About BayouResilience.com

BayouResilience is designed to help promote and celebrate Louisiana’s unique artists, craftsmen and micro-enterprises — especially those experiencing barriers to success.  Each week, BayouResilience features background about the culture, heritage and driving force behind these talented individuals, their creations and their small businesses.

A New Orleans native, Jim Pittman is committed to economic development and community recovery in Louisiana. As a volunteer advisor for Options for Independence, Jim contributes to strategic planning, business development and marketing efforts for the Gulf Coast Marketplace.  The Gulf Coast Marketplace is a virtual marketplace for hand-crafted products and services created by Louisiana’s artists and craftsmen.

Developed by Options for Independence and an advisory team of Louisiana economic development, business and government leaders, the mission of the Gulf Coast Marketplace is to contribute to community recovery by providing opportunities for economic growth and financial independence, especially for those impacted by disaster.

Founded in 1992, Options for Independence is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit social service agency with the goal of building better communities, one person at a time. Options reaches out to children, families and single adults facing serious challenges to living successfully in the community of their choice. Options provides a broad array of services and support including case management, crisis counseling and outreach for people impacted by the Gulf oil spill and other disasters that challenge Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

Please consider supporting the artists and craftsmen featured in BayouResilience by visiting the Gulf Coast Marketplace — the e-commerce solution for community recovery, www.thegulfcoastmarketplace.org.

View or download our  Gulf Coast Marketplace concept paper.