ST. LANDRY PARISH — OPELOUSAS, La. — If you take a drive down South Union street in Opelousas, you'll notice construction crews hard at work at the Family Dollar Shopping Center. The renovations are part of continued investment in the city's downtown corridor, and one local nonprofit says a grant from the Opelousas Downtown Development District is helping make the project possible.
Hope for Opelousas is one of 12 recipients selected for the Opelousas Downtown Development District's 2026 Building Improvement Grant (BIG) Program. The district awarded a total of $100,000 in matching grants to businesses and organizations completing exterior improvements in downtown Opelousas.
The nonprofit received a $10,000 matching grant, which will help pay for new windows as part of a larger renovation project.
"So one of the stretch goals that we had for this project was our windows in this space were old, they were falling apart. They weren't very safe," said Hope for Opelousas CEO Loren Carriere. "When we wrote the grant, we said, 'Hey, we'd love to stretch and be able to add those new windows.'"
Crews are transforming portions of the former storefront into Hope for Opelousas' newest home, creating additional space for its growing youth programs. The project includes new classrooms, a new roof, upgraded parking, fresh signage, exterior improvements and safer windows designed to better serve local students.
Carriere said the investment will have a lasting impact on both the organization and the community.
"The way that it's all come together has been so beautiful," Carriere said. "This property is going to be ready to last for years and years to come—from the new roof, the new paint job, the new signage, the new parking lot—and it's going to be an asset for the citizens of Opelousas."
The Building Improvement Grant Program is a competitive reimbursement program that provides dollar-for-dollar matching funds of up to $10,000 for eligible exterior improvements. Projects can include façade improvements, exterior painting, signage, windows and doors, lighting, landscaping, accessibility upgrades and other enhancements that strengthen downtown investment.
According to the Downtown Development District, the program has reinvested more than $500,000 into local businesses since it began.
Lena Charles, CEO of the Opelousas Downtown Development District, said the investment in Hope for Opelousas goes beyond improving a building.
"Hope for Opelousas is through the children of Opelousas, through the youth," Charles said. "That's our hope. That's our future."
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of September. Hope for Opelousas plans to celebrate the project's completion with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony this fall.
