The recipient entity's physical address:
           700 Downing Pines Rd West Monroe,
West Monroe, Louisiana 71292

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           700 Downing Pines Rd
West Monroe, LA 71292

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  7811

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $50,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Cameron Brister
910 Bres Ave
Monroe, LA 71201
President

Courtney Hornsby
2305 North 7th Street
West Monroe, LA 71291
Vice-President

Robin Collinsworth
434 E. Frenchman's Bend
Monroe, LA 71203
Secretary/Treasurer

Tim McIlveene
211 Chilton St
Monroe, LA 71203
Board Member

Wayne Heckford
837 Mt. Vernon Church Rd
West Monroe, LA 71292
Board Member

Brandon Waggoner
505 District Rd
Monroe, LA 71202

Doug Seegers
196 Fairview Street
West Monroe, LA 71291

Kathy Ray
781 Rogers Rd
West Monroe, LA 71292
Board Member

Angie Robert
870 Rogers Rd
West Monroe, LA 71292
Board Member

Stuart Hodnett
117 Southern Oaks Dr
West Monroe, LA 71292
Board Member

Matthew Colvin
165 Williams Harris Road
West Monroe, LA 71292
Board Member

Kimberly Essex
400 Lea Joyner Expwy
Monroe, LA 71201
Board Member

Twainna Calhoun
3102 Claiborne Circle
Monroe, LA 71201
Board Member

Andrew Hardee
700 University Ave- Residential Life
Monroe, LA 71209
Board Member

Chris Lewis
811 North 3rd
Monroe, LA 71201
Board Member

Erica Hughes
405 W Bayou Drive
Sterlington, LA 71280
Board Member

Sheila Kay Downhour
210 Hodge Watson Rd
Calhoun, LA 71225
Executive Director

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           Ouachita Green is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving natural beauty, protecting the environment, preventing blight, and promoting litter abatement and environmental education. We plan and participate in community enhancement projects that make Ouachita Parish a cleaner and greener place to live. We achieve these goals through litter cleanups, educational initiatives for students and the community, recycling events, and beautification projects.
Our Major Events:
• Household Hazardous Waste Event: This event accepts hazardous materials and recyclable items to ensure proper disposal and recycling, preventing harm to our landfills, soil, water, people, and animals. Last year, after tornado warnings and torrential rain storms the day of the event, we changed the hours and still serviced almost 600 cars in 3 hours and received over 77 thousand pounds of items to be properly disposed of or recycled. In 2025 this event cost almost $33,000.
• Water Sweep Event: This event focuses on cleaning waterways in Ouachita Parish. In 2025, over 4,000 pounds of litter was removed.
• America Recycles Day: During this event, we collected over 37,000 pounds of recyclable materials.
We also host community cleanups and beautification projects throughout the year. In 2025, besides our 3 large events, there were 89 community cleanups, visited schools and community events, educating the public on why a clean community is important.
Our Love Where You Live Intern Program is available to 8th-12th graders living in Ouachita Parish. We have 42 students participating in community service and environmental education.
We would like to continue offering all of these services and expand the educational efforts by being even more active in the schools and our community.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $15,000
          Professional Services. . . $20,000
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $10,000
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $5,000

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          Ouachita Green is dedicated to preserving natural beauty, protecting the environment, preventing blight, promoting litter abatement, environmental education, and participating in community enhancement projects that make Ouachita Parish a cleaner and greener place to live. We achieve these goals through litter cleanups, educating students and the community, hosting recycling events, and encouraging recycling and beautification efforts. We would like to focus more on education to prevent littering, promote recycling, and support beautification projects. We realize that this is a generational problem that can’t be solved overnight.
Ouachita Green’s public purpose is to protect and enhance the environmental quality, public health, and visual appearance of Ouachita Parish for the benefit of all residents and visitors. Through the use of state monies, Ouachita Green seeks to address litter, illegal dumping, blight, and environmental degradation while promoting responsible waste practices and environmental education.
State funding will support programs that provide direct public benefit by keeping public spaces, waterways, and rights-of-way clean and safe. These efforts help prevent pollution from entering local streams and rivers, reduce hazards to wildlife, and improve overall environmental conditions. Cleaner communities also support economic development by enhancing community pride, tourism, and quality of life.
Ouachita Green’s work reduces the burden on local governments by mobilizing volunteers and coordinating services that complement parish and municipal efforts. State monies will be used to plan and implement community litter cleanups, recycling and waste reduction events, and beautification projects that improve parks, neighborhoods, and public corridors. These initiatives provide measurable outcomes, including reduced litter, increased proper waste disposal, and improved appearance of shared public spaces.
Education and outreach are central to the public purpose of this funding. Ouachita Green provides environmental education for students and the broader community, emphasizing litter prevention, recycling, and environmental stewardship. By increasing awareness and encouraging positive behavior change, these programs help create long-term solutions to environmental challenges rather than short-term fixes.
The use of state funds will also support partnerships with schools, civic groups, local governments, and businesses to maximize impact and ensure responsible use of public resources. These collaborations help extend the reach of state investments and foster community engagement in maintaining clean and healthy environments.
Ultimately, the public purpose of Ouachita Green is to create and sustain a cleaner, greener, and healthier Ouachita Parish. State monies invested in these programs will yield lasting benefits to public health, environmental protection, community aesthetics, and civic pride, serving the general public without preference to any private individual or entity.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          The primary goal of Ouachita Green is to improve environmental quality, public health, and community appearance throughout Ouachita Parish by reducing litter, preventing blight, promoting responsible waste practices, and fostering long-term environmental stewardship. To achieve this public purpose, Ouachita Green has established the following goals and objectives:
Goal 1: Reduce litter and illegal dumping in public spaces.
• Organize and support community litter cleanups in neighborhoods, public rights-of-way, parks, and waterways.
• Remove debris and waste that pose risks to public safety, wildlife, and the environment.
• Encourage community participation through volunteer engagement and partnerships with civic groups, schools, and local governments.
Goal 2: Promote responsible waste disposal, recycling, and waste reduction.
• Host community recycling and collection events that provide residents with safe and convenient disposal options for hard-to-recycle and household hazardous materials.
• Increase awareness of proper waste management practices to reduce pollution and landfill impact.
• Support initiatives that prevent litter at the source through education and access to disposal resources.
Goal 3: Improve community appearance through beautification and blight prevention.
• Implement beautification projects that enhance parks, gateways, and other shared community spaces.
• Reduce visual blight that negatively affects neighborhood pride, property values, and economic development.
• Support maintenance efforts that help keep public areas clean and attractive over time.
Goal 4: Expand environmental education and outreach.
• Provide environmental education programs for students and the general public focused on litter prevention, recycling, and environmental responsibility.
• Increase understanding of the connection between individual actions, environmental health, and community well-being.
• Encourage long-term behavior change that leads to sustained environmental improvements.
Goal 5: Strengthen partnerships and community engagement.
• Collaborate with local governments, schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to maximize resources and avoid duplication of services.
• Leverage volunteer involvement to extend the impact of state funding and reduce costs.
• Build a culture of shared responsibility for keeping Ouachita Parish clean and green.
Through these goals and objectives, Ouachita Green seeks to deliver measurable, community-wide benefits that protect natural resources, enhance public spaces, and promote civic pride. State support will enable the organization to sustain and expand these efforts, ensuring long-term environmental and quality-of-life improvements for the residents of Ouachita Parish.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           Louisiana spends 91.4 million dollars each year on combatting litter. Litter is not a problem that will disappear in our community. Right now, our concentrated efforts are on training a new line of thinking in our community. We are encouraging people not to litter by providing education on the importance of personal and corporate responsibility. While the primary activities and measurable outcomes will occur within the 12-month grant period, the project is designed to create long-term and sustainable benefits. Educational efforts, community partnerships, and volunteer engagement established during this period will continue to support litter prevention, environmental stewardship, and community enhancement beyond the funding term.

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                 No applicable
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                 Not applicable

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                 Not Applicaple

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                  Not Applicaple

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               Not applicable

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
               Not Applicable

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
                Not applicable

          What is the nature of the relationship?  Not applicable

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                 1. Ouachita Parish Police Jury, 100 Bry St, Monroe, LA 71201
2. City of Monroe, LA, 400 Lea Joyner Expressway, Monroe, LA 71201
3. City of West Monroe, LA, 2305 North 7th St, West Monroe, LA 71291
4 Town of Sterlington, LA , 503 LA-2, Sterlington, LA 71280

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               Ouachita Green has a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, City of Monroe, City of West Monroe and the Town of Sterlington. They have a legal obligation and right to promote economic development and growth within the corporate limits of Ouachita Parish, as well as, throughout Northeast Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, litter abatement, environmental education and beautification are areas which have been identified by prospective developers as a critical need for effective economic development in Ouachita Parish, LA; and
WHEREAS, the these municipalities are participating in a collaborative effort to address this critical need through regional cooperation with future developers, which will help address this initiative.
WHEREAS, it is the mission of Ouachita Green to promote and encourage litter control, beautification project, recycling, waste minimization and proper disposal of hazardous waste, assist with soliciting grants, enlist public and private support and developing ongoing programs focusing on changing personal attitudes; and
WHEREAS, these municipalities as the regional commercial hub and population center for Northeast Louisiana supports this collaborative effort and as a leader has demonstrated its investment in the project with a designation of funds for the programs and missions stated herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, these municipalities and GREEN do hereby covenant and agree as follows:
1. Throughout the term of this cooperative endeavor agreement, GREEN will operate as a conduit with the other partners noted herein in reasonable accord with the underlying principles of this agreement;
2. GREEN shall use the funds provided by the municipalities annually, matching or in-kind funds from the other participants and such additional funds that will be raised to obtain the services of staff to coordinate the activities set forth herein
3. GREEN shall fully document the expenditure of the funds provided by the municipalities.
The requirement for documentation may be satisfied by an independent audit and unqualified opinion of the program by a licensed CPA and shall be submitted quarterly to the municipalities.
4. The Term of this cooperative endeavor agreement shall be for (three) 3 year from the effective date providing all documentation required herein is submitted and approved by the municipalities prior to funding being released for each subsequent year.


Contact Information
name:  Sheila Kay Downhour 
                                       address:  700 Downing Pines Rd West
West Monroe, Louisiana 71292
                                       phone:  3183555622
                                       fax: 
                                       e-mail:  sdownhour@ouachitagreen.org
                                       relationship to entity:  Executive Director