A new bike trail is being constructed along the levee top in St. Bernard Parish, providing amazing recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike–all while helping boost the local economy. Thanks in part to a generous donation of both land and funds from the Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation, the project is moving from concept to reality.

The largest rural lifestyle retail store in the U.S. will be opening a location in St. Bernard Parish later this fall thanks in part to the efforts of the Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation and the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF).

The lights dimmed. The sounds of instruments tuning and the audience settling in faded as a spotlight guided Charles Cassar and Rita Gue onto the stage.

As Tropical Storm Cindy barreled across Louisiana, educators from the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota and from the delta here in Louisiana gathered in St. Bernard Parish for the third annual Waters to the Sea® Mississippi River Delta Institute last week.

Awards 60 Scholarships – Academic, Arts, and Vocational-Technical – to St. Bernard Parish Students

A group of volunteers from various agencies and businesses, including the Meraux Foundation, planted 1,000 black mangrove trees in the eastern Biloxi Marsh.

AgMagic on the River is a collaboration between the Meraux Foundation and the LSU AgCenter

The planting is being sponsored by the St. Bernard Wetlands Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Restore the Earth Foundation.

The Meraux Foundation created Startup St. Bernard to promote the Parish as an ideal place to start and grow a business. The program is presented by the Foundation in partnership with the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation and in conjunction with New Orleans Entrepreneur Week.

Meraux Foundation and SBEDF pursued certification to enrich St. Bernard Parish’s economic development resources

The Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation has given $150,000 to the LSU AgCenter Livestock Show — the largest single donation in the show’s 80-year history. The funds establish an endowment for Supreme Champion Animal awards in beef cattle, dairy, poultry, sheep, goats and swine. Ten winners will be selected at each Livestock Show and will receive academic awards of $1,000 each.

The seafood industry has been challenged in recent years by external factors, including the influx of lower priced seafood from international markets, the long-term impacts from the oil spill, and potential damage to fisheries from diversions. There have been recent efforts to support the industry, including workforce development and direct marketing initiatives; however, challenges remain.

The Meraux Foundation donated $5,000 toward the opening and hosts the Blues, Brews and BBQ in the Parish to support the community center.

The five finalist of Startup St. Bernard have been announced by the pitch competition’s organizers, the Meraux Foundation and St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation.

The Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation has been awarded the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts’ (LACD) Outstanding Non-Supervisor Award for 2016.