Author: Sarah Bercier
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Why Criminalizing Homelessness Won’t Solve Louisiana’s Housing Crisis
Louisiana lawmakers are currently considering House Bill 211, a proposal that would make “unauthorized public camping” a crime. If passed, people experiencing homelessness could face arrest, fines, and up to six months in jail for sleeping outdoors or using bedding in public spaces when they have nowhere else to go. According to advocates, the bill could…
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What Are Our Children Breathing? A Southwest Louisiana Mother’s Perspective on Toxic Air at Schools
As a mother of three, raising children in Southwest Louisiana, I think about air quality almost every day. I think about it when my kids play outside, when they walk into school in the morning, and when another flare lights up the sky or chemical smell drifts through our neighborhoods. Like many families here, we’ve learned to pay attention to the…
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Our Power, Our Planet, Our Community: Earth Day in Southwest Louisiana
Every April, Earth Day invites people to think a little more deeply about the places they call home. It is a time to notice the trees that shade neighborhood streets, the birds and butterflies that return with spring. All the small everyday choices that shape the health of a community. In Southwest Louisiana, that spirit…