Team Seed Library checking in again to update you on our progress! With every intention of sounding cheesy- the SEED that was planted at our Healthy Acadiana Coalition meeting back in June of 2022 has really GROWN! We can’t thank all of you enough for believing in this project!
We are still on track for our launch date but when we know for sure we will invite each of you!
Our final name is The Seed Library by Healthy Acadiana, and this will be reflected in the logo being designed for us! We’ve had several meetings in the past few weeks to figure out branding and we are so excited to share this with you when we have a logo!
The cabinet, a replica card catalog, is being built by someone awesome and after seeing his other work we know it’s going to be beautiful!
We’ve asked many seed companies, 11 to be exact, for donations of seeds and we are happy to announce that approximately 500 seed packets of various varieties are on their way to us as I type this letter! This frees up some initial money we set aside to purchase seeds so we can purchase more for later dates to help our sustainability.
We can’t do this work alone and want to thank our subcommittee members for their hard work in figuring out the checkout process, donation processes, what types of seeds to purchase, and all the things in between to make this a huge success.
We can’t wait to be able to share the Seed Library with all of you.
Dear the (coolest, funkiest and most supportive) community members,
First of all: THANK YOU. Thank you all: the backers, our team, the other teams, the 24 hour citizen/civicside team, YOU, to those you’ve told, et al. We are so grateful. We learned and will continue to learn from those that inspire us most, our community. For us to have the support and now some financial backing from our community means that many individuals will now be able to participate more readily at events in our community. Whatever capacity they/you want. We all deserve to have that opportunity, that’s what true inclusion looks like. We truly believe that this is just the start. THANK YOU!
In case you were not aware, as of November 5, our project was chosen to be funded! We had already created some relationships with many organizations and individuals in the community prior to our launch, but since then we have created quite a buzz and we are taking it in positive strides! While it is exciting, it’s a bit overwhelming too…nothing we can’t do together right?. We are in talks with the city of Youngsville to establish a Sensory Safe Space at their Mardi Gras Parade. They have just moved into their new offices, so we should hear back prior to/around the first of the year. We have a connection already for a UL-Lafayette football game, Festival International and some other options of events. Our goal is to do 3-4 large scale events in 2023. In 2024, our goal is to increase that by 1-2 and do 1-2 smaller scale events, as well as provide (many) events with our “sensory bags”.
Our next steps include continuing to form meaningful relationships in our community about our goal for inclusion, awaiting the funds which will allow us to thoughtfully order the equipment we need to make this mobile space happen! We are aiming for a Mardi Gras festival in 2023, but also are leaving room for that possibly being too early in the process.For those that may have some questions such as: how does this space differ from a VIP area? How long can you stay in this space? Why aren’t you doing this space at all events? What is The Beluga Project? Answers will come, please email or contact us on The Beluga Project social media pages.
Our second workshop on July 12, 2022, was a success! We partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana this time! We had about 12 kiddos participate, and we had a blast doing improv exercises, learning about theatre, creating our script, rehearsing and performing for family! The 3 hours FLEW by!
We held our first workshop in partnership with New Hope Community Development Center on April 5 & 6, 2022. The workshop consisted of 2 fun-filled days including a crash course in theatre, improv exercises, team building, creative writing, script rehearsal and performance!
I am currently arranging a third workshop with Erica Fox at Attakapas Collective. Located in Freetown, it has a multi-arts focus. We are excited to give the neighborhood something fun and creative to do!
Two new teachers observed and trained while I taught this second workshop. My plan is to hand the reigns over to them during future workshops!
Thanks to Jill LeBlanc, an amazing volunteer, for taking photos at our BBBS workshop! I am including a few with this letter.
Our team would again like to thank 24HCP and the community for the support we’ve received. We look forward to continuing to fulfill our goals and serving the youth of Acadiana through our love of the arts!
We held our first workshop in partnership with New Hope Community Development Center on April 5 & 6, 2022. The workshop consisted of 2 fun-filled days including a crash course in theatre, improv exercises, team building, creative writing, script rehearsal and performance!
We believe the children participating in Mad Thinkers learned a lot about creative problem solving during the event.
I led Workshop #1. In future workshops, I will use the knowledge I gained to train others to take over teaching. Part of our goal for these workshops is to provide local teaching artists with more paid opportunities. We are looking forward to growing the program while connecting more teachers with students.
Thanks to Anne Songy with Acadiana Lifestyle, you can turn to page 19 and dive into the Mad Thinkers experience here. She wrote a beautifully detailed article and took some sweet photos of the kids. Click here: https://bit.ly/MadThinkersAcadianaLifeStyle
Our next workshop is scheduled to be in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters on July 12, 2022! We are looking forward to it!
Our team would again like to thank 24HCP and the community for the support we’ve received. We look forward to continuing to fulfill our goals and serving the youth of Acadiana through our love of the arts!
We’re gearing up for an exciting summer in Oasis! In addition to multiple activities planned by local and government organizations for our community in the coming months, we’re moving full steam ahead with the Oasis Food Pantry. Our vision is for the food pantry to be one of many initiatives to give back and engage our community. We’ve seen and heard testimonials of food pantry success in other communities and we can’t wait to see the impact of the Oasis Food Pantry. Despite setbacks due to supply shortages, we’ve made some progress on our pantry structure. We were able to get the materials needed to construct the pantry doors, which have been completed. Once all other materials are in, the remainder of the pantry structure will be built on site in the parking lot of the MLK Center, in it’s permanent spot. Our very own coterie board president will lend his talents to build the pantry, so if you pass by and see him working, give him a honk to show your support! We plan to have an official unveiling of the pantry for the community, so stay tuned for more news on our timeline and completion date. Humbly,
