A few weeks ago, dozens of people gathered in the parking lot of a quiet shopping center in Opelousas — a place currently home to a Family Dollar, a resale shop, and not much else.

But standing on that pavement, something powerful was already taking shape.

In the coming months, this space will be completely transformed into the new Hope for Opelousas High School Center — Hope Plaza — a place designed to meet one of the most urgent needs facing students in our community.

Room to grow.

For nearly two decades, Hope for Opelousas has served students and families through a unique, wrap-around model of support — walking alongside young people not only academically, but socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

Founded in 2008 to serve children living in poverty, Hope for Opelousas currently operates its Opelousas campus across several homes at 330 East Madison Street — directly adjacent from what will soon become Hope Plaza. And the need has never been greater.

Today, more than 300 Opelousas students are on our waitlist. Once students enter the program, they typically stay through their entire educational journey — which means very few openings become available each year.

“Our existing spaces were already full,” said Executive Director Loren Carriere at the recent groundbreaking.
“We needed more space. We needed more funding. We had options for elementary and junior high growth — but the missing piece was high school.”

That missing piece is now becoming a reality.

A vision years in the making

The idea for Hope Plaza began with a simple moment. After years of praying, planning, and searching for the right opportunity, Loren recalls walking down the street one day and noticing the nearby shopping center for the first time in a new way.

“Could that work?” he thought. It could — and it did.

The center, originally built in the 1950s, became available through its owner, who not only believed in the mission of Hope for Opelousas, but chose to actively support the revitalization of the property and its future purpose.

What was once a nearly forgotten retail strip is now becoming a cornerstone for community impact.

What Hope Plaza will make possible

Hope Plaza will serve as the new home for HFO’s high school programming, while maintaining commercial spaces and a future food-truck kiosk as long-term revenue sources for the organization.

Inside, the high school center will include:

Classrooms
Student hang-out and gathering spaces
A computer lab
Areas for mentoring, enrichment, and small group support

Most importantly, Hope Plaza will allow Hope for Opelousas to double the number of students we serve through:

tutoring and academic support
enrichment programming
ministry and mentorship
internship and entrepreneurship opportunities

This is growth with intention — built to strengthen students, families, and the long-term health of our community.

A community that believes in what’s possible

The Hope Plaza campaign has already been fully funded at over $2 million thanks to an incredible network of partners and supporters who believe deeply in the mission.

One community foundation leader described Hope for Opelousas as “the gold standard — and one of the best-kept secrets.”

Another supporter shared that investing in HFO is not only an investment in individual students, but in Acadiana’s future workforce — closing opportunity gaps and strengthening long-term economic stability in rural communities like ours. This project represents far more than a building. It represents what happens when faith, partnership, and persistence come together.

“They still treat me like I belong.”

For students and alumni, Hope for Opelousas has always been about more than tutoring and test prep. At the groundbreaking, HFO alum and current nursing student Maiya Robertson led the opening prayer. She shared what makes HFO different:

“I think it’s the environment when you walk in. Even now when I’m not a student there, I walk in and they still treat me like I belong.”

Another alum, Jaylen Boyd, credits Hope for Opelousas with helping him navigate ACT prep, college applications, and ultimately his path into an engineering program. But the impact didn’t stop at academics.

“Without Hope, I wouldn’t have even been exposed to what college could be like,” he said.
“They broadened my horizons. They’re still there when I need advice. And now I try to go back and pour into the kids who are coming behind me.”

That cycle of belonging, growth, and giving back is exactly what Hope Plaza is designed to protect and expand.