25 Years of Support — Air Products Enhancing our Community One Grant at a Time

Nearly a year ago, Air Products, a global company that is the world’s largest supplier of hydrogen, announced a transformative commitment to the three parishes surrounding Lake Maurepas – $1 million in community giving each year during the construction and operation of its Louisiana Clean Energy Complex project, which is expected to be at least 25 years.

Air Products has enlisted local community members to serve on its Advisory Community Board to ensure it is making the most impact with its grants and community giving. They include Todd Caruso, the 2024 Chair of the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce; Lawrence Garrison, Sr., Vice Chair of the River Region Chamber of Commerce; and Daniel Laborde, the 2023-2024 President of the Board of Tangipahoa Economic Development Foundation.

Since the creation of the Air Products Lake Maurepa s fund, and with local recommendations, some of the grants include:

• $400,000 each to Livingston Parish Fire District #2 and Manchac Volunteer Fire Department for enhanced public safety on Lake Maure pas

• $100,000 to Livingston Parish Fire District #2 fo r ongoing staffing needs

• $250,000 to a Lake Maurepas fish stocking program managed by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation

• $10,000 to the Louisiana Alligator Snapping Turtl e Foundation

• $100,000 to Livingston Parish’s Office of Homelan d Security and Emergency Preparedness

• Additional grants support Southeastern Louisiana University’s STEM Scholars program for field trips to the Turtle Cove Research Station in Lake Maurepas

“Since we announced the creation of the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund, our team has been focused on identifying projects that will meet the mission of the fund and benefit the Lake Maurepas communities,” said Danna LeBlanc, Commercial Executive Director of the Louisiana Clean Energy Complex

“Our volunteer community board members bring local knowledge and insight to help us make meaningful donations to established community nonprofit organizations. We greatly appreciate their time and dedication to their communities,” she said..

(Pictured L to R )

Members of the Air Products’ Lake Maurepas Fund Advisory Community Board include community leaders and Air Products’ employees. Pictured from left to right are Clay Spencer, Air Products; Todd Caruso, Livingston Parish community leader; Danna Leblanc, Air Products; Lawrence Garrison, Sr., St. John the Baptist Parish community leader; Daniel Laborde, Tangipahoa Parish community leader; and Jeff Bellelo, Air Products.

In addition to and separately from the Air Products Lake Maurepas Fund the corporate’s Air Products Foundation has made donations to the Launch Therapy Center and Teach for America of Greater Baton Rouge. Additional grants from this foundation are being finalized each month as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to support and improve the communities where it operates and where its 330 Louisiana-based employees live and work.

“We are proud to offer grants to enhance the work of organizations active in the communities in which we operate, and I’m additionally proud of the volunteer work our Air Products’ employees do, including planting cypress tree saplings with researchers at Southeastern, participating in STEM education with Teach for America and packing boxes at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank,” Leblanc said.

A worker with a state-approved fish hatchery prepares his equipment to release bass fingerlings into Lake Maurepas, near the public boat launch at Manchac. The $250,000 fish stocking effort was funded by Air Products, through a grant with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation.

To learn more about the Air Products Lake Maurepas Community Fund and the company’s community giving and volunteer efforts, please visit community.cleanenergylouisiana.com