Less than 50 miles southwest of New Orleans lies Louisiana’s Bayou Region, where the humble, hardworking residents of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes live a world apart from their city neighbors. Here, men and women with last names like Cheramie and Billiott go to work each day to feed and fuel this nation along waterways like Bayou Lafourche, Bayou Terrebonne, and Grand Caillou, and members of vibrant local Native American tribes take pride in preserving and sharing their rich culture and traditions. 
What makes this coastal community so precious also makes it very vulnerable. The Bayou Region sits at the epicenter of natural and manmade disasters—from wetlands loss and major hurricanes to Gulf oil spills—that threaten the sustainability of the area and the resilience of its 200,000 residents. 

Recognizing the value of a community-led solution to strengthen resilience of south Lafourche and Terrebonne communities, Bayou Community Foundation partnered with the Community Resilience Center of The Water Institute of the Gulf to launch ANCHOR the Bayou in January 2025. This three-year initiative identifies community needs and capacity, develops a strategic plan, trains a local leadership cohort, and implements pilot projects to build capacity and resilience. 

ANCHOR conducted listening sessions, surveys, and focus groups in 2025. Findings shaped a Strategic Plan addressing issues such as housing, transportation, and services for youth and families. A leadership cohort is now developing pilot projects for implementation in late 2026 and 2027.  

As Bayou Community Foundation CEO Jennifer Armand will present, deep community engagement, partnerships with other nonprofits, and the Foundation’s experience in addressing local needs have been central to early success. Securing funding to broaden pilot projects and impact remains a priority. In the panel discussion, ANCHOR Program Manager Elizabeth Daigle will describe the program framework and the power of listening to community voices.