Gardere Initiative and local law enforcement host community outreach event.

Through a series of career building activities like afternoon career workshops and employment readiness skill trainings, an average of 40 students each day were impacted.

More than 300 children and adults attended the fun and informative event that included music, food, games, and educational booths staffed by various agencies and organizations that focus on helping families.

With the help of our premier sponsor of United We Feed, AGives!, the 501c3 affiliate of Associated Grocers Baton Rouge, and our incredible community partners, Gardere Initiative, our team of staff & volunteers were able to distribute over 200 bags of healthy food & fresh produce to families living in the Gardere community.

In a vibrant display of community spirit, The Gardere Initiative united residents in a fun-filled day of joy, laughter, celebration, and the spirit of togetherness. This event was a showcase of the best of Gardere’s community spirit, featuring a kite-flying competition, kite-making, drone flying, an Easter Egg hunt, and delicious homemade meals. 

Meet 2023 Angel Award honoree, Dr. Murelle Harrison, the executive director of the Gardere Initiative, which delivers services, after-school education, meals and spaces for safe play to the children of Gardere, many of whom have parents who are first-generation immigrants. #AngelAward2023

At age 75, Murelle Harrison is regarded as a top crime fighter in one of Baton Rouge’s toughest neighborhoods.

Beginning in 2005, Gardere gained a reputation for being a dangerous area. As Hurricane Katrina evacuees crowded into the area’s fourplexes and duplexes, the crime rate skyrocketed and clashes between “225s” and “504s” resulted in violence.

“I decided to participate in service on Martin Luther King Jr. day because I wanted to reach out and help our community on a day dedicated to service,” says freshman and community volunteer Jordan Harvey. “The experience showed me that the Baton Rouge community is much larger than I thought it was. I also learned that many different groups working together could make an impact and help those who need it most.”

he Gardere Initiative has worked hard over the last two decades to make Baton Rouge's Gardere neighborhood, formerly a higher-crime area, a safe, family-friendly place to live.

“Workforce development and career readiness are two significant challenges we presently face in our community,” said EBR District 3 Metropolitan Councilmember Rowdy Gaudet.

As the saying goes, “it takes a village to raise a child.” And local nonprofit Gardere Initiative is that village for many families in the Gardere area.

From providing postage stamps to finding a ride to a dentist appointment, the faith-based coalition is a one-stop-shop for the community.

The grassroots organization has made an outsize impact in an unincorporated part of the parish that battles crime and poverty. It has done it on a shoestring budget with a paid staff of two and volunteers from community partners and churches that helped get it started 15 years ago.

"It's just bringing all of these people together to improve the lives of people in our community," event organizer Murelle Harrison said.

Thursday's walk was also a way to take a symbolic stand against rising crime rates and bring a positive influence to the neighborhood. 

"We have kids from all walks of life who have neither WiFi nor any laptops or electronic capabilities, but a lot of times they have to provide reports, access homework, things of that nature," Vilas said. "Now we'll be able to help with that."

Mileydi Estrada-Cruz, 11, gets a hug and a lift from Abigail Perez, 15, right, as the friends meet at the Gardere Initiative. The Gardere Initiative has worked hard over the last two decades to make Baton Rouge's Gardere neighborhood, formerly a higher-crime area, a safe, family-friendly place to live. In the wake of the Nov. 7 abduction and rape of a 17-year-old Gardere girl by a Livingston Parish man impersonating a police officer.

"It's an ultimate way to communicate," said Grant Benoit, an educator with the LSU Museum of Art, which regularly hosts events in Gardere with the goal of making art accessible to everyone.