MONROE — Volunteers from across Louisiana and other states will converge on Monroe for a concentrated weekend of community service Aug. 21–22, organizers say. The effort will bring more than 1,400 Southern Baptists to Ouachita Parish for home repairs, painting projects, free meals and other neighborhood outreach.
Wide range of neighborhood projects planned
Leaders with the Northeast Louisiana Baptist Association and participating churches outlined a mix of projects that aim to repair and refresh public spaces and provide direct aid to residents. Work is scheduled at afterschool and youth sites, school playgrounds and other public facilities. Organizers said some efforts will be tied to the Meadow project.
Examples cited by coordinators include upgrades at Boys & Girls Club locations in West Monroe and Bawcomville, painting at the Riser Middle School playground and block-party style neighborhood events intended to offer meals and outreach.
“Serve in places in Ouachita Parish that you don’t normally go,”
Kelly said. “If you’re in West Monroe, serve in Monroe. If you’re in Monroe, serve in Bastrop.”
Organizers emphasized cross-community work: volunteers from one town are being encouraged to serve in another to broaden aid and strengthen relationships across the parish.
How the weekend will be organized
Three churches will act as local hubs to coordinate volunteers and assignments across the area. Lakeshore Baptist Church will also host a block party at Lakeshore Elementary as one of roughly 10 block parties planned in the region.
| Hub Church | Representing |
|---|---|
| McLendon Baptist Church | West Monroe |
| Lakeshore Baptist | Monroe |
| First Baptist Bastrop | Bastrop |
Other activities include a community "grill walk" offering free meals while volunteers engage residents, and complimentary laundry services at two or three local laundromats so people can have clothes washed and dried at no charge.
- When: Aug. 21–22
- Who: More than 1,400 Southern Baptists from Louisiana and other states
- Major projects: Youth facility upgrades, playground painting, block parties, free meals and laundromat services
Organizers say the weekend is meant not only to provide tangible help but to push volunteers outside their routine circles so aid reaches neighborhoods they might not normally visit. For residents seeking to join or learn more, coordinators directed people to the event sign-up information provided by the association.
The two-day mobilization joins a broader pattern of faith-based volunteer efforts in Louisiana that pair material repairs with direct services such as meals and care access. In Ouachita Parish, the event is expected to be one of the larger coordinated volunteer actions this summer.
