Project Front Yard is once again crossing borders with an expansion into St. Martin Parish. The community beautification initiative, which launched in Lafayette in the fall of 2014, encourages businesses and individuals alike to take pride in their community by cleaning up, sprucing up and standing up for a cleaner, greener and more welcoming appearance.  The idea is to match our proverbial “backyard,” our festivals, our food and our family-oriented culture, to an equally attractive and welcoming “front yard,” with revitalized gateways, improved streetscapes, litter free roadways and waterways and more.

With an already established presence in Lafayette and Iberia Parishes, organizers say the initiative was always intended to be a multi-parish, and even a regional, effort. “We recognized early on that Project Front Yard wouldn’t work if it is just a one-time cleanup effort.  We knew there had to be a cultural change within our communities and it had to cross parish lines,” said Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel. “Project Front Yard was created with the idea that we would invite our neighbors to participate and we would share the project ideas and all collaterals.  We are happy that St. Martin and Iberia Parishes have embraced the initiative and we are hopeful that others will join us, too!”

St. Martin Parish President Guy Cormier stated, “We are very excited to start this new initiative in St. Martin Parish.  The citizens have embraced the idea of improving upon and enhancing our community landscape and public spaces, which will benefit not only our residents, but our businesses as well.  In partnering with both Lafayette and Iberia Parishes, I believe we have a promising future ahead with Project Front Yard.”

Project Front Yard-St. Martin Parish held its initial kick off with a presentation to St. Martin Parish Government on April 7 and quickly ramped up for its first project “B3-Project Front Yard (Beautify Before Benefit),” which took place Sunday, April 19, 2015 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Clayton Boudreaux Memorial Park in Catahoula. Fifty volunteers including adults, teens, and children enthusiastically helped to beautify the park before the 2015 Church Fair. Painting, picking up debris, and removing tree branches were impressively executed. With the beautiful weather, donors’ contributions, and helping hands, B3-Project Front Yard was a vast success. The B3 organizers hope to inspire individuals and community organizations to create and carry out their own cleanup and beautification projects with the help of Project Front Yard. St. Martin Parish residents are asked to contact Holli B. Guilbeau at 337-394-4798 or hguilbeau@stmartinparish.net with any concepts or project plans.