$30,000 donation to fund targeted mentoring programs in underserved North Lake Charles elementary schools

LAKE CHARLES, LA, UNITED STATES, March 5, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Gulf Coast Sequestration (GCS), the leading carbon sequestration solution in the United States, is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana, the region’s largest donor and volunteer supported 1-to-1 mentoring network, to support and promote youth mentoring in Lake Charles. GCS, based in Southwest Louisiana, recently donated $30,000 to fund targeted mentoring programs in traditionally underserved North Lake Charles elementary schools. GCS Founder and Executive Chairman W. Gray Stream says the partnership is a natural fit because both organizations share a mission of improving the world for current and future generations.

“Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana holds a special place in my heart. Through my own experience as a Big, I have seen first-hand the benefits it can have on everyone involved,” said Stream. “Mentoring is a powerful way to build a stronger community and develop our future leaders. Hopefully, this donation will encourage others to offer their time and energy to those who need it most.”

The GCS donation will directly support additional school-based in-person mentoring at Combre-Fondel, Jessie D. Clifton, and Ralph F. Wilson elementary schools. Students Grades 1 - 5 will be matched with professional volunteer mentors for an on-site Lunch Buddy mentoring program to work on reading, behavioral skills, homework, and to function as a positive role model to help students overcome challenges at school, home, or with their peers. The ‘Bigs’ will meet with their ‘Little’ twice per month during the Little’s lunch or enrichment hour.

“The generosity of this donation allows us to focus on youth in a marginalized community like never before,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana CEO Erin Davison, MBA. She adds, “This partnership with GCS means we can strategically place funds and programming where youth mentoring is needed most. We know these kinds of positive connections can improve grades, lower truancy rates, and boost self-esteem in our youth and we are so appreciative of GCS’s investment in our community.”

Lake Charles City Councilman (District A) Ronnie Harvey, Jr. says the program fostering one-to-one mentoring relationships will inspire and empower youth to reach their full potential. He says, "As both an educator and an elected official who represents the citizens of North Lake Charles, I am thrilled about this partnership and its potential to propel the youth of our community toward a brighter future. By building trusted relationships, we can establish partnerships that will enhance the quality of life in North Lake Charles, providing better opportunities for learning, working, playing, and eventually retiring.”

The GCS funded program will launch later this year identifying youth who need mentoring for literacy, improved behavior, and positive relationships, along with enrolling and matching adult mentors. Youth mentoring has a measurable positive impact on youth’s lives leading to high school graduation, less truancy, less alcohol and drug use, and creating pathways to life-long success. If you are interested in volunteering for the Lunch Buddy program, visit www.bbbsswla.org/volunteer and choose ‘Be a Big’.

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About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana (BBBS SWLA) is celebrating 45 years (1979-2024) of facilitating meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers and children ages 6 to 18 in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, and Vernon parishes. The region’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network has a proud history of defending the potential of marginalized youth by creating and growing innovative mentoring programs with a focus on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).

BBBS of SWLA believes that one-to-one mentoring relationships will ignite the power and promise of youth so they can achieve their full potential. For more information visit www.bbbsswla.org .

About Gulf Coast Sequestration
Gulf Coast Sequestration (GCS) is the leading carbon sequestration solution in the United States, partnering with industrial customers to capture CO₂ and safely contain it underground. Initially focused on the industrial corridor between southwest Louisiana and Texas, GCS expects to be the first operational carbon storage hub on the Gulf Coast. With an anticipated launch date in 2024, the hub will remove ten million tons of CO₂ emissions annually from the atmosphere. More information about GCS is online at www.gcscarbon.com

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