PINEVILLE, La. – Today, Cleco awarded the St. Landry-Evangeline Sexual Assault Center $10,000 to create a safe room where children who are believed to be sexually assaulted can be interviewed by therapists and law enforcement. 

“The reality is that children in our area can fall victim to sexual assault,” said Lauren Balthazar, executive director of the St. Landry-Evangeline Sexual Assault Center.  “Cleco funding will help us purchase much needed supplies and create a safe, secure and comfortable environment for children to receive counseling from therapists and for law enforcement to conduct interviews.”

“We are honored to support the life changing work the St. Landry-Evangeline Sexual Assault Center is doing to benefit our communities,” said Bill Fontenot, interim CEO of Cleco Power.

Cleco has a long history of philanthropic involvement across its 24-parish service territory.  In 2017, Cleco contributed nearly $1 million to non-profit organizations across the state.