$350k granted through Emeril Lagasse Foundation fall grant cycle
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation has announced the distribution of $350,000 to several nonprofit organizations as part of its annual fall funding allocation. Two local beneficiaries, Son of a Saint and Youth Empowerment Project, were awarded community grants based on the shared mission to support youth through culinary, nutrition, and arts education with a focus on life skills development.The foundation also awarded a grant following its annual Carnival du Vin fundraising weekend to The Watering Hole Foundation and its Kids Education Program. This program sponsors elementary and middle school visits to the Alex Beard Art studio in New Orleans, where creating art is combined with learning about endangered wildlife and the environment.
Despite the challenges of this past year and a half, we are so pleased to be able to continue our grant distributions to our beneficiaries,” said Chef Emeril Lagasse. “Our donors and sponsors have embraced our organization with a great spirit of generosity. I continue to be humbled by their contributions.
The organizations receiving funds during the Emeril Lagasse Foundation fall grant cycle:
Son of a Saint is dedicated to enhancing the lives of fatherless boys through mentorship, emotional support, development of life skills, exposure to constructive experiences, and the formation of positive, lasting peer-to-peer relationships. Son of a Saint will expand its nutrition program targeted at individualizing nutrition education for mentees, providing culinary skills development and career exploration opportunities, and reinforcing skills and knowledge gained during the program from home.
Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) provides mentoring and youth advocacy, adult education and high school equivalency preparation, employment readiness and career exploration, and out-of-school time enrichment programming. The goal is to connect young people to the opportunities, relationships, and resources they need to achieve their potential. YEP will place greater emphasis on two areas of support for young people: one-one-mentoring and educational support.
In addition to these grants, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation supports its mission through its signature program, Emeril’s Culinary Garden & Teaching Kitchen. This national education program integrates culinary gardens and teaching kitchens to create interactive learning environments centered on food. It paves the way for children from all walks of life to be healthier, appreciate food and its role in culture, and serve as role models for healthy eating within their families and communities. The following five schools will receive grants: Belle Chasse Academy (Belle Chasse, LA), Cunningham Elementary School (Austin, TX), DC Bilingual Public Charter School (Washington D.C.), Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy (New Orleans, LA), and Starlight Elementary School (Watsonville, CA)