H&B Young Foundation gives grant to St. Mary Excel for Coastal Hub

The H&B Young Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to St. Mary Excel, Inc. to advance the development of the Atchafalaya River Coastal Hub (ARCH), a planned 23,000-square-foot coastal resilience facility on the Morgan City riverfront.
The grant, presented on May 29, marks the latest chapter in H&B Young Foundation’s long history of strategic investment in transformative community projects. Lisa Parsiola, an H&B board member, will also join the ARCH board of directors, representing the foundation’s ongoing commitment to the initiative.
“The H&B Young Foundation is proud to support ARCH because we believe in the transformative potential of this project for Morgan City and the entire coastal region,” said Parsiola. “ARCH represents the kind of visionary, collaborative and community-driven initiative that aligns perfectly with our Foundation’s mission and values. We’re excited to partner with St. Mary Excel to help bring this groundbreaking facility to life.”
“This investment reflects the deep faith that local leaders have in ARCH’s mission and potential,” said Monica Mancuso, executive director of St. Mary Excel. “H&B Young Foundation has consistently demonstrated the vision and courage to get behind bold ideas at the ground level, and their support for ARCH is no different.”
The foundation’s history of forward-thinking philanthropy in Morgan City speaks for itself. In 2018, H&B provided a $102,000 grant to launch the Bike Morgan City initiative, funding preliminary trail design work by T. Baker Smith along the Lakeside, Marquis Manor and Auburn subdivisions. That early investment proved to be the critical first step in a chain of progress that ultimately helped Morgan City secure a $16.7 million RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for a comprehensive safe routes infrastructure project.
“Without H&B’s willingness to invest in that initial vision, we would not have been in a position to pursue and win the federal funding that followed,” St. Mary Excel President Catherine Holcomb said. “That’s the power of a strategic local partner who understands that big things start with bold first steps.”
The H&B Young Foundation’s charter directs its giving toward projects that directly benefit Morgan City. While ARCH is firmly rooted in the community, its impact is expected to extend well beyond the city limits.
Developed through a nine-month strategic planning process led by The Water Institute with more than 32 partner organizations, ARCH is envisioned as a hub for coastal resilience research, education, workforce development, and innovation. The facility will serve as a resource for communities across St. Mary Parish, the state of Louisiana, and potentially around the world as coastal regions everywhere confront the challenges of a changing climate.
“ARCH is a Morgan City project at its core, but the work that will happen inside those walls has the potential to benefit people and places far beyond our borders,” Holcomb said.
The Atchafalaya River Coastal Hub is a planned coastal resilience facility to be located on the Morgan City riverfront. The ARCH Strategic Plan, released in August 2025, was developed with input from more than 32 partner organizations and outlines a vision for the facility as a center for research, education, and innovation focused on coastal resilience and restoration.
St. Mary Excel, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on economic development and coastal resilience in St. Mary Parish, is leading the initiative.
About H&B Young Foundation The H&B Young Foundation supports projects that directly benefit the Morgan City community. The Foundation has a longstanding history of philanthropic investment in initiatives that enhance quality of life, infrastructure, and opportunity for Morgan City residents.