Gulf Coast Marketplace founder and Options for Independence CEO, Barry Chauvin, featured in upcoming BP community recovery video

BP recently began developing a video featuring the outstanding community recovery work led by Options for Independence and their CEO, Barry Chauvin. Options for Independence is a not-for-profit social services agency based in Houma, Louisiana. Options provides crisis counseling, workforce development and other solutions designed to assist individuals and families impacted by disaster and experiencing barriers to success in Louisiana.

Options has helped individuals and families impacted by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Gustov. Most recently they have been very involved with community recovery projects throughout Louisiana as a result of the Gulf Coast oil spill disaster.

In September 2011, Options for Independence launched the Gulf Coast Marketplace, an e-commerce solution for community recovery. The Gulf Coast Markeplace is a web platform designed to help Louisiana artists, craftsmen and micro-enterprises deliver their products to a global market.

Leadership from Louisiana businesses and economic development serve on the advisory panel for the Gulf Coast Marketplace and BP contributes as a major sponsor for the community recovery project. In addition, a team of graduate students from the University of New Orleans College of Business is also assisting Options for Independence by providing business development strategy for the project.

The BP video will feature some of the artists that have benefitted from the Gulf Coast Marketplace. Learn more about the many artists, craftsmen and micro-enterprises featured in the project on BayouResilience.com.

http://www.thegulfcoastmarkeplace.org