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September/October 2013 • Community Voices Orchestrating Change • Issue 7 Volume 5
NEIGH SPOTBORHOOD LIGHT
Trem Lafit é te
INSIDE • Quality Live an Affordable Reality in Faubourg Lafitte • Live to Eat or Eat to Live? A NOLA Dilemma • The Carver Theater Makes a Comeback • Warren Easton Celebrates 100 Years • ReFresh: Part of Larger Food-Focused Movement
Neighborhoods Partnership Network’s (NPN) mission is to improve our quality of life by engaging New Orleanians in neighborhood revitalization and civic process.
Letter From The Executive Director
NEIGHBORHOODS
Photo: Kevin Griffin/2Kphoto
PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
The Power in a Name
NPN provides an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in New Orleans.
Find Out More at NPNnola.com
NPN Board Members
Timolynn Sams Sumter
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very person has a story on how they were given their particular name. Whether your name is a family tradition, a trend reflecting the decade or your parents allowing their creative juices to flow, your story and your name has meaning. Fortunately for me, I have more than one story. My given name is Timolynn which means “honoring God through water/ the spirit.” I was given a version of this name by my now-deceased 9-year-old big brother, Frankie, who asked my mom to give him a brother and to name him Timothy. Well, I’m not the little brother that he requested, but my parents honored his wishes and graced me with the name Timolynn (pronounced: Tim –O – lynn). This name has both haunted and blessed me to define and shape my place in a world where there were so many Janel’s, Dana’s and Sarah’s. I can remember going to my mom one afternoon crying that my teachers didn’t like me because they didn’t like my name and that they liked the other girls and their names better. My mom, being who she is, smiled and said, “Oh Tim! Unlike other kids, you are so special that we couldn’t just name you what everybody else was named, because we knew you would be different from all the other Janel’s and Sarah’s in the world.” That did not heal my pain on that afternoon. But the older I get, the more I realize that I am a Tim or a Timolynn more so than a Janel, Dana or Sarah. The power of a name and its value has long been immortalized in prose, poetry and religious ceremony. Everyone recognizes himself or herself by name. The question is: How does a name influence a person’s character or in this case a community’s character? It is believed that strong feelings of connectedness to place, on a smaller scale, have a strong relationship to how secure individuals feel about their place in the world. This is very evident in a city like New Orleans that is known and celebrated for its unique neighborhoods. How many long-time residents won’t even consider living in other parts of the city as they are so deeply rooted in their neighborhood that the idea of living elsewhere within the city’s limits is blasphemy. In addition, for some of us, when we don’t recognize the authentic community name of a neighborhood, we are immediately dismissed as being an outsider or one who is not “really a New Orleanian.” This became a significant issue for The Trumpet and presented a real challenge for the NPN staff. Last year, when we were asked to spotlight the Lafitte neighborhood, we were not prepared for the level of confusion and enlightenment we would experience in just the name of the neighborhood which could ultimately alter the name of this issue’s neighborhood spotlight. As we travelled to various local spots in the area, it became clear that,, depending on where in the neighborhood you were located or during what generation you had experienced the neighborhood, the name could change. Some of the many neighborhood names included: “Back of town,” “Tremé/Lafitte,” and the “6th ward.” I must say hearing this range of names and the stories that were connected to each was enlightening to my historical urging to constantly discover and uncover the mysteries of NOLA neighborhoods. I invite and encourage you to write to NPN, and tell us your neighborhood story. Set us and the rest of the world straight on who New Orleans neighborhoods are and what they will become. What’s in a name? … EVERYTHING!
Victor Gordon, Board Chair, Pontilly Neighborhood Association Wendy Laker, Vice Chair, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization Angela Daliet, Treasurer, Parkview Neighborhood Association Tilman Hardy, Secretary, Leonidas/Pensiontown
Neighborhood Association
Ryan Albright, CBNO Karen Chabert, Irish Channel Neighborhood Association Benjamin Diggins, Melia Subdivision Leslie Ellison, Tunisburg Square Civic Homeowners
Improvement Association
Sylvia Scineaux-Richard, ENONAC Tim Garrett, Marlyville/Fontainbleau Neighborhood Katherine Prevost, Upper Ninth Ward Bunny Friend
Neighborhood Association
Third Party Submission Issues Physical submissions on paper, CD, etc. cannot be returned unless an arrangement is made. Submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium. By submitting any notes, information or material, or otherwise providing any material for publication in the newspaper, you are representing that you are the owner of the material, or are making your submission with the consent of the owner of the material, all information you provide is true, accurate, current and complete. Non-Liability Disclaimers The Trumpet may contain facts, views, opinions, statements and recommendations of third party individuals and organizations. The Trumpet does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information in the publication and use of or reliance on such advice, opinion, statement or other information is at your own risk. Copyright © 2013 Neighborhoods Partnership Network. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Neighborhoods Partnership Network is expressly prohibited.
Timolynn Sams Sumter
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THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
N E I G H B O R H O O D S
P A R T N E R S H I P
The Trumpet
N E T W O R K
Contents
5 Live to Eat or Eat to Live: The New Orleans Food Dilemma 7 The Born Learning Trail Comes to N.O. East 9 Alliance Institute Celebrates Jean Lafitte Clinic Opening 10 What Farming Teaches Us 16 Neighborhood Spotlight: Tremé-Lafitte 18 Revitalization of the Historic Carver Theater is Underway!
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Stores & Culinary Ventures 12 Food Opening in Tremé-Lafitte
Food Trucks: A New, New Orleans Eating Experience
23 Citywide Celebration on Food Day
Easton 14 Faubourg Lafitte: Making Quality Living an Affordable Reality 21 Warren Celebrates 100 Years The Trumpet Editorial Board The Trumpet Editorial Staff Jim Belfon, Gulf South Photography Project
Rachel D. Graham, Editor-in-Chief
Jewel Bush, SEIU Local 21 LA
Scott Bicking, Art Director
Christy Chapman, Author
Greg Lawson, Neighborhoods Editor
Heidi Hickman, Resident
Jason Stopa, Policy and Education Editor
Elton Jones, New Orleans Rising
Chemwapuwa Blackman, Remeka Jones & Julia Kahn, Associate Neighborhoods Editors
Naomi King Englar, Tulane Prevention Research Center Erin M. Fitzgerald, MPH, Louisiana Public Health Institute Jaymee Lewis, Louisiana Public Health Institute Mike Madej, Resident Linedda McIver, AARP Louisiana Ray Nichols, Maple Area Residents, Inc. Brian Opert, Talk Show Host, WGSO 990 AM Valerie Robinson, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation Melinda Shelton, Xavier University School of Journalism
THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
NEIGHBORHOODS PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
3321 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com www.npnnola.com
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A Close Look Inside ... Naomi King Englar, communications and training coordinator for the Prevention Research Center (PRC) at Tulane University, is a former awardwinning journalist who spent five years as the government writer for The Courier in Houma, La., a New York Times regional chain newspaper. In Part of a Larger Food-Focused Movement (Pg. 12), King talks to developers who are bringing fresh-food options to residents in and around the Tremé Lafitte neighborhood. She also discusses the city’s urban agriculture movement with the New Orleans Food and Farm Network.
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As the publisher of The New Orleans Agenda, a New Orleans-based online newsletter which has received more than 2 million page Views, Vincent Sylvain produces what is quickly becoming the local leader in electronically providing information on New Orleans’ faith-based entities, community groups, professional organizations and arts and cultural institutions. Sylvain takes us behind the scenes of the historic Carver Theater’s renovations (Pg. 18). Built in 1950, this cultural gem of the Tremé Lafitte neighborhood is noted as being one of the first state-of-the-art movie houses and event facilities operated by and opened specifically for people of color.
The work of Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana is well respected throughout the region. The nonprofit distributes more than 22 million meals through a network of 240 nonprofit member agencies and provides emergency food assistance to more than 263,000 people, including nearly 82,000 children and 40,000 seniors. More than Emergency Food (Pg. 24) by Second Harvest’s Terri D. Kaupp explores the organization’s work to educate its clients on health meal preparation and to connect them with public benefits programs.
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Our love affair with unhealthy foods is fueled by an industry that seeks to gain maximum profits by marketing highlyprocessed products to the American public, including children.
Live to Eat or Eat to Live
The New Orleans Food Dilemma By Remeka Jones, Associate Editor, Health
Food is essential to human life. In the most fundamental sense, food is meant to provide sustenance for our bodies. Yet, over time, our relationship to food has morphed into a complex connection between life, family and culture. This is particularly true in New Orleans, where we proudly proclaim,”We don’t eat to live. We live to eat.”
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rom basic nourishment to comfort food; familial bonds and cultural identity have changed food’s role in our everyday lives and introduced a critical dilemma for the future of our city. Unfortunately, over the past few decades, our relationship with food has shifted drastically. Rather than sustaining life, the food we consume is rapidly causing the deterioration of our health. Food is a multi-billion dollar industry that has transformed not only the types of food we consume but the way in which we consume food. We want it quick and easily accessible, regardless of the fact that most menu items are high in calories, salts and sugars and are detrimental to our health. Our love affair with unhealthy foods is fueled by an industry that seeks to gain maximum profits by marketing highly-processed products to the American public, including children. This mass marketing of unhealthy products, coupled with convenience and increased rates of poverty, is leading to a nationwide epidemic in obesity; particularly childhood obesity which has become a global issue rapidly growing to impact both developed and developing countries. We all understand the health consequences of poor diet. The deadly trinity of chronic diseases — hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease — have been proven to impact communities in direct correlation to the quality of food it consumes. All three also lead to other complications that deteriorate health. These consequences eventually place an added burden to the health systems and lead to an increased adverse impact on the economy. Furthermore, in today’s competitive economic development climate, a physically fit workforce is just as important as a skilled and competent one. With changes to the healthcare system and insurance industries and the resulting rising costs that accompany these changes , companies are increasingly factoring in the health of a potential workforce when making decisions on where to relocate or expand their businesses.
What does this all mean for Louisiana… for the City of New Orleans? After Hurricane Katrina, the city saw an influx of federal monies that spurred construction and infrastructure investment, allowing the city to remain relatively immune from the recession. However as recovery and economic investments begin to stabilize or decline, what is being done to ensure that the state and city have an attractive workforce? According to the Center for Disease Control, Louisiana is tied with Mississippi for the highest percentage of adults who are overweight or obese. Louisiana also ranks high for rates of childhood obesity. This translates into a current and future unhealthy workforce costing millions in direct health care costs and indirect costs through lost productivity. So, what can be done to ensure continued prosperity in New Orleans? Simple: Invest in a healthy population. New Orleans is a city that has traditionally had a large African-American population and has an emerging Latino population. African-Americans and other ethnic minorities typically have disproportionately higher rates of chronic disease and other indicators of poor health. Investing in a healthy population involves more than improving access to healthcare. While this is an important part of the solution, emphasis also needs to be placed on addressing the socioeconomic determinants of health. Two of the largest drivers of health disparities are poverty and access to healthy food options and opportunities for physical activity. Communities of color traditionally have little to no access to grocery stores and are surrounded by corner or liquor stores. In many instances, these communities suffer from lack of investments in parks and recreation. Opportunities need to be created for children and families to engage in physical activity. Finally, investment in education and literacy are key determinants of health. It is also important to equip people with the skills to decipher health information and identify health needs. The time is now for the City of New Orleans to choose: Will we continue to live to eat … or are we ready to eat to live?
Two of the largest drivers of health disparities are poverty and access to healthy food options and opportunities for physical activity.
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Groups File DOJ Complaint on Failing Language Services in New Orleans Schools Asian-American and Latino students and parents speak out on ineffective ESL services and language access systems at New Orleans Schools.
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he Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association (VAYLA) and the Asian-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) recently announce their complaint to the Department of Justice on behalf of limited-English proficient students and their parents in New Orleans schools. The complaint alleges that the school district has violated Title VI by failing to meet the language needs of Asian American and Latino limited-English proficient (LEP) students. District-wide, these students and their families have been underserved, severely damaging their quality of education and putting them at a huge disadvantage in their attempt to attain success in their schools. Students from Youth Organizing Unity (YOU2), one of VAYLA’s youth-led education equity campaigns, along with parents and community members, hosted a press conference and spoke about their struggles for language access and services in the educational system. “We’re tired of being used by the system,” said Karina Fortanel, a junior at a local state-run high school and a YOU2 member who has been used, along with other students, as an impromptu translator for parents when districts and schools do not have their own translators. “I’m hopeful that, in the future, no other students will have to be put in a classroom that doesn’t serve them.” The DOJ complaint is the culmination of more than two years of investigation by VAYLA, AALDEF and YOU2 youth leaders into the educational equity and access issues faced by limited-English speaking communities in New Orleans. Earlier this year in May, YOU2 released a report, ESL: Lost in the System, documenting the rights violations that
English Language Learners (ELLs) and their families have endured at many of their schools. The filing is the next step in a campaign to hold schools accountable for providing the highest quality of language services to students and language access for parents. “Without meaningful language access, parents have been held back from participating in their children’s education and even monitoring their children’s well-being,” said Thomas Mariadason, staff attorney with the Educational Equity Program at AALDEF. “Immigrant families, like all families, must be able to ensure their children are receiving the equal educational opportunities they are legally afforded. We are optimistic that our complaint will prompt schools to begin removing the barriers English language learner students currently face.” “For too long students, parents and community members have been affected by issues with navigating schools that are not equipped to support their participation or their children,” said Minh Nguyen, VAYLA Executive Director. “Not only do we want to bring attention to the problems within this system, we want to be a part of the solution. By sharing our recommendations to improve the learning experiences for limited-English proficient students and families, we hope to create a school system that truly values them. The complaint being filed represents our commitment to education equity for students and families across New Orleans who deserve a truly high quality education.”
Earlier this year in May, YOU2 released a report, ESL: Lost in the System, documenting the rights violations that English Language Learners and their families have endured at many of their schools.
Visit aaldef.org to view the complaint.
NOLA Youth Works Practices Neighborhood Revitalization in Zion City By Jason Stopa, Policy and Education Editor
NPN’s NOLA Youth Works teams recently presented their plans to revitalize the New Orleans neighborhood of Zion City to a standing-room only audience of resident leaders and partner organization members who gathered to celebrate the final day of this citywide summer jobs program for youth and young adults ages 13 to 21.
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OLA Youth Works participants discussed how they plan to use their newly gained skills in their neighborhood. Their presentations explored the opportunities and challenges to neighborhood redevelopment. NOLA Youth Works presented by Job 1, is the City’s annual program to provide quality summer experiences that build a pipeline to careers. This year, experiences focused on creating a career-ready workforce and providing valuable employment opportunities in community revitalization while transforming local neighborhoods. Youth earned a much needed paycheck and, equally as important, gained experience that helps them define and advance their career goals. In keeping with these goals, NPN’s program provided participants with the fundamental tools needed to participate economically, politically and socially both locally and globally. The five-week session focused on developing and encouraging young people’s involvement in civic participation in order to promote active and responsible citizenship. NPN introduced them to the concepts of neighborhood organizing, community
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asset mapping, planning and roles of government institutions. Specific activities introduced how technology can be implemented in neighborhood projects by using mobile devices and cloud-based presentation applications. Youth Works participants also had the opportunity to work directly with Zion City residents for the duration of the program. Residents led a walk through the neighborhood to discover assets and deficits; they identified vacant lots that were to be part of a neighborhood-organized clean up effort and discussed why they were chosen. To assist the work of the residents, Youth Works participants formed a Trash Mob, which collected several contractor bags filled with an assortment of trash. NPN looks forward to continuing the partnership with Job 1 by providing the Youth Works program next summer. NPN is also developing summer youth programs through its Capacity College program.
If you would like email updates about Youth Capacity College, please contact Jason Stopa at jason@npnnola.com THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
OPEN and United Way Partner to Bring the Born Learning Trail to N.O. East
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eady, Set, Go!, the Orleans Public Education Network’s (OPEN) early childhood initiative, is proud to announce the opening of New Orleans’ first-ever Born Learning Trail in Village de L’est. In partnership with United Way of Southeastern Louisiana and Vietnamese Initiatives in Economic Training (VIET), OPEN is promoting healthy child development activities and games that enhance children’s language and preliteracy abilities, physical well-being and motor skills. Each stop of the Born Learning Trail presents a different opportunity for children, parents, siblings and friends to explore, play and learn together. From promoting physical activity with animal impressions to asking parents to sound out words with their child to encouraging creative imagination games, each step of the way boosts skills associated with the five domains of childhood development: Physical Health & Well-Being, Social Competence, Emotional Maturity, Language & Cognitive Development, and Communication Skills & General Knowledge. “The idea behind the trail is to help parents and kids to think, learn and grow in a comprehensive way, instead of focusing on a narrow range of academic skills,” said Saundra Reed, Ready, Set, Go! Coordinator and spearhead of the project. “When whole-child wellness is the priority, kids come to school ready not just to learn but to excel.” The five domains of child development are standard tools of the Early Development Index (EDI). In 2011 and 2012, OPEN used the EDI to evaluate the needs and vulnerabilities of kindergarten-age children throughout New Orleans. This neighborhood-specific data is shared by Ready, Set, Go! to engage communities and make them aware of where local children’s vulnerabilities lie, which, in turn, helps to direct preventative resources and support where it is most needed. The Born Learning Trail will be free of charge and open to the public. It is set to be completed in October of 2013, with an opening ceremony and community activities in the works.
More information about the Born Learning Trail, the Early Development Index and Ready, Set, Go! can be found at OPEN’s website, www.opennola.org
It’s Time to Look at Early Childhood
By Julia Kahn, Assistant Editor, Education
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ew Orleans is full of educational chatter. School reform, the charter school movement, ensuring students have quality teachers and the implications of standardized tests are all important conversations for children, parents, teachers and other direct stakeholders. There is also widespread acknowledgement that these are important conversations for the city as a whole. It’s encouraging to see so many of our citizens committed to making the school system safe, equitable and competitive on a national level. I believe there is another crucial piece of this conversation that we need to add to the city-wide conversation around education. It rests on the fact that for most children, institutional education begins years before they officially enter the public school system. Early childhood education has been getting increasing national attention as study after study has emphasized the importance of early learning for life-long academic and emotional success. In our society, where many parents hold full-time jobs on top of the full-time job of parenthood, third-party early childhood education is going to be a key factor in the success of future generations. In my conversations with parents across the city, they frequently identify finding and accessing quality childcare options for their children before they are ready of Pre-K or kindergarten as one of their greatest challenges. There are good options, of course. There are dozens of centers run by Total Community Action, Inc. that fill a vital role of providing high-quality educational daycare to low-income families at their Head Start and Early Head Start programs. There are also many fantastic private institutions that provide nurturing, educational environments. However, these cannot
THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
accommodate all of New Orleans’ young children. Furthermore, each option carries some significant restrictions. Private institutions can be very costly, while Head Start programs around the country have strict income qualifications. There are many families who are above the poverty level and, as such, are not eligible for Head Start, but for whom paying for private daycare is a severe financial burden. Though parents are universally looking for the same qualities – safety, trustworthiness, learning-focused – there is a highly stratified system of providers based on income level, and all sectors are highly competitive just to find a spot. Mariah Grant Marcelle, mother of a six-month-old daughter, knows this challenge well. “With my job, I’m busy mostly in the afternoon,” she says. “Most places close at 5 or 6 (p.m.), so it’s been a challenge to find somebody I trust who will keep her until 8 p.m.” Ursula Price had similar challenges finding a caregiver for her three-year-old while she was at work. She is pleased that she eventually found a wonderful women, but it took time, trial-and-error and luck. The tension resulting from the search for quality childcare and demanding careers is a common phenomenon for parents. They have been feeling this pressure for a long time. It is time that the city’s larger conversation about education include the question of early childhood education. It will be impossible to truly reform education unless all parts of the system are addressed, from birth to graduation. This is a charge that can and should be led by parents. It is my hope that NPN’s Parent First program can provide a space where parents can begin to talk about this systemic service gap, identify the specific issues and start to collectively problem-solve and advocate for better investment in the youngest citizens of New Orleans.
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Re-Imagine Your Life With Health Care Coverage
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By Nicole Durit, Vice President of Health at AARP
magine being 56-years old. Diabetic and uninsured. And getting sicker every day because you can’t get the treatment you need to control your chronic illness. Unimaginable? Perhaps to you, but not to millions of Americans and their families who face this reality every day. But soon—regardless of one’s financial ability, employment status or a pre-existing illness—everyone will have access to health care coverage that is affordable and comprehensive.
Now, re-imagine the possibilities… • If you no longer had to worry about finding health insurance that works for you. • If you didn’t have to worry about your struggling recent college grad going uninsured in a tough job market. • If a previous illness wouldn’t keep you from getting coverage for the next go-round. • If you knew that you would never have to face the possibility of losing your insurance just when you need it most – when you’re sick.
The Health Insurance Marketplace In October 2013, the Health Insurance Marketplace will bring good news and good health to millions of Americans. The marketplace will make it easy to shop for and compare prices and benefits for all of the health plans offered in your state—all in one convenient place. Low-cost or free plans are available, depending on your income. But, regardless of cost, all plans are now required
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to cover important benefits like doctor visits, emergency care, prescriptions and more. Learn more by visiting AARP’s Health Law Answers at www.healthlawanswers.org or www.mileydesalud.org to view in Spanish.
The Health Law Even for those who have insurance, the health law brings added peace of mind. Beginning in 2014, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage when you or a loved one need it most – even if you have a preexisting condition, like asthma, diabetes, high-blood pressure or even cancer. And if you or a family member become ill or injured, your insurance company can’t put dollar limits on your coverage or cancel your plan. Plus, young adults can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until they turn 26. Even if your child is in school, living away from home – or even married – as long as they’re under age 26, they can stay covered on your plan. So go ahead. Re-imagine life with affordable and accessible health coverage. Think about the long-term, financial security it brings. The added peace of mind for you and your family. The choices it opens up, when you’re no longer tied to a job just because you can’t get health insurance anywhere else. That kind of freedom was once a dream for so many, but it will soon be a reality. Help spread the word or learn more about these and other benefits available under the health law by visiting Health Law Answers at www. healthlawanswers.org or www.mileydesalud.org to view in Spanish. Nicole Durit, Vice President of Health at AARP, leads the Association’s member and consumer health education and outreach program which includes work on issues such as Medicare, the health law, prescription drug affordability, long-term care, prevention and wellness and wise use of medications.
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Alliance Institute Celebrates
Jean Lafitte Clinic Grand Opening with RFK Center’s Kerry Kennedy By Jeff Karlson, Alliance Institute
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he RFK Lafitte Medical Clinic in Jean Lafitte, LA recently celebrated its grand opening, three years after Alliance Institute and the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights began pushing for expanded health care services in Gulf Coast communities affected by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Alliance Institute’s Executive Director Stephen Bradberry, RFK Center’s Kerry Kennedy, Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner, Jefferson Community Health Care Centers CEO Dr. Shondra Williams, and Louisiana BayouKeeper’s Tracy Kuhns were all on hand during the ribbon cutting ceremony, speaking passionately about how much the health clinic’s opening means to the community. “The opening of a full-time health clinic in Jean Lafitte is a significant victory for coastal Louisiana,” said Bradberry. “This health clinic is a reminder of the good that can occur when public, private and community interests align. The full-time clinic will serve 5,000 families in the communities of Jean Lafitte, Barataria Bay and Crown Point and create at least ten jobs for local residents. The state-of-the-art clinic will provide critical health care options
Get connected to the Neighborhoods Partnership Network. THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
to residents who previously had to travel more than 30 minutes outside the area for similar services. Occupational health specialists will also be on site to provide diagnostic services to area workers who are still experiencing ill health effects from the oil spill and cleanup. The clinic is part of a larger health care expansion project called the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP) which will impact access to health care across 17 counties and parishes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. GRHOP is funded from the Deepwater Horizon Medical Benefits Class Action Settlement approved by the U.S. District Court in New Orleans on January 11, 2013. Alliance Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides community organizing training and technical assistance to non-profits and community based organizations in New Orleans and across the gulf south. With a primary goal of increasing economic and social justice through community engagement, Alliance Institute works to provide individuals, families, and organizations with the skills and tools they need to fully participate in the decision making processes that affect them in their homes, neighborhoods, and communities.
Post news & events for your organization at NPNnola.com 9
Coffee on My Dime
The J.O.Y. of Gert Town
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By Greg Lawson, Neioghborhoods Editor
he Gert Town Community Development Corporation (GTCDC) is a neighborhood-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the social, economic and physical environment of the Gert Town neighborhood by building a strong cohesive neighborhood through collaboration and programming for residents. The J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) Senior Program, one of its most successful initiatives, offers activities and a meeting space where a vibrant group of seniors meets daily to participate in exercise classes, field trips and recreational activities including ceramic arts through a partnership with the Art Department at Xavier University. Through the health education component of the program, the seniors successfully transformed a blighted neighborhood lot at the corner of Audubon and Olive Streets into a bountiful community garden. In 2011, a senior undertook a project to revitalize the local “dumping spot” near the seniors’ meeting location at the Fellowship Hall of the neighborhood church into a community garden that could support the program health initiatives. George Holly, who lived near the blighted lot and was inspired by the determination of the J.O.Y. seniors, agreed to volunteer his time and resources to clear the blighted lot. In exchange, the seniors would maintain a community garden. The seniors solicited donations of soil,
garden containers, seeds and plants from various organizations including the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and Banting’s Nursery. Mr. Holly, along with students from Xavier University, worked with the group to fence the lot and plant the garden’s first crop of tomatoes, corn and bell peppers. Two years, later the community garden now features a variety of fresh and organic produce including corn, okra, mustard and collard greens, egg plants, tomatoes, watermelon and grapes. Mr. Holly who continues to maintain the garden by planting and harvesting crops while J.O.Y. members are responsible for produce sales to neighborhood residents and local vendors. This year’s proceeds from were used to sponsor a trip for seniors to Memphis, TN. With a little effort, hard work and dedication, the seniors of Gert Town not only created a resource for fresh, healthy food but an economic opportunity that supports the J.O.Y. of the Gert Town neighborhood. J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) Senior Program meets Monday through Friday at the Fellowship Hall of the Greater King Solomon Baptist Church located at 3305 Audubon. Contact Mrs. Emily White at (504) 302-7879 for more information on activities or to purchase fresh, locally grown produce.
What Farming Teaches Us
By Johanna Gilligan, Co-Director, Grow Dat Youth Farm
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he mission of Grow Dat Youth Farm in City Park is to nurture a diverse group of young leaders through the meaningful work of growing food. With our founding team, we started this wild experiment three years ago to learn if we could elevate the leadership skills of young adults by hiring them to grow food for their community. Young adults from both public and private schools apply to work with Grow Dat over the course of our five month leadership training program. From late January through June, these students plant seeds on our 1.5 acre farm. They diligently care for them, watering, mulching, fertilizing and weeding … always weeding. They harvest the food they’ve grown and sell 60 percent of it, sharing the remaining 40 percent with friends, neighbors, family members and New Orleanians who normally wouldn’t be able to find or afford organic, local produce. Since we moved onto our permanent site in City Park in January of 2012, we’ve grown over 15,000 pounds of food with the young adults we employ. In this process of nurturing plants and providing for their community, the youth we employ grow, too. They build strong bonds with one another and with staff who serve as mentors and employers. They are challenged by the difficulty of physical work and learn how to communicate effectively to get hard jobs done. They sweat and persevere. They say that working on the farm improves their work ethic, their level of professionalism and responsibility. This helps them develop a sense of initiative. What we come to understand more deeply each year is that a healthy eco-system is one that is in balance. To create a healthy community of youth and adults, we follow key concepts that nature models for us: diversity in our eco-system makes us stronger, so we intentionally bring together a community of youth and adults who are different races, from many class backgrounds, whose varied life experiences ensure we bring contrasting strengths. We know that the health of our plants is dependent upon the quality of the soil we grow them in, so we mimic this by creating the most positive environment possible, one in which youth employees can take risks, knowing they are in
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a space where peers and mentors are supporting them while holding them accountable. Our 2013 graduate Unique Wilson said it best: “Grow Dat is the experience. Sometimes people need a place where they can be the person that they would be without their peers, or what society says they are suppose to be. People need a place where they can go and clear their mind from all the challenges of the world and figure out who they really are. That is what Grow Dat is.” We can learn a lot from the work of farming if we pay close enough attention to the genius expressions of nature.
THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
Food Trucks
A New, New Orleans Eating Experience By Chemwapuwa Blackman, Associate Editor, Arts and Culture
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ood Trucks are gaining leverage among brick-and-mortar restaurants of New Orleans with each new city ordinance. Locals have long enjoyed other locals selling the foods their families have made for generations along parade and second line routes, after church on Sundays, during game day near the Dome and numerous other places. These quick bites to eat along the way have long been a part of New Orleans’ traditions. In recent years, Food Trucks have served their way into the fabric of New Orleans. As the Food Truck business has grown, city officials have made certain that they are also abiding by the same laws as the brick-and-mortar businesses are. The laws are beneficial in that they hold these new mobile food businesses to the standards of New Orleans’ restaurant industry. However, some laws, such as the number of permits allotted yearly, seem to favor brick-and-mortar restaurants and have hindered growth of the food truck industry in this area. Rachel Billow with La Cocinita Food Truck, which has been in operation for two years, says that the most difficult challenge they initially faced, and that many other street food vendors continue to struggle with, is obtaining a permit. Until recent reforms, all mobile food vendors were applying for the same allotment of permits. New permits only become available once existing permits are not renewed, leaving few to go around in a city where food provides the foundation for our economy. Mobile vendors were also unable to operate in the Central Business District bound by the River to the east, Claiborne Avenue to the west, Esplanade Avenue to the north and Howard Avenue to the south. According to Billow, the permit issue inspired her to found the New Orleans Food Truck Coalition (NOFTC), where she served as president for the first year of operation. Currently, she serves a political liaison for the group working with city officials to finalize the new legislative reforms recently passed by City Council and Mayor Landrieu. As a result of NOFTC’s work, Food Trucks were allotted 100 permits of their own in April, helping the businesses of other mobile food vendors to grow as well. Confections vendors and fixed location vendors such as seafood and produce vendors were also designated a number of permits. Other reforms allowed free discretion of operating hours, the right to operate within any proximity of brick-and-mortar restaurants, and the ability to remain standing at any stop for up to four hours. Also, as noted on the NOFTC website, food trucks
are now allowed to operate in the CBD on the lakeside of Rampart and will be able to apply for semi-permanent spaces on the riverside of Rampart. These reforms have significantly helped Food Trucks in delivering services to a population of people who want fresh, tasty food but do not have time or the desire to sit and dine. It is the essence of fast food, yet more authentic, fresh and suited to taste. Operating on wheels, Billow says, allows them the freedom to “roam around serving lunches at universities and offices or late-night snacks at bars.” This summer, the Food Truck Coalition partnered with four highlighted nonprofit organizations to rally support for food trucks, the nonprofits and small business owners in those neighborhoods. Their presence has allowed them to grow in popularity with locals and tourists alike, which, according to Billows, is evidenced in their large social media following and high turn outs at food truck festivals. Contributing to their popularity is the unique quality of the food. Although the food is delivered quickly, the cuisine is no less special. La Cocinita’s Chef Benoit was born, raised, and attended culinary school in Venezuela; so, La Cocinita has been successful at delivering quick, inexpensive gourmet Latin American cuisine to its customers. Patrons can enjoy familiar fare such as tacos, or they can experiment with more exotic delicacies such as arepas (Venezuelan cornmeal patties stuffed with meat and cheese). La Cocinita also offers a wide selection of sauces--everything from mild sauces to their “Stupid Hot” Salsa--all of which are homemade, using fresh roasted peppers and vegetables. Billow hopes tourists will continue to grow interested in the burgeoning food truck culture of New Orleans. With cuisine that is special in its own rite, she believes that eventually local food trucks will join New Orleans’ world famous restaurants on the typical visitor’s culinary to-do list.
With cuisine that is special in its own rite, Rachel Billow believes that eventually local food trucks will join New Orleans’ world famous restaurants on the typical visitor’s culinary to-do list.
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For more information about the mobile vendor permit, please visit the City’s One Stop Shop at www.nola.gov/onestop. A copy on the Food Peddlers and Itinerant Vendors Code of Ordinances for the City of New Orleans can be found on municode.com, the nation’s largest codifier. The site provides a wealth of legal, editorial, and publishing services for public and private sector customers. Simply select New Orleans, LA in the Browse Library option and search for the ordinances by name. If you are interested in obtaining a food truck or want to stay up to date with the New Orleans Food Truck Coalition, visit their website, nolafoodtrucks.com.
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Dwayne Boudreaux; owner of Circle Food Store, said his store is slated to open in December.
Part of a Larger Food-Focused Movement
Food Stores & Culinary Ventures Opening in Tremé-Lafitte
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By Naomi King Englar
y the end of the year, the Treme-Lafitte neighborhood will have two new grocery stores on its borders. The historic Circle Foods Store will be reclaiming its Hurricane Katrina-flooded space, while Whole Foods will be opening a first-of-its-kind store in a mixed-use building with tenants that embrace food-centered missions. It is indicative of a movement spreading across the city: More and more interest and investment is focusing on food; local food as well as healthy food. Construction is underway on a new Whole Foods Market in ReFresh, a multi-use building at North Broad and Bienville. The former site of Schegmann’s Supermarket, ReFresh will house services, stores and nonprofits focused on improving community health through nutrition, social support, community engagement and employment opportunities. “Everything we’re trying to do here is really about reducing barriers,” said Jeff Schwartz, executive director of Broad Community Connections, the nonprofit developer leading efforts to revive Broad Street and spearheading the ReFresh project. The new Whole Foods will be stocked with the 365 brand, a lower price-point offering of the chain’s foods and grocery items. Staff will also give “value tours” to help shoppers find the best deals. The store, which will have an initial 20-year lease, plans to hire 80 to 100 employees and will soon host a community job fair. “They want to be in a diverse community. They want to be about community health and wellness,” Schwartz said. “I know people are skeptical, but it’s really astounding their level of commitment.” Whole Foods leadership reinforced its desire to be a neighborhood partner and an anchor in the community. According to Ernest Roy, a native New Orleanian and the future store team leader, the store is also actively seeking local food vendors – everything from processed and packaged foods like pasta to fresh fruits and vegetables. “Revitalization of the whole area – we’re an extension of that,” Roy said. The store is scheduled to open in December.
All the tenants of ReFresh share a community health and wellness mission In addition to Whole Foods, the site will house Liberty’s Kitchen, a nonprofit specializing in workforce development for at-risk youth in the culinary arts, currently located near Tulane Avenue on North Broad Street. The restaurant also provides daily lunches to 1,500 public school students. More than half of the space in its new ReFresh location will be dedicated to a commissary kitchen that will serve a new café and the nonprofit’s catering business and will allow for expanded school-lunch service, according to Janet Davas, Liberty’s Kitchen’s co-founder and executive director. The kitchen is also developing a partnership with Whole Foods to supply dishes for its prepared foods section. “Of course they’re going to be a wonderful partner for job placement and training opportunities for the young people going through our program,” Davas said. Tulane University’s Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine will also be a major tenant, operating a teaching kitchen where residents, students and doctors can learn about healthy cooking as a way to prevent and treat diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. The goal is to have the kitchen open daily and to provide free classes for the community. Dr. Tim Harlan, executive director of the Goldring Center, believes it will take more than opening a grocery store alone to improve community health. Providing ongoing help through cooking and nutrition classes may be able to make a difference. “We believe in, and we have the luxury of being able to teach the community through, a long-term and longitudinal process,” Harlan said. “I’m aching to find out what works.” The ReFresh site will also include nonprofit offices, community meeting space, a community garden and the potential for a shared kitchen space to support aspiring food businesses and chefs. The project was made possible, in part, by a $1 million loan from the New Orleans Fresh Food Retailer Initiative (FFRI), a move that received scrutiny from neighborhood residents already skeptical of Whole Foods’ involvement
The new Whole Foods, which will have an initial 20-year lease, plans to hire 80 to 100 employees and will soon host a community job fair.
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Jake Pine, (second from right) a development associate at L+M Development Partners, talks with Whole Foods staffers Ernest Roy, Kristina Bradford and Lindsay Morton after a meeting at the ReFresh site.
in the project and familiar with higher price-points at the grocer’s Arabella Station and Metairie locations. The FFRI is a $14 million loan program run by the city to help finance new or expanding food stores in areas that lack access to healthy foods. All the tenants will indirectly benefit from the loan and other public and private financial investments that the ReFresh project received. So far, three loans have been given to stores. Circle Food Store, which is more than one mile from ReFresh, is also a recipient of a $1 million FFRI loan, as well as other public and private financing. Store owner Dwayne Boudreaux said he sees Circle Food Store as an integral part of the larger movement to promote healthy eating as part of the city’s rebuilding process. “I think New Orleans is on a really great comeback,” Boudreaux said, adding that the store will once again be an anchor in the community when it opens in December. “I know, for this community, so many residents and other businesses thrived because of this business, because we brought so many people to the area.”
The Food Movement in New Orleans
Store owner Dwayne Boudreaux said he sees Circle Food Store as an integral part of the larger movement to promote healthy eating as part of the city’s rebuilding process.
In general, full-service grocery stores increase neighbors’ ability to buy and eat healthy food because they carry a wider variety and quantity of fresh produce. In New Orleans, there is one grocery store for every 14,000 people – a density far greater than the national average of 8,500 people per store, said Jeanette Gustat, a faculty co-investigator at the Tulane Prevention Research Center. The center, which has conducted food store research throughout the city for some time, collected surveys over the past year around the ReFresh site, asking residents about their grocery shopping habits. “We know from our previous research on food store locations that this neighborhood, like many others in the city, is in need of access to fresh food,” Gustat said. Comprehensive results will be shared with residents, neighborhood organizations and ReFresh partners this fall. Being a gastro-centric city, it is perhaps no surprise that food is a catalyst for many people hoping to improve the city. A wide range of businesses and organizations focused on food – either selling it in innovative ways or using it as a tool to train youth and adults – have sprouted up in New Orleans. Local fresh foods have been one method for addressing access issues while stimulating the local economy at the same time. “We’re certainly seeing that the local food movement has been gaining momentum nationally for a while now. It’s exciting to see the progress in New Orleans,” said Emery Van Hook, interim executive director of marketumbrella.org, the organization which operates the Crescent City Farmers Market and has helped launch dozens of farmers markets between Alabama and Texas. She
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also made note of the growing awareness of food’s larger role in public health. Additionally, more farmers markets are accepting the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a form of payment for food. “There’s a really exciting open dialogue happening right now,” Van Hook said. With farmers markets, there are opportunities for continued growth because they are one of the few places where people can buy directly from local farmers, getting to know them and also cutting out middle men. Another burgeoning field on the New Orleans food scene has been urban agriculture – in part because of the vast amount of open land throughout the city. According to Sanjay Kharod, executive director of New Orleans Food and Farm Network (NOFFN), there are roughly 160 sites in New Orleans that function as urban farms. “But I find out about more every day,” Kharod said. He went on to point out that, overall, urban agriculture in New Orleans has not always included the community. However, urban farmers – people harvesting from lands within the city either for restaurants markets or other financial gain – are beginning to work together and work with neighbors. “How do we work together to become a bigger voice in the city?” Kharod said, describing the thoughts behind his organization’s goals to involve communities in decision-making about potential urban farms and community spaces. NOFFN helps mentor budding farmers, providing resources and guidance on a range of issues, such as how to obtain land and set up the proper water-use fees. New Orleans has seen an influx of young people interested in urban farming, as well as locals wanting to starting farming businesses and organizations. It is the same push seen in Detroit, where there is plenty of open land and people with resources to develop it. “The interest is there, and cities are getting this,” Kharod said. “They’re having to react to this growth (of the food movement).” Naomi King Englar is communications and training coordinator at the Tulane Prevention Research Center, which works with community partners to address the physical and social environmental factors influencing the obesity epidemic and its behavioral determinants (physical activity and diet).
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Faubourg Lafitte – Making Quality Living an Affordable Reality in Tremé Lafitte
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aubourg Lafitte includes the redeveloped 27.5 acre site of the Lafitte public housing complex and infill development in the surrounding community of Tremé /Lafitte. Planned with meaningful input from former Lafitte residents who evacuated before and during Hurricane Katrina, Faubourg Lafitte will achieve one-for-one replacement of Lafitte’s 900 pre-Katrina subsidized units and an additional 600 marketrate rental and for-sale homes. As of August 2013, 276 rental units have been completed and occupied on the Lafitte site; 100 rentals are complete or under construction off-site; and 75 for-sale homes have been completed with 57 sold, 10 under contract and three available to first-time homebuyers. As the Faubourg Lafitte development team, Providence Community Housing, Enterprise Community Partners and L+M Development Partners are committed to providing residents access to high-quality programs and services that improve quality of life and maximize strengths, fostering greater economic and emotional stability. These programs and services are offered at the Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center (STNC) adjacent to Faubourg Lafitte and through partnerships with organizations serving the broader community. STNC re-opened in 2009 to foster a safe, healthy and diverse community through quality programs that are enriching, engaging and creative. Because STNC re-opened before new housing at Faubourg Lafitte was complete, programs were initially focused on addressing the emergency and temporary housing and service needs of displaced Lafitte families. Services were provided to Lafitte evacuees in other cities through local Catholic Charities affiliates. Once new housing was finished and families began to move back to Faubourg Lafitte, Providence Community Housing conducted a resident needs assessment survey of renters and homeowners. The results revealed a critical need for programs addressing the economic and educational needs of adults and youth as well as the health, wellness and recreational needs of seniors. Providence has structured programs to address these needs and is utilizing an outcomes-based approach to increase effectiveness and resident participation. Originally operated by Catholic Charities, STNC is now managed by Providence Community Housing with a full-time on-site staff of five: a center director, a licensed social worker, an adult and senior service coordinator, a resident outreach associate and a social services program associate. In 2012, STNC served 646 residents from Faubourg Lafitte and the surrounding community using a service model designed to address the immediate needs of unstable individuals and families, while identifying and building upon their unique strengths and potential. As families move in, a social worker at STNC assesses immediate basic needs and provides an individualized plan including counseling and direct assistance if needed. The management staff focuses on four asset-based components: employment, youth development, wealth development, and health and wellness. Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center resident services priorities include: continued on page 15
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• Working with FirstLine Schools at the newly constructed Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, slated to open in Fall 2014 a few blocks from Lafitte; and ensuring that Faubourg Lafitte children have access to a state-ofthe-art educational environment close to home; • Providing an afterschool program with an arts-integrated curriculum, engaging children in creative processes and connecting art to academics. We have partnered with Young Audiences of Louisiana to offer a robust and comprehensive program that provides children with structured, curriculumbased educational assistance to help them succeed in school and improve their math and reading comprehension skills. The program also integrates art forms including a drumline, dance, creative writing and painting. In the last year through the afterschool program and summer camp program, we have served more than 75 children. • Engaging parents in the academic and cultural education of their children; and • Improving recreation opportunities by constructing playgrounds and fitness areas at Lafitte; and providing a structured youth tennis program
in partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) as part of the USTA’s efforts to increase access to tennis for inner-city youth ages 10 and under. The two cohorts held in 2012 and 2013 provided basic tennis instruction to 30 children.
Intergenerational Edible Garden at the Sojourner Truth Residents young and old, and California volunteers also recently joined together to build a community garden at the Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center. This new intergenerational edible garden is the work of Faubourg Lafitte Tenants Association leaders, who seek to bring together seniors and youth living in the Faubourg Lafitte community around food-growing on the Greenway. Local tree-planting nonprofit, Hike for KaTREEna, brought its expertise, more than twenty volunteers and a pickup truck full of soil to Sojourner Truth to help the Faubourg Lafitte seniors and youth build six raised gardening beds. The wooden beds vary in height to allow both small children and wheel-chair bound seniors to tend the garden. One bed is already filled with herbs, and residents are eager for fall to plant the rest.
Emelda Paul, President, Lafitte Residents Council
Fighting for the New Jerusalem
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melda Paul calls herself a “floater” because she goes “wherever I’m needed ... within reason.” She proved that when Hurricane Katrina forced the nearly 900 residents of the Lafitte public housing development to leave the place they knew as home. She even went all the way to halls of Congress to advocate for the rights of her fellow residents. Ms. Paul had been serving as President of the Lafitte Residents Council for just over a year when Katrina’s devastation ravaged the public housing development situated along the downtown edge of the Tremé Lafitte neighborhood. Already a senior at the time and temporarily displaced in Arizona herself, she could have easily relinquished her leadership role to focus on recovering her own life. Instead, she maintained contact with the Lafitte diaspora and disseminated information about what was happening back home in New Orleans. Determined not to succumb to misfortune and to harness the opportunity the storm presented, Ms. Paul advocated on behalf her fellow residents. She stood in the gap and spoke for those
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whose voices could not be heard. While she was initially opposed to the redevelopment of New Orleans public housing, she changed her mind after meeting with the development team and seeing the new plans first-hand. Her thoughts were that “people wanted to come home, but we couldn’t have people living in the same condition they were living in before Katrina. We needed and wanted up-to-date kitchens and bathrooms. We were tired of patch jobs ... if we wanted to bring people back, we wanted to make sure they had a safe environment when they returned.” As a converted supporter of redevelopment plans and undaunted by the controversy involved, Ms. Paul met with U.S. Representative Maxine Waters and testified before Congress to give voice to Lafitte residents. “We want a New Jerusalem. The time is now. We’ve got to bring our residents home ... and build something better here for our children and grandchildren.” Her efforts eventually led to the demolition of the former public housing development and paved the way for the new Faubourg Lafitte Community. Even before the site was reoccupied, Ms. Paul continued to be tireless in her leadership, building partnerships with local groups to better the lives of residents once they returned. She joined the board of Providence Community Housing, Faubourg Lafitte’s nonprofit development partner. She also began to participate in the NEWCITY Neighborhood Partnership, a stakeholder coalition focusing on the larger surrounding community. She also spearheaded the formation of the Cops, Clergy and Community Coalition while returning to her volunteer work with the neighborhood’s St. Peter Claver Church. The development of the Faubourg Lafitte Community would not have been possible without Ms. Paul’s tireless work. Through her resolve to keep residents informed and engaged after Hurricane Katrina; to help encourage and facilitate residents’ return as housing became available; to ensure that the housing built met their needs, she kept the most important part of the Lafitte community intact: the people. And her work has not stopped. Ms. Paul is helping organize the community by forming a neighborhood association and a neighborhood watch. She also continues to strengthen partnerships throughout the neighborhood, serving on the board of the Lafitte Greenway Steering Advisory Committee, a City-chartered citizens’ group that is overseeing the creation of a linear park adjacent to the Faubourg Lafitte development. And to ensure that future generations understand the legacy with which they have been entrusted, he is helping to record the history of the community. Her fight to secure that New Jerusalem goes on.
The development of the Faubourg Lafitte Community would not have been possible without Ms. Paul’s tireless work.
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NEIGH SPOTBORHOOD LIGHT
Trem Lafit é te
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NEIGH SPOTBORHOOD LIGHT
Trem Lafit é te
THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
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Rendering of proposed Carver Theater renovation, Left: photos of Carver Theater in 1950
Revitalization of the Historic Carver Theater is Underway By Vincent Sylvain, Contributor
Nestled in the heart of Faubourg Tremé - the nation’s first neighborhood for “les gens de couleur libres” (the free people of color) — is the historic Carver Theater located at 2101 Orleans Avenue.
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uilt in 1950 as an “exclusively Negro” theater, the Carver carries important historical significance as one of the first state-of-art facilities for blacks in New Orleans. Noted theater historian Rene Brunet remarked that the Carver was the “best ‘colored’ theater in New Orleans and perhaps the entire South ... as good as or better than any white theater in town.” The Carver Theater is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places as having “exceptional significance” because its construction was a watershed in the development of first-rate theaters for blacks in New Orleans. In its heyday, the Carver Theater was a magnificent building serving a solitary function. The old structure has aged gracefully, and once restored, will serve as the centerpiece of a cultural renaissance that will stimulate economic development in the surrounding neighborhood. Located just ten blocks from the French Quarter, proximal to downtown New Orleans, and only a few blocks away from St. Peter Claver Church – the largest African-American Catholic church in the state of Louisiana – the Carver is centrally positioned. Bringing the theater back into commission will not only restore pride to this structure, but will also fill this historic neighborhood once again with life and energy. There once was a time when self-reliance for African-Americans in New
Orleans meant the ability to hold events and social gathering in facilities located in their community. They provided a needed refuge from the cruelty and humiliation of segregation. Located in every African-American neighborhood in New Orleans, as communities across the United States, they were often wood frame social halls used for weddings and Mardi Gras functions and small theaters used for movies. These activities – though primarily social and entertainment-centered – provided the backdrop for the fabric of the community, establishing its business entrepreneurial class and providing needed accommodations in a time when African-Americans were not allowed in downtown entertainment and function spaces. Gone now are the neighborhood movie houses, rickety reception halls and fraternal social halls. Businesses that clustered near these vibrant activities, providing needed supplies and services are gone; the heart and soul of communities ripped out by demolition balls. It is only now that we realize that these facilities provided an important connection for business and social well-being, without which inner city New Orleans is less enriched with community vibrancy and opportunities for cultural and artistic expressions. New Orleans needs neighborhood-based facilities that serve as catalysts for neighborhood commercial revitalization. The Carver Theater is such a project. What better way to honor the memory of the building’s namesake, George Washington Carver – a noted inventor and botanist whose influences
Bringing the theater back into commission will not only restore pride to this structure, but will also fill this historic neighborhood once again with life and energy.
continued on page 19
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are still being felt today - then to have this facility restored to its original luster. Rising from slavery to become one of the world’s most respected and honored men, Carver devoted his life to understanding nature and the many uses for the simplest of plant life. He is best known for developing crop-rotation methods for conserving nutrients in soil and discovering hundreds of new uses for crops such as the peanut. Carver’s scientific discoveries included more than 300 different products derived from the peanut, some 100 from sweet potatoes, about 75 from pecans, and many others. After the shutdown of the movie screen in 1980, the Carver Theater retired to a simple life, housing office operations and a medical clinic. Having sustained irreparable damage from six feet of water during hurricane Katrina, the medical clinic was permanently closed. Fortunately, building modification for the clinic was wood frame and drywall confined to the interior and was able to be removed completely. Exterior architectural details have been preserved including the display windows which once held flashy movie posters screaming with images of the stars of that time.
Once restored, the project will operate as a live entertainment and special events venue with the primary focus on jazz, big band ensembles, chamber music, operettas, stage plays, dance recitals, weddings, off-Broadway shows, and community theater. State-of-the-art technology will allow the facility to be marketed as a prime venue for live audio and video recordings, thus allowing the Carver to serve as a hub for development for local performing artists desiring to participate in the music, film and entertainment industries. The attention to detail in developing acoustical sound barriers designed to prevent the intrusion of noise from the outside of the facility during performances also has the added benefit of protecting the surrounding neighbors from sounds filtering to the outside. The Carver Theater’s main performance hall will comfortably seat nearly 700 guests with the ability to accommodate another 108 in the adjourning Piano Room, thus allowing conference and wedding planners to the use the Carver as an alternative to large hotel ballrooms. The facility will have seven full-time employees and 25 to 30 part-time employees. The development team is committed to returning the historic Carver Theater to its proper place as a community entertainment venue.
State-of-the-art technology will allow the facility to be marketed as a prime venue for live audio and video recordings.
The One Number Every Local Resident Should Know
24/7 Crisis Services Now Available
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f you or someone you know is having a crisis*, help is now available 24/7. The Metropolitan Human Services District (MHSD), a local government entity that oversees the delivery of communitybased mental health, addictive disorders and developmental disabilities services to our area, provides a specially trained team of professionals ready to serve you. Any resident who is facing a crisis related to mental illness, developmental disability or alcohol, drug or gambling addiction may receive immediate, comprehensive crisis care services. “No one should have to go through a crisis alone,” said Judge Calvin Johnson (retired), MHSD’s Executive Director. “But for too long, residents in our area have had to do just that, which means that things escalate when they don’t need to. I hope everyone will put (our number) in their speed dial so that when a crisis does occur, help can be on the way, immediately.”
When you call 504-826-2675, you have access to the following services: • Phone consultation • Home visits • Respite bed care • Emergency room assistance
All of these services are provided by an MHSD team that will stay with you and work with you until the crisis is resolved; whether that’s a few hours, a few days or even several weeks.
Here’s what you should know about MHSD’s crisis resolution program: • It’s not the police. • It’s free to call. • It’s available to any resident, any age, who lives in Orleans, Plaquemines or St. Bernard Parish.
*Many things can cause someone to be in crisis: Some are obvious (suicidal thoughts or drug overdose), others aren’t (feeling agitated, overwhelmed or depressed). The bottom line is that you don’t have to figure out if someone is in a crisis or not. Call 504-826-2675 and we’ll do it for you.
To learn more about MHSD and its crisis services, please visit mhsdla.org
Get Connected to the New Orleans Neighborhood Network. Post News & Events for Your Organization at NPNnola.com THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
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At Heaven’s Door
get pushed a lil’, that old life gonna rise up in ‘em. You’ll see.” That chance to fall came out by Shakespeare Park. Danny was parking his car and another man was pulling out. The man started talking crazy at Danny. “Man, I ain’t moving my car. I ain’t backing up. I ain’t doin’ nothing for you.” The whole park turned their heads toward Danny and the man. Did this man know who he was talking to? Danny got out of his car. “Look man, calm down. You don’t need to back up. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, man. Just go on do your thing.” This man came after Danny for no reason, and yet, Danny just turned the other cheek. He humbled himself and apologized for something that he wasn’t even at fault for doing. The whole park saw that, and they saw that something was different about him. Danny has already proved himself to his most important fan. Ms. Cindy Pearson smiles from her snoball stand every time she sees Danny walk through her block. Cindy’s little boy was shot down in 2002. Her little boy, “Big Dude,” was Danny’s cousin, and he died in his arms on the pavement of the projects. Ms. Cindy smiles because she sees Danny doing all these positive things with his life now. She is amazed at his change. She is proud of him. That is who Danny is serving. To her, he is as innocent as a little lamb. When our body expires and our souls go up to Heaven, we will be greeted by saints like Danny. He will be coming out of those doors, arms full of fish plates, serving those who wait on the outside of Heaven’s gates. He is no Jesus. He can’t make his fish literally multiply. But when you are served that fish plate by a man, humble and peaceful, stories of who served you that fish plate will ring through the Heavens and multiply. Yes, that’s Frontatown Danny. He’s changed, and now he is a servant for God.
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anny must maintain his innocence. The streets are going to know if he is faking it. Talk is cheap. The proof is in the pudding. They see Danny taking the kids to the park, paying their mama’s rent, buying 10 or 20 hot plates and giving them to the corner kids. “Come on man, you know what that boy used to do? That boy ain’t changed. He still a thug at heart. Just give him the opportunity, and he’ll be slingin’, back on those blocks,” the cynics on the street say. They see him reaching out to these kids, telling it like it is, training them up, stopping beefs, finding jobs, taking them away from the pressure, the stress, the grind of the game, getting them out to see a movie, or a college campus and doing it all from the heart. They see him humble himself. Serve the kids some food. Get them that cold drink. Keep the ketchup flowing. They got to see a change. They got to see a servant. They got to see clean living. He’s got the people asking, “Who dat is?” That’s Danny. “Wait, Frontatown Danny? Didn’t he used to have dreads?” Yeah, he used to. Now he’s dealing with other people’s dreads. Lucky was all about that street life the summer he graduated from high school. No other opportunities came to Lucky, so he just did what his friends did. Druggin’ and thuggin’ all day. That’s when Danny slipped some literature in his hand. He told Lucky to come by the site for a thirty-minute chat. Lucky went. Danny schooled him about the game. Lucky was intrigued by his perspective. This dude Danny pretty cool. He’s showin’ ya’ boy some love. The next morning, Danny drove him to see SUNO. “Yes, college is a possibility for you, Lucky.” With Danny by his side, Lucky signed up as a business major. Then Danny got him a job working for the Mayor. Picture that, Lucky from down the block in City Hall. Boy, that’s crazy. So crazy Lucky’s boys followed suit. Now Danny got all the 10th Ward Hustlers asking, “I hear you got some jobs out dare for us?” A $5,000 check at month’s end from working off shore got these kids lining up to be under Danny’s charge. The cynic doesn’t see anything change, though. “Oh, that’s good. That’s real good. Glad he helpin’ the kids and all. But that’s just his hustle. When he
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“You used to give the parts of your body to be slaves to unclean living. You were becoming more and more evil. Now give your bodies to be slaves to right living. Then you will become holy.”—Roman 6:19
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A Legacy in Learning
Warren Easton Celebrates100 Years
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arren Easton Charter High School is a part of the rich heritage of the city of New Orleans. Opened in 1913 as Boy’s High School, it was later re-named for Warren Easton, a popular school system superintendent. Always changing with the times, the school became coeducational in 1952, integrated in 1967 and became a fundamental magnet school in 1977. Continuously led by dedicated principals and a committed faculty and staff, Easton out performed most other schools in the district of Orleans Parish with its SPS scores improving year after year. Closed for one year following Hurricane Katrina, Warren Easton reopened as a charter school on September 7, 2006, with 792 students who came home from the more than 40 states and over 10 foreign countries where they relocated after Hurricane Katrina. As an inner-city school, Easton has always been dedicated to educating the children of the working class families of New Orleans. Today, Easton remains committed to those children and their families.
Faced with the possibility that the beloved school and Louisiana landmark would not be reopened by the local school board, the Warren Easton Charter Foundation was organized. Comprised of alumni, faculty, staff and concerned citizens, the foundation actively sought support in the community to reopen their alma mater which had served as the anchor of Mid-City for thousands of families of the area for the last century. Warren Easton’s plan for the next 100 years is to continue the mission and philosophy of Warren Easton Charter High School, keeping academic excellence as its the highest priority. Our mission slogan is “We Believe in Success,” and our mission is to provide rigorous and relevant instruction for students at all academic levels to ensure each has the opportunity to achieve maximum potential. Rooted in the belief that all students can succeed, emphasis is placed on the mastery of the skills needed for success: reading, writing, mathematics and scientific knowledge, as well as the development of technical proficiencies. Students develop these skills through project-based learning employing higher order thinking skills.
Notable Warren Easton Graduates Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews Musician Jose Archaga Counselor-Loyola University/Humanitarian Dr. Charles Coleman Dentist Pete Dewey Fountain Musician Lt. Colonel Merrick J. Green Military Ryan O’Neil Johnson U.S. Department of Justice Niquelle Lackings Ph.D. Educator & Advocate Dr. James Louis Physician UCLA Professor Frank Methe III Photographer Nicholas Payton Musician Dr. William Swanson Sociologist/Counselor Timolynn Sams Sumter Social Justice Champion Willie Turner Athlete/Law Enforcement Official Elizabeth Weaver Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court
Upcoming Centennial Activities September 15, 2013 Easton Open House & Reunion Time: Noon-2:30 pm Location: Warren Easton Charter High School 3019 Canal St., New Orleans, LA 70119
September 16, 2013 Founder’s Day Celebration Time: 1:00 PM
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October 21, 2013 Centennial Golf Tournament Time: Noon Location: Timberlane Country Club 1 Timberlane Drive, Gretna, LA 70056
October 26, 2013 Centennial Homecoming Game Parade and Tailgating Time: 11:00 AM Game: 2:30 PM Location: Tad Gormley Stadium 5400 Stadium Drive, New Orleans, LA 70124 21
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The New “Earth Day” for Food
Citywide Celebration on Food Day Hundreds of New Orleanians will join others across the state of Louisiana and throughout the U.S. in celebrating Food Day, a nationwide celebration of and movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food – the new “Earth Day” for food. While festivities are planned throughout the month of October and are set to coincide with the period typically identified as harvest time, Food Day will culminate with citywide celebrations on October 24th.
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reated by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest and driven by a diverse coalition of food movement leaders and citizens, Food Day aims to bring us closer to a system with “real food” that is produced with care for the environment, animals, and the women and men who grow, harvest and serve it. Most of this year’s activities will focus on food education, seeking to empower children to have more information about what they eat and to make better choices at mealtime. Organizers anticipate hosting 100 events across the state, 10 times the number held in 2012 in traditional hubs such as New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Hammond and Lafayette. Coordinators here and in the state’s capital are working with dozens of organizations, schools, and health partners to create a deeper conversation about food and increase event participation. Louisiana and the southern region of the U.S. provide the ideal settings for a significant Food Day initiative with their unique, rich food culture and its long growing seasons, reaping a large bounty of harvest year-round. Unfortunately, the South also has a host of health problems related to food, including high rates of obesity, diet-related illnesses, and lack of access to healthy foods in some urban and rural areas. Food Day seeks to raise awareness about these issues, create an open dialogue for solutions, educate children and families, and celebrate the work that organizations are already doing to combat these issues year-round. In years to come, Food Day will be an opportunity to bring more people at the table to work towards real
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changes in the food system of New Orleans, Louisiana, and beyond. New Orleans is expected to have the largest turn-out of events, with participation from a broad swatch of community partners. On October 19th, Sankofa Community Development Corporation and Healthy Heart Community Prevention Project are teaming up to a Food and Fitness Fair, one of the first Food Day events of the week. There will be a “fun run” where people can walk or run a mile. The “Rethink your Drink” challenge allows children to make the tastiest healthy smoothie, juice, tea or “fizz” alternative to sugary soda drinks that are heavily marketed towards children. Sankofa will also be unveiling their Mobile Fresh Market for the first time, sourcing produce from a local farmer. The Mobile Fresh Market was created to address the lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables in New Orleans’ 9th ward. Event partners include the NOCCA Institute; the Tulane Prevention Research Center; Tulane Endocrine Research; Women and Agriculture Network; the Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association (VAYLA), and Slow Food New Orleans. Susan Brady of the New St. Claude Association of Neighbors will be canvassing door-to-door to let neighbors know about the Food and Fitness Fair. Partners around New Orleans will host cooking and gardening demonstrations throughout the month. The French Market Corporation will be teaming up with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum and Edible Schoolyard New Orleans to host a series of demonstrations each Sunday of October. The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University will also be teaching cooking classes to Tulane college students on Food Day. The New Orleans Kids Partnership will offer cooking and healthy eating programs for children and their parents in Gentilly. Additional New Orleans Partners include the Latino Farmers Cooperative, Market Umbrella and Kids Rethink New Orleans. While Food Day will be big in New Orleans this year a host of activities are planned throughout the rest of the state. Community partners in Lafayette, including the Greater Harvest Bread Company and the Acadiana Food Circle, will host their 3rd annual Food Day event, including a new farmers market and local food provided by hosting restaurants and vendors. In Baton Rouge, the local chapter of the American Culinary Federation will be teaming up with the Red Stick Mobile Farmers Market to host a “Chefs Outreach to the Community” event where children and families can learn culinary and nutrition lessons. Slow Food Baton Rouge will host a Farm to Table fundraiser. Additionally, both Baton Rouge and Hammond will host local restaurant week activities featuring dishes that either meet health requirements or utilize local ingredients. Downtown Hammond’s new farmers market will also be participating in Food Day for the first time. College students in Louisiana will also be actively involved with Food Day this year. Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond hosted it’s first farmers market for Food Day in 2011 and will be continuing its tradition on this year by partnering with local farmers from Louisiana and Mississippi to provide fresh, local produce to students, faculty, staff and community members. Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge will host an Oxfam Hunger Banquet. Tulane University will host a week of Food Day events including a film screening. Students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will be getting involved with Food Day for the first time by launching a “Real Food Challenge” campaign. Developed by Food Day’s eponymous partner organization, “Real Food Challenge” organizes college students across the country to challenge university administration to increase sourcing of more locally grown, ecologically sound, fair-trade and humane food in dining halls.
Make sure to check out foodday.org to find Food Day events in your area. Be part of the movement! 23
More than Emergency Food
Second Harvest Food Bank Trains Chefs and Advocates By Terri D. Kaupp, Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana
For the past thirty years, Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana has served communities across south Louisiana by offering emergency food assistance to families throughout our twenty-three parish service area. When most people think of Second Harvest Food Bank, they think of traditional food pantries where non-perishable canned food items and staples such as rice and beans are distributed to families struggling to make ends meet.
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ood banking has changed dramatically over the past decade, and Second Harvest Food Bank has worked hard to develop programs and services that begin to address the root causes of hunger and food insecurity in our community. Today, the food bank offers nutrition education classes that teach community members how to shop and prepare healthy meals on a budget. The Second Harvest Food Bank social services team helps connect eligible families and individuals to public benefit programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps). Innovative programs like these are critical because the Greater New Orleans metro area had the second highest food hardship rating in the country in 2012. More than one in five households reported not having enough money to buy food at some point in the previous 12 months. Not surprisingly, this is the same number of households that live at or below the federal poverty line in Louisiana, which is $19,530 for a family of three. In 2011, the food bank opened the Community Kitchen in order to produce hot meals for children in afterschool programs and to teach healthy eating habits. The Cooking Matters program, a partnership with Share Our Strength, is a six-week series of classes that provides low-income families and individuals with the skills, knowledge and confidence to make healthy and affordable meals. The program challenges families to take health into their own hands, empowering them to learn and grow with others in their community. During the hands-on series, participants learn innovative ways to cook familiar recipes, grasp basic nutrition ideas, practice how to navigate a grocery store and read labels, and most importantly, learn how to become creative in the kitchen and gain confidence in their own abilities to purchase healthy food on a budget. As the Cooking Matters program manager, Kate McDonald can put faces and stories with statistics. “For me, Cooking Matters debunks many myths about SNAP and hunger. I personally know each participant that goes through the program, and I see people struggle with hunger on a daily basis. I also know that each of these individuals is making a huge effort to educate themselves about nutrition and food budgeting. They want to learn.” Take Jessica*, a Cooking Matters for Teens graduate and rising eighth grader. Her parents both work long hours to provide for her family of six, and Jessica, the eldest daughter, is responsible for cooking dinner for her four siblings. Her family receives SNAP benefits, but it’s very apparent that they struggle to put food on the table. Jessica always had second helpings, even thirds if she could. She always waited until the other children left class to ask if she could take home any leftovers. Jessica never missed a class. It was very obvious that Jessica wasn’t getting enough food at home, but it also was apparent that her family was trying their very best to make ends meet. On the last day of class Jessica, gave McDonald a card that read,
“Thank you so much for teaching our daughter about healthy food. You gave our family new ideas about what to make. We can’t wait to try all the recipes! I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you and your work.” This spring, Second Harvest Food Bank launched a statewide Public Benefits Helpline that helps connect eligible families and individuals to federal nutrition assistance programs. Programs like SNAP are vital resources for families who need additional help putting food on the table. “The average SNAP benefit is less than $1.50 per person, per meal,” said Natalie Jayroe, President and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana. “With the expiration of the economic stimulus package known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, families on SNAP will see an automatic benefit cut in November, reducing the average benefit for a family of three by $29 per month or approximately three days of food.” Beyond that, Congress is considering an additional cut of up to $40 billion as part of the Farm Bill. These deep cuts would eliminate nutrition assistance for more than 4 million Americans and make it harder for thousands of Louisianans to put food on the table. Food banks across the nation are already stretched thin trying to meet an increased need, and there is simply no way food banks alone can make up the difference. Ending hunger in Louisiana is truly a public-private partnership. We all have a role to play, whether by creating jobs that pay a living wage, advocating for strong federal nutrition assistance programs, attending cooking and nutrition education classes, or donating time and money to direct service organizations. In recent years, Second Harvest Food Bank has taken some big steps forward in the quality and scope of programming we offer to the community. Unfortunately, recent proposals to cut funding for food stamps and other nutrition assistance programs would be a major step backwards in the fight to end hunger.
It was very obvious that Jessica wasn’t getting enough food at home, but it also was apparent that her family was trying their very best to make ends meet.
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*Name changed to protect the participant’s identity
Please lend your voice of support to advocate against SNAP cuts tell your member of Congress to protect nutrition assistance programs and help move the needle on hunger in our community. For more information about becoming an anti-hunger advocate, the Cooking Matters program or our public assistance outreach, visit www.no-hunger.org. To access the Second Harvest Food Bank Benefits Helpline, please call 1-855-392-9338 Monday through Wednesday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
Sustainable Packaging
Global Green’s Fishiest Pilot a Success The Coalition for Resource Recovery (CoRR) was founded in 2008 by Global Green USA, a national leader in advocating for smart solutions to global warming , as an industry working group dedicated to generating business value by transforming waste into assets. The program has been a major success in New York where it has identified and promoted effective waste diversion technologies and programs through conducting pilots and related research.
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or example, CoRR through its works with NYC restaurants to recycle food packaging and food waste. uch pilots include development and testing of a four bin recycling system for the quick service restaurant Pret A Manger and setting up mill trials to test the recyclability of paper foodservice packaging. This summer, CoRR came to New Orleans to test a more sustainable method of wholesale food transportation. On the day of the pilot, Global Green staff and CoRR members Cascades Industrial Packaging and Interstate Container met at the New Orleans Fish House on South Dupre Street. Cascades and Interstate provided recyclable cardboard boxes for , and CoRR had organized a pilot project to test their ability to withstand seafood packaging and transportation. Fresh catch and ice were placed in the recyclable boxes and loaded onto delivery trucks by Fish House employees. Representatives from Global Green and the packaging companies spent the day tracking the van across the Baton Rouge area to an event venue, a large hotel and a restaurant. “It may seem unusual to get this excited about cardboard boxes, but we are thrilled to highlight these recyclable products,” says Global Green USA’s Lily Kelly, interim director of CoRR. At each location, recipients confirmed that the boxes were performing well. The recipients were equally pleased with the pilot’s success, the recyclable
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box manufacturers, one lauding recyclable packaging as “the next step in our evolution.” The “It may seem unusual to get this excited about cardboard boxes, but we are thrilled to highlight these recyclable products,” says Global Green USA’s Lily Kelly, interim director of CoRR. pdboard boxes are intended alternatives to the paraffin-coated packaging typically used to transport seafood generates 1.45 million tons of solid waste that must be sent to landfills or burned. In contrast, the corrugated cardboard boxes tested in the pilot are in accordance with the Fibre Box Association’s recyclability and repulpability protocol for wax-alternative coatings. As a result, venues that use these recyclable boxes will see reduced waste costs. This represents a potential national net benefit of $200 million. Kelly estimates that “replacing all the unrecyclable packaging used across the country for seafood, produce, poultry and meats would be the equivalent of shutting down an entire coal-fired power plant with no loss of energy.” The CoRR program through pilot projects is a prime example of Global Green’s work; by combining Global Green’s approaches to on-the-ground projects and targeted advocacy to strive for more sustainable daily living.
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NOLA TimeBank to Celebrate Two Years
Looking for music lessons? Yardwork? Help building a website? A ride to the store?
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t NOLA TimeBank (NOLATB), your pocketbook does not limit your possibilities. Local TimeBankers receive these services and much, much more. And the price: zero dollars. Receiving services does not cost money at NOLA TimeBank . The only charge is to pay it forward by providing help to someone else. Get a service, and pay a time credit; provide a service, and earn a time credit. Everyone’s hour is equal. Everyone gives. Everyone receives. More than 1,000 hours have been exchanged since the NOLA TimeBank was started in October of 2011. Membership in the NOLA TimeBank is free to everyone that lives, works or goes to school in New Orleans. Members use a web-based application to view the services on offer and to post requests for services needed. People connect with each other and help meet each other’s needs through timebanking. NOLA TimeBank will celebrate two years of operation with an event co-sponsored by Propeller, A Force for Social Innovation. The event will be at the Propeller Incubator, 4035 Washington Avenue on Tuesday, October 29th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Current NOLA TimeBank members and those who want to learn more about timebanking will enjoy light food and drinks, network and learn about how timebanking can empower and support individuals, strengthen community ties, and expand social networks. Stephanie Rearick, founder of Dane County TimeBank in Madison, WI will be participating in this NOLATB’s second anniversary event. The TimeBank, established in 2005, is a network with more than 2,000
individuals and organizations. Initiatives include: The Wellness Project, Medical Transportation, Maxine’s TimeBank Store, Inclusive Community, Healthy Community Economy, Dane County TimeBank Youth Court & Community Justice, and the Allied Community Co-op. About Stephanie Rearick: Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Stephanie Rearick is founder and Co-Director of the Dane County TimeBank and Project Coordinator of Time For the World. In addition to her work in timebanking and promoting ground-up economic and community regeneration, Stephanie is co-owner of Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse. She worked for Greenpeace for six years during her youth, helped launch Madison Hours, a local currency in 1995 and served for several years on the steering committee of independent local political party Progressive Dane. Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting social innovation in New Orleans. Propeller drives social, environmental and economic impact in New Orleans by incubating early-stage ventures that have the potential to solve our city’s most pressing issues. Since June 2011, Propeller has incubated 21 new ventures, including a mobile dental clinic, community farms, a food hub, a wetlands kayaking tour company and a maternal health collective.
Please RSVP for this free event via www.NOLATimeBank.org 26
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Upcoming NOLA TimeBank Events Thurs. Sept. 12th • 6–7:30 p.m.
Meet the TimeBank at Keller Library • 4300 Broad St.
Meet members of NOLA TimeBank and learn about how timebanking can help network community members to exchange skills and services without exchanging dollars. Get support for your small business, a tutor for your child, a ride to the store, and so much more!
Ti N m ol eb a an k
Thurs. Sept. 26th • 1–3 p.m.
Etsy Made Easy at Dyverse City • 3929 Fourth St. Learn how to set up an Etsy on-line store. Etsy.com is a popular on-line marketplace for crafters, artists and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods and crafting supplies.
Thurs. Sept. 26th • 5:30–7 p.m.
TimeBank Networking Event at DyverseCity • 3929 Fourth St.
Sat Sept. 28th • 10 — 11:30 a.m. Community Weaver Workshop at Freret Neighborhood Center • 4605 Freret St. If you are a new member or just wondering about how the NOLA TimeBank works, this workshop is for you. We will discuss the concepts and core values of timebanking. Then, join us for a hands-on demonstration of your online “bank account.”
Mon. Oct. 14th • 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. FIX MIX at Keller Library • 4300 Broad St.
For more information, visit At the FIX MIX we’re all about repairing things together! www.nolatimebank.org You’ll find coaching, tools and materials to help you make the repairs you need and keep email community@nolatimebank.org that item out of the landfill. Items might include clothes, furniture, lamps, crockery, toys and more. You will also find repair specialists including seamstresses, carpenters and lamp wiring or call 504-439-4530 technicians.
SweetCakes & Candy Emporium creates the most beautiful and delicious cakes, pies, cupcakes, & candy for your personal needs. We also offer the following services for local businesses, organizations & associations. • Business gift giving programs • Special occasion dessert catering services (holidays, birthdays, client recognition, & customer development days)
• Very interactive & engaging dessert cooking classes (which serve as great team building activities)
• Custom orders
(we can create cakes that match your organizations events & themes)
Give us a call at 504-383-4059 or www.sweetcakesandcandy.com to place an order &/or to book a date.
Your Personal Baker...For All Your Baking Needs THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
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The Trumpet is New Orleans’ only community newspaper written by neighborhood residents for neighborhoods about New Orleans neighborhoods. The bi-monthly newspaper, with a circulation of 5,000 copies distributed throughout Greater New Orleans, has more than 30 contributors from our network who are fulfilling our vision of “community voices orchestrating change.”
And We Want YOU to Join This Symphony! As an advertising partner, you can choose from 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or full-page options.
Advertise In
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rumpet
Whether you want to place an advertorial or to use the space for a single graphic to highlight a service or an event, you are welcome to shape your advertising space to suit your needs. You will also have access to our Website, npnnola.com; The Trumpet Blog; and our weekly newsletter, Trumpet Tidbits, which reaches 3,500 readers.
Email thetrumpet@npnnola to advertise. THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013
Trumpet Awards Nomination Form & Categories
It’s that time again! For its sixth year, Neighborhoods Partnership Network is hosting the Trumpet Awards. We need you to nominate your picks for the most dedicated and effective community organizers and leaders in New Orleans in 2013. The Trumpet Awards annually honor individuals, elected officials, businesses and groups who share our vision in “making every New Orleans neighborhood a great place to live.” Winners will be awarded at the 2013 November/ December Trumpet Release party on Nov. 13, 2013. Your name: Your nominee’s email address: Your email address: Your nominee’s phone number: Your phone number: Is your nominee a member of NPN? (YES) (NO) Are you (or your neighborhood/non-profit organization) a member of NPN? (YES) (NO) Award you are nominating for: Why are you nominating this person/organization/project?
Awards will be presented in the following categories: Good Neighbor to Neighborhoods Award recognizes the neighborhood group that best supports others by sharing their knowledge, serving as a valuable resource for other neighborhood organizers. Neighborhood Phoenix Award recognizes the neighborhood that has had the greatest transformation in the past year, rising from the ashes to renew itself. Best Neighborhood Councilperson is awarded to the council member who is involved and responsive to community groups in her district. Best Education Advocate honors an individual or group who exemplify what it means to advocate for children in our public schools. Best City-Neighborhood Partnership celebrates an excellent partnering between the City of New Orleans and a neighborhood that allows the neighborhood and the city to grown and prosper together. Best Recovery Resource has the information, tools and/or volunteers you need when you need them, and are key to the recovery of our community. Best Community Beautification Project recognizes the best program wherein a group comes together to bring more beauty to a community. Best Business Neighborhood Project recognizes the best partnership between a local business and neighborhood association. Most Outstanding Youth Group is the youth group who works to reform the public school system and advocate for themselves. Best Faith-Based Community Initiative honors a church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious or faith-based organization that offers opportunities for connection and leads its neighborhood in the recovery process.
What city council district is your nominee in?
Model Citizen Award is for an individual who works so hard and so tirelessly that he or she becomes an example of what is possible for our community.
What is/are the neighborhood/s your nominee serves?
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Neighborhood Meetings
Neighborhood Meetings
Algiers Point Association Every 1st Thursday of the month @ 7 p.m. Location changes each month www.algierspoint.org Broadmoor Improvement Association 3rd Monday of every other month @ 7 p.m. Andrew H. Wilson Charter School Cafeteria 3617 General Pershing St. New Orleans, LA 70125 www.broadmoorimprovement.com Bunny Friends Neighborhood Association Every second Saturday of the month Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 3721 N Claiborne Ave Bywater Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. Holy Angels Cafeteria 3500 St. Claude Ave. www.bywaterneighbors.com Carrollton Riverbend Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Thursday of the month Parish Hall of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Corner of Carrollton and Zimple Carrollton United Every second Monday at 5:00p.m. every other month St. John Missionary Baptist Church, corner of Leonidas and Hickory Central City Partnership Every last Friday of the month @ 1 p.m. Allie Mae Williams Center 2020 Jackson Ave. www.centralcitypartnership.org
Central City Renaissance Alliance (CCRA) 1809 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. www.myccra.org Chapel of the Holy Comforter Every 4th Thursday of the month @ 6:30 p.m. 2200 Lakeshore Drive Claiborne-University Neighborhood Association Quarterly Meetings, time and date TBA Jewish Community Center 5342 St. Charles Ave Downtown Neighborhood Improvement Association (DNIA) Every last Tuesday of the month @ 7 p.m. Joan Mitchell Center 2275 Bayou Road (the corner building on Rocheblave and Bayou Road) DeSaix Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Saturday of the month @10 a.m. Langston Hughes Academy 3519 Trafalgar Street danadesaix.org East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Committee (ENONAC) Every 2rd Tuesday of each month @ 6 p.m. St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church www.enonac.org Faubourg Delachaise Neighborhood Association Quarterly meetings, time/date/ location TBA fdna-nola.org
Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association Board Meeting: Every 2nd Monday 7p.m. Holy Rosary Cafeteria 1638 Moss Street General Membership: 3rd Wednesday, every other month 6:30 p.m. Black Gold Room at the Fairgrounds www.fsjna.org Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association Every 2nd Thursday of the month @ 6:00 p.m. True Vine Baptist Church 2008 Marigny St. Filmore Gardens Neighborhood Association (meets every two months) 5506 Wickfield Street Project Home Again 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Garden District Association 1 annual meeting per year, time/date/ location TBA Gentilly Civic Improvement Association (GCIA) General Membership- Every 3rd Saturday of the month 10am Board Meeting - Every 3rd Wednesday of the month 6:30 p.m. Edgewater Baptist Church 5900 Paris Ave. Gentilly Heights East Neighborhood Association Every 3rd Monday of the month @ 6 p.m. Dillard University Dent Hall – Room 104 Gentilly Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association Every 3rd Monday of the month @ 6:30 p.m . VOA – 2929 St. Anthony Ave. (meetings on hold until further notice)
Gentilly Terrace and Gardens Improvement Association Every 2nd Wednesday of the month @ 7 p.m. Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painters St. www.gentillyterrace.org Hoffman Triangle Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 5:30 p.m. Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church 3327 Toledano Street Hollygrove Neighbors Association Saturdays at 12:00 (noon) St. Peter AME Church 3424 Eagle St. (Eage St. and Edinburgh St.) www.neighborhoodlink.com (type in 70118 and click on “Hollygrove Neighbors”) blog us at www. hollygroveneighbors.blogspot.com/ Holy Cross Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Thursday @ 5:30 p.m. Center for Sustainability, Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church 5130 Chartres, Lizardi and Chartres www.helpholycross.org Irish Channel Neighborhood Association 2nd Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. Irish Channel Christian Fellowship 819 First St. www.irishchannel.org Lake Bullard Homeowners Association See website for meeting schedule Cornerstone United Methodist Church 5276 Bullard Ave. http://www.lakebullard.org Lake Catherine Civic Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 7 p.m.
Get connected to the Neighborhoods Partnership Network. Post news & events for your organization at NPNnola.com 30
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Neighborhood Meetings
Lake Willow Neighborhood Every 2nd Saturday of the month @ 10 a.m. St. Maria Goretti Church Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA) Every 2nd Saturday @ 12 noon NENA – 1120 Lamanche St. http://www.9thwardnena.org Melia Subdivision Every 2rd Saturday of the month @ 5 p.m. Anchoren in Christ Church 4334 Stemway Drive Mid-City Neighborhood Organization General Meeting – Second Monday of every month @ 6:00 p.m. meet-and-greet @ 6:30 p.m. Neighborhood Meeting Warren Easton High School 3019 Canal St. http://www.mcno.org Milneburg Neighborhood Association Chapel of the Holy Comforter 2200 Lakeshore Dr. 6:30 p.m. Monthly meetings are every 4th Thursday of the month Oak Park Civic Association Every 3rd or last Tuesday of the month
Ask City Hall
Paris Oaks/Bayou Vista Neighborhood Association Last Saturday of every month @ 4 p.m. Third District Police Station 4650 Paris Avenue
Seabrook Neighborhood Association Monthly meetings are every second Monday Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painters Street
Pensiontown of Carrollton Neighborhood Association Every 1st Saturday of the month @ 2 p.m. Leonidas House Community Center (under renovation) 1407 Leonidas St. Temporarily housed at St. Paul AME Church, 8540 Cohn St. (corner of Leonidas and Cohn)
Tall Timbers Owners Association Semi-annual meetings: Second Wednesday of October & April 7 p.m. Board meetings: Second Wednesday of every other month 7 p.m
Pontilly Association Pontilly Disaster Collaborative – Every 3rd Wednesday of the month General Meeting – every 2nd Saturday of the month http://www.pontilly.com Rosedale Subdivision Last Friday of every month @5:30 p.m. Greater Bright Morning Star Baptist Church, 4253 Dale Street Seventh Ward Neighborhood Association Quarterly, 3rd Saturday @ 1 p.m. St. Augustine High School 2600 A.P. Tureaud Ave (A.P Tureaud and Law Street) Contact: seventhwardassoc@aol.com
Tunisburg Square Homeowners Civic Association, Inc. Every 2nd Monday of the month @ 6:30 p.m. tunisburg.org Village de l’Est Improvement Association General Meeting - Every other first Tuesday of the month @ 7 p.m. Einstein Charter School 5100 Cannes St West Barrington Association 1st Tuesday of every month @ 6 p.m. Holiday Inn Express 70219 Bullard Avenue
Send your neighborhood meeting details to: info@npnnola.com
Neighborhoods Partnership Network 3321 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com www.npnnola.com
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District A Susan G. Guidry City Hall, Room 2W80 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1010 Fax: (504) 658-1016 Email: sgguidry@nola.gov District B LaToya Cantrell City Hall, Room 2W10 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1020 Fax: (504) 658-1025 lcantrell@nola.gov District C Kristin Gisleson Palmer City Hall, Room 2W70 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1030 Fax: (504) 658-1037 Email: kgpalmer@nola.gov District D Cynthia Hedge-Morrell City Hall, Room 2W20 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1040 Fax: (504) 658-1048 E-mail: chmorrell@nola.gov District E James Austin Gray II City Hall, Room 2W60 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1050 Fax: (504) 658-1058 Email: jagray@nola.gov Council Member-At-Large Stacy Head City Hall, Room 2W40 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658 -1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068 Email: shead@nola.gov Council Member-At-Large Jacquelyn Clarkson City Hall, Room 2W50 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1070 Fax: (504) 658-1077 Email: jbclarkson@nola.gov
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NEIGH SPOTBORHOOD LIGHT
Trem Lafit é te Lifeguards at the Treme Center