The Rapides Foundation is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) via phone survey from September until November throughout its nine-parish service area.

The purpose of this assessment is to identify major health problems, gaps in service and other factors which may contribute to less-than-optimal health status for residents.

Community opinions and feedback are vital to the Foundation's work. If your family receives a call regarding the assessment, the Foundation would greatly appreciate your participation in this research.

Community Development Works, a program of

The Rapides Foundation, is offering free

skill-building trainings in the form of interactive webinars for Cenla residents and nonprofits.

The training schedule started in September and trainings will continue to be presented through November.

A full list of fall training offerings can be found on the CDW website.

The Orchard Foundation is accepting applications for the Central Louisiana Instructional Partnership (CLIP) program 2022 cohort.

CLIP is a teacher residency program focusing on developing middle school Math and Science teachers in high-needs schools in Central Louisiana.

The deadline to apply is March 31, 2022, and the program will run from June 2022 through August 2023.

October 15 is the next deadline for submitting a proposal to The Rapides Foundation's Workforce Opportunity Grant. The Workforce Opportunity Grant supports collaborations between industry and postsecondary institutions to offer training for high-wage occupations for which there is demonstrated unmet employer demand.

The goal of the funding opportunity is to increase skills and knowledge of potential employees or existing employees that will require higher wages and to increase the production capacity of business or industry partners. Details and guidelines can be found on the Foundation's website under the "Grants" tab.

Proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Proposals submitted after the October due date will be considered during the next application cycle.

The Foundation has extended the deadline for the Long-Term Recovery Group Hurricane Disaster Recovery Fund. Applications will now be accepted until June 30, 2022.

The Hurricane Disaster Recovery Fund supports the efforts of disaster Long-Term Recovery Groups (LTRG) operating and serving individuals and households within The Rapides Foundation's nine-parish service area affected by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Funds can only be used to address documented unmet needs caused by the 2020 hurricanes as identified by the LTRG. The fund is not open to individuals.

Details and guidelines about the Fund can be found on the Foundation's website under the "Grants" tab.