Master Gardener’s Association Awards MLK Health Grant

The Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners are proud to announce the 2019 recipients of NWLAMG Community Grants. NWLAMG awards grants to organizations and municipalities that support beautification and horticultural education within our community.  Of particular interest are projects that make a difference in the community, that are sustainable, and involve collaboration among local organizations.

The NWLA Master Gardeners awarded a total of $18,575. The winners of the community grant program are:

Cope Middle School – $905 –Cope Middle School is planning to add a greenhouse to their working garden. The purpose of the garden and greenhouse is to provide students with disabilities the opportunities and work experiences associated with assisted employment in the nursery industry.

Donnie Bickham Middle School – $913 – The Donnie Bickham ‘Patriot Planters’ will create an edible garden and beautify the campus which will engage students in hands-on learning across all subject areas with a focus on science and health.

Martin Luther King Health Center and Pharmacy- $970 – After losing several large trees on the property, MLK Health Center will install environmentally responsible vegetation to the area to help replace the loss of the shade trees.

North Caddo Magnet High- $2043 –North Caddo Magnet High will create an aesthetically inviting area that will foster student morale and create a space conducive to social interaction between students and staff.

Northwest Louisiana Veteran’s Home – $4184 – The mission of the Northwest Louisiana Veteran’s Home is to provide care for veterans and their families. The addition of flowerbeds and landscaping will help create a pleasant and attractive surrounding at the Home.

Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society- $1500 – The society will continue their beautification by adding landscaping throughout the cemetery property. Oakland Cemetery is home to some of the most beautiful monuments in the area. Coupling those with a garden will be a strong force for attracting visitors.

Shreveport Little Theatre- $3000 – The Shreveport Little Theatre is a non-profit organization that produces a variety of live theatre, entertainment, enlightenment and growth of artists. After a year of trying to save their beautiful rose bushes they finally died from the dreaded Rose-Rosette Disease and had to be removed. The grant will go towards re-landscaping the large beds surrounding the theatre.

Vitalize Vivian – $5060 – This is a project of Re-Vive Vivian, a local organization that was formed to help enhance downtown Vivian. The grant will be used to beautify the town square and police department with flowers and trees in the hope that it will bring in more visitors to the town of Vivian.