LSU Students Paint for MLK event
On Monday, January 18 2010 over 125 volunteers helped two Old South Baton Rouge (OSBR) residences and one business receive a fresh coat of paint as part of the OSBR Home Rehabilitation Grant program and OSBR Commercial Façade Improvement Grant program. The Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) partnered with Louisiana State University Community University Partnership and LSU Office of Multicultural Affairs to paint the exterior of the homes and Mable’s Flower Shop located on Thomas Delpit Drive as part of the third round of CPEX’s Home Rehab program. The event was also in honor of Martin Luther King Day and one of four events taking place to celebrate LSU’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.
The first two rounds of the Home Rehab program successfully repaired three homes within the community. After an overwhelming number of applications, seven homes were selected to receive renovations for this round. This competitive grant program is part of a continuing project started by CPEX to bring reinvestment to OSBR, the historic community between LSU and downtown.
Boo Thomas, Executive Director for CPEX stated, “It is a great opportunity for the Home Rehab Program to help repair existing owner-occupied homes on Martin Luther King Day and recognize the pride of this historic community.” The Home Rehab grants are funded by NeighborWorks America, the East Baton Rouge Mortgage Finance Authority, Capital One, Chase, and Entergy.
The Commercial Façade Improvement Grant program improved the exterior of six businesses in rounds one and two, and is currently working with four businesses to improve their exterior facades. Round three businesses include: Mable’s Flower Shop, Highland Terrace, Accounting Solutions & Services, and the Lincoln II building. Volunteers painted the exterior of Mable’s Flower Shop, helping to reduce the overall cost of the shop’s improvements. Evonne Thomas of Mable’s Flower Shop said, “It’s a great joy to have these improvements happening in Old South Baton Rouge”. The Commercial Façade Improvement grants are funded by NeighborWorks America, the East Baton Rouge Mortgage Finance Authority, Capital One, Chase, and Regions.
View the article in the Advocate.