Column by Sara Judson: Connecting passionate people with important causes – American Press

By Sara McLeod Judson

Our Community Foundation connects committed people with important causes. One definition of connecting is the joining or linking of things together, especially to provide access and communication. After reading this a few times, I am even more confident that our connecting work adds value to Southwest Louisiana.

One such connection is with the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (NPS-RTCA). This week, a team from the NPS-RTCA is in our region making recommendations on several quality of life improvement projects involving access to our natural resources in Calcasieu, Cameron and Beauregard parishes. Our community foundation is pleased to be your link and to help us make the most of our region’s natural resources.

A few years ago, “before the storms,” as I now often call our timeline, I visited one of our annual members and fund holders, Mike Nodier. Mike shared his vision of creating a 23-mile water cycle around the city of Lake Charles, which he eventually called the “Bayou Greenbelt.” When Mike presented his idea to our Community Foundation board, we were eager to help him make it a reality.

In Mike’s own words: “When I first tried to make Bayou Greenbelt a project, I didn’t know what to do. I had access to local government and civic organizations. I could give presentations that were well-received, but I couldn’t really get anything done. When the Community Foundation got involved, I got a team. And I got a team that knew what to do. We quickly leveraged the talent and energy of their board, their annual membership, and their experience working with government at all levels, with civic organizations, and with our foundation partner, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.”

Contacts continued with two then-board members, Lee Boyer and Jon Manns, who stepped in as leading Bayou Greenbelt advocates. Lee discovered that the NPS-RTCA offers consulting services to communities with promising ideas. Bayou Greenbelt has been lining up in the run-up to the storm. One bright spot in the aftermath of the storm is that our local FEMA leader recognized the potential of Bayou Greenbelt, quickly got the green light from the Department of the Interior, and the Community Foundation became NPS-RTCA’s local partner for research to make Bayou Greenbelt a reality!

Fortunately, our ability to connect didn’t end there. This team agreed to share their expertise with our region on a few more projects. They spent over two years visiting sites and speaking with citizens, local government staff, and elected officials across the region. This week they are here in person to offer recommendations for outdoor recreation in Cameron, a master plan for West Park in DeRidder, ideas for improving local dining in North Lake Charles, and recommendations for Bayou Greenbelt.

Their Community Foundation exists to connect passionate people with access to resources that can bring Dreamers’ projects to life. You can be a facilitator by volunteering on one of these projects, making an annual donation as a Community Foundation member, or learning more about how to set up your own charitable fund to support the causes that matter most to you. You can connect with our Community Foundation by signing up for our e-newsletter at www.foundationswla.org and following us on social media. You will then become a connector that connects people with access to resources, making a positive and lasting impact in Southwest Louisiana. See you on the Bayou!

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Sara McLeod Judson is CEO of the Community Foundation SWLA. Reach her at 337-491-6688 or [email protected]. For more information, visit www.foundationswla.org.