Gardere Initiative

Did you know we have a community meeting on the first Monday of EVERY month?

We have both virtual and in person options for attendance.

Thank you for joining us this morning to speak about your passion for the young people in this community.

JOIN US NEXT TIME BY SIGNING UP @ —-> www.gardereinitiative.org (🔗 in bio)

GARDERE INITIATIVE MINISTRY

Financial literacy classes are currently being offered, with a focus on home ownership. Habitat for Humanity led the recent session, sharing valuable insights and information.

If you are interested in joining this ministry, or if you'd like to learn more, please contact Deacon Billy Francioni in the Parish Office at 225-766-2431 or by email at billyfrancionigmail.com.

Showing the Washington Mandela Fellows around our center, featuring our park and community garden.

Thank you to our friends from Subsaharan Africa for teaching our youth about their different cultures and the continent of Africa.

Thank you for your wonderful space and presentation on the Shepherd’s Market food pantry.

Those yummy EBR lunches are so good and beautifully packaged! Good job Child Nutrition staff! 🥗🥪🥛

The Gardere Initiative and Honduras were represented at LORI World Refugee & Immigrant Database Event with the theme “Solidarity, inclusion & Dignity “

We are so grateful for our new partner, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health! Yesterday they brought their mobile unit to provide our children with primary medical and preventative services! 🩺🩵

Thanks to Congressman Graves and our guests (Councilman Gaudet, BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson, Chair of the Board, James Vilas and Matthew Martinic, CSRS) for visiting the Gardere Initiative’s Office and the Hartley/Vey Park, our backyard. The visit highlighted the community’s emphasis on the social determinants of health with our recently planted fruit trees, community garden, Bike Shop, and Line4Line’s art literacy program. 🛝🎨🚴🏾🌳

‘s Vacation Bible School 4th and 5th graders collected quarters for water last week!

We are so grateful for their help in keeping our kids hydrated this summer! 🌊☀️

Scaling new heights and making memories at Camp Character! 🧗‍♀️🌞

Thank you EBRSO and Istrouma Boy Scouts!

We love our fire department! ❤️‍🩹❤️

CPR training is a must with how many teenagers are the main babysitters of their families! Our youth learned how to properly do chest compressions on both adults and infants.

They also learned about the dangers of driving drunk or high, and they challenged themselves to complete simple puzzles to see the difference between driving sober or intoxicated (via goggles).

Thank you for these important trainings!

We want to thank for letting us use their community center for one day of our youth training! Our youth learned about what makes a good interview, practiced interview questions, wrote resumes, and did a job interview!

Thank you to Mike Zaunbrecher, a recently retired HR professional, for helping us with our interviews!

A couple of weekends ago we were fortunate to partner with and to hand out TWO HUNDRED produce bags to our Gardere families! 🥑🌽🥬🌶️🍅

We are so grateful for awesome partners like these that help make Gardere a safe and HEALTHY community for all its residents.

Our blueberry and blackberry bushes are planted!! 🥳 Thank you for making this happen and providing our community with nutritious fruits and veggies! 🫐

Come to Hartley/Vey park to check out our extensive community garden!

Today is the last day of our Afterschool Program this semester, but stay tuned because our summer program begins June 3rd! We have so many fun things planned for this summer! ⛱️☀️🍉

We’re here to help provide every child with healthy, fun, and enriching after school activities. Let’s play ball! ⚽🌟

Some more highlights from the Crime Victim’s Picnic with !

🕊️💚 United in remembrance and resilience as we honor those we’ve lost and celebrate the strength of our community. Together, we heal, we support, and we move forward.

🌟 Shoutout to the amazing LSU Gymnastics Team for flipping into action and volunteering at our recent Crime Victim’s Picnic! Your energy and spirit have uplifted our community in so many ways. Thank you for your commitment to making a difference! 🤸‍♀️💪

If you would like to volunteer with us, you can visit gardereinitiative.org

Learning about wildlife at the TRUCE Crime Victims Picnic!🐊

Transforming confusion into clarity, one financial lesson at a time! We meet on the first Thursday of every month for our Project SOAR financial literacy program for practical insights and expert guidance on budgeting, saving, investing, and more.

DM us if you’d be interested in participating or providing mentorship. Let’s build a brighter financial future together! 💡💸

Unlocking the potential of future medical pioneers! Our youth program is where dreams of saving lives begin. At our last youth meeting Pam Woods lead us in learning how to check your heart rate, BMI, temperatures, and more! 💉📚

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for their generous donation to provide assistance to the children and families in Gardere! 💚

For the East Baton Rouge parish spring break we took 120 children and parents to Greenwood park and the BREC zoo! Thank you for the assistance with transportation to and from the zoo! 🐯🐒🐘💚

Best wishes to TayShawn Garner, Capitol High School sophomore, who will present his poster on Argentina in today’s class! 🇦🇷

🌟 Thank You to Our Sponsors and Volunteers! 🌟

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing sponsors and dedicated volunteers! A special shoutout to our parents who decorated this event and got up at 5 AM to cook homemade meals. Your support and hard work are the backbone of our organization, and we're incredibly grateful for everything you do. Together, you help us fulfill our vision- Gardere is a Safe and Healthy community for all its residents. We couldn't do it without you!

🎉🌟 Thank You for Celebrating with Us! 🌟🎉

A heartfelt thank you to the 300+ people who joined us for our Gardere Takes Flight! Community Celebration. Your presence and participation made the event truly special. We’re grateful for your support and look forward to creating more wonderful memories together. ☀️

We had a wonderful day celebrating our Gardere community! Many photos of the activities to come! 💚☀️