director of the Opelousas Area Cerebral Palsy Clinic, received a $5,000 grant and said the materials and equipment purchased through the grant make a difference in the clinic’s work.
“It’s amazing to see what these kids can do when they have these devices available,” Moreau said. “The more we help them succeed, the better the long-term benefits for everyone in the community.”
2026 St. Landry Affiliate Foundation Grant Recipients
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana: Empowering Young Minds ($5,000): Supports after-school programming focused on academic success.
- CASA of St. Landry-Evangeline: Sensory Room ($5,000): Equips the sensory room, a dedicated trauma-informed space designed to help children in foster care manage stress levels and feel safe.
- Hope for Opelousas: Furnish Hope High School ($5,000): Funds the purchase of furniture and supplies needed to outfit a space for after-school tutoring, homework help, mentoring, leadership development, and college and career preparation.
- LSU Eunice Foundation: Enhancing STEAM Education ($4,985): Purchases four Leica microscopes to support student learning in biology and allied health courses as part of the university’s new Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Math (STEAM) Innovation Center.
- North Central High School: Agriscience Enrichment Program ($5,000): Expands hands-on agricultural education and career-connected learning opportunities for approximately 50 students in grades 8-12.
- Opelousas Area Cerebral Palsy Clinic: Free Therapy Services ($5,000): Provides more opportunities for occupational therapy and new materials and equipment to use during therapy sessions.
- Palmetto Elementary School: Foundations for Success ($5,000): Supports the Fluency & Mastery Initiative, which provides targeted literacy and math intervention resources to strengthen the foundational skills of elementary students.
- The Refinery Mission: The Rig Program ($5,000): Helps to continue construction and equip its new transitional housing facility to open all 62 beds this December for men of St. Landry Parish.
- Town of Washington: Ethel Park Historic Stepping Stone Path Project ($5,000): Supports the park, which features native plants with walking and sitting areas and serves as a trailhead destination for walking tours throughout the town.
- United Way St. Landry-Evangeline: Dolly Parton Imagination Library ($5,000): Supports the expansion and strengthening of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library throughout St. Landry and Evangeline Parishes.
About Community Foundation of Acadiana
CFA is one of South Louisiana’s premier philanthropic organizations benefiting our region, with a focus on the parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Vermilion. CFA’s core purpose is to build legacies and improve communities by connecting generous people to the causes they care about. Since its inception in 2000, CFA has realized cumulative gifts exceeding $431 million and has made cumulative grants of more than $256 million. You can learn more at www.cfacadiana.org.