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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | GREENLIGHTNEWORLEANS.ORG | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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PROGRAM MOMENTUM
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RAIN BARREL IMPACT NUMBERS
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
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RAIN BARREL RECIPIENTS
12 ART AND ARTISTS 14
RAIN BARREL TRENDS & 2019 FUNDING STRUCTURE
17 GARDEN PROGRAM UPDATES 20 GREEN LIGHT’S IMPACT BY THE NUMBER
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
PROGRAM MOMENTUM
Press, visibility and more frequent flooding has raised awareness and attention in the rain barrel movement. In 2019 the rain barrel program gained in popularity to the point that Green Light New Orleans was able to increase nearly every metric used to measure success. The organization installed 340 rain barrels in 2019, a 73 percent increase over the previous year. Increased funding for the program (see chart) has allowed Green Light to provide the community with a steady program implementation. The wait time throughout the year was consistently between 2-4 weeks, and every installation generally triggered additional applications. Press, visibility and increased flooding raised awareness and interest in the program. The July 10th flooding that affected many parts of the city and caused widespread home and vehicle damage, led to an uptick in the number of applications for the program. Green Light received 49 applications in July, compared to 17 in June and 36 in May. At community and neighborhood meetings throughout the city, residents continued to express interest in the program and in managing their own stormwater. Volunteer events throughout the fall helped further increase program
implementation and capacity. Throughout the second half of 2019 the rain barrel program gained more visibility and established itself as the rain barrel program in New Orleans. PRESS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT In the wake of the July 10th flooding, City Council Member Joe Giarusso invited Green Light Executive Director Andreas Hoffmann to give a presentation to council about the program and its impacts. “After recent rainstorms caused serious localized flooding throughout the city, it was vital to highlight the community efforts already in-place to help reduce flooding and improve the city’s stormwater drainage,” Giarusso said. “Green Light, along with several other essential volunteer organizations, are helping bridge the gap between city-directed drainage improvements and resident-led changes. Together, these changes improve our quality of life and reduce the dangers of flooding.” Watch the City Council presentation.
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Green Light, along with several other essential volunteer organizations, are helping bridge the gap between citydirected drainage improvements and resident-led changes. Together, these changes improve our quality of life and reduce the dangers of flooding.” – Joe Giarusso, Council Member
Green Light also made numerous media appearances, including spots on WDSU and WGNO programs.
GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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2019 RAIN BARREL IMPACT NUMBERS
65 OPEN APPLICATIONS
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PREVIOUS RECIPIENTS RECEIVING A SECOND BARREL INSTALLATION
250 HOUSEHOLD APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
340
RAIN BARRELS INSTALLED 01.01.2019 – 12.31.2019 (COMPARED TO 197 IN 2018)
17,000 GALLONS OF WATER RETAINED PER RAIN FALL EVENT
40 RAIN BARRELS PER MONTH (CURRENT CAPACITY)
275 118 558
NEW HOUSEHOLDS SERVED
CHILDREN SERVED
ADULTS SERVED
1210 ,
VOLUNTEERS INVOLVED
137,698
$
VALUE OF VOLUNTEER HOURS
GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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1,200 VOLUNTEERS 2019
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Individual volunteers and groups of all types make an impact for good in the New Orleans community. Community engagement and community building are major components of Green Light’s rain barrel program. In 2019, Green Light hosted more than 1200 volunteers to assist with preparing, painting and installing rain barrels, among other activities. Throughout the year, Green Light worked with volunteer groups of all types and sizes, including large-scale off-site events in a collaboration with Hands On New Orleans and national organizations such as Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and Ernst & Young, which provided 140 volunteers each. In addition to large groups, Green Light works with small groups and individuals. For example, University of North Texas students spent a week working with Green Light over spring break.
In June, Green Light hosted a San Francisco-native named Afshan who was celebrating her 30th birthday with seven of her best friends in New Orleans. “Spending time giving back to the community of New Orleans was a responsibility, one my friends and I engaged in with happiness,” Afshan said. “Green Light New Orleans provided me and my group of seven close friends the opportunity to engage with the New Orleans community in a meaningful way painting rain barrels to beautify the city.” Green Light also hosted a team of students from Western Michigan University in the last week of December. Those volunteers helped Green Light install the 340th and final rain barrel of the year. One of the unique aspects of Green Light’s program is that the barrels are painted by local artists and volunteers. Green Light hosted dozens of artists and volunteers in 2019. This included 55 volunteers from Entergy, who assisted the organization by cleaning, preparing and painting barrels.
“Spending time giving back to the community of New Orleans was a responsibility, one my friends and I engaged in with happiness. Green Light New Orleans provided me and my group of seven close friends the opportunity to engage with the New Orleans community in a meaningful way painting rain barrels to beautify the city.” – Afshan, San Francisco-native
GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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340 RAIN BARRELS INSTALLED 2019
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
RECIPIENTS
The motivations driving New Orleans residents to apply for rain barrels are as diverse as the city itself. The program served 275 new households and installed a total of 340 rain barrels in 2019. For comparison, Green Light installed 197 barrels throughout the entirety of 2018. Those 340 barrels will retain 17,000 gallons of water during each rain event.
Each recipient provided a testimonial about why they’re interested in receiving a rain barrel. The motivations driving New Orleans residents to apply for rain barrels are as diverse as the city itself. More than 40 percent of program applicants listed alleviating flooding as their top motivation for getting a barrel. One applicant who received her barrel in March summed up her reasoning for joining the rain barrel movement: “I plan to use the collected water to water plants on my property,” she said. “Having the rain barrels will reduce “flooding” and the impact of run-off due to the large amount of concrete on my property. I would prefer to use collected rain water than treated city water during dry spells to water plants. Plus the rain barrels are beautiful!”
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A recent email also illustrates the success of the movement: “Hello, I have had one of your rain barrels for about three years and I love it. Now I would like to get a second one for the other side of my house. Is there a formal procedure for requesting one?” – Lois S.
GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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FRENCH QUARTER CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT CENTRAL CITY E. RIVERSIDE GARDEN DISTRICT IRISH CHANNEL LOWER GARDEN DISTRICT MILAN ST. THOMAS TOURO FAUBOURG LAFAYETTE FAUBOURG LIVAUDAIS
BAYOU ST. JOHN AUDUBON BLACK PEARL BROADMOOR
B.W. COOPER FAUBOURG ST. JOHN
DIXON
GERT TOWN
E. CARROLLTON
IBERVILLE DEVELOPMENT
FRERET HOLLYGROVE LEONIDAS CARROLLTON FONTAINEBLEAU
MID-CITY PARKVIEW SEVENTH WARD ST. BERNARD PROJECTS
UPTOWN
TREMÉ/LAFITTE
W. RIVERSIDE
TULANE/GRAVIER
BYWATER
HOLY CROSS
DESIRE AREA
LOWER NINTH WARD
NEW DESIRE PROJECTS: ABUNDANCE SQUARE FAUBOURG MARIGNY
KENNER METAIRIE HARRAHAN
FLORIDA AREA
GRETNA
FLORIDA PROJECTS
MARRERO ST. BERNARD
ST. CLAUDE MUSICIANS’ VILLAGE ST. ROCH
LITTLE WOODS PINES VILLAGE PLUM ORCHARD READ BOULEVARD E. READ BOULEVARD W. W. LAKE FOREST VILLAGE DE L’EST MICHOUD VIAVANT/ VENETIAN ISLES LAKE CATHERINE
CITY PARK
DILLARD
LAKESHORE/ LAKE VISTA
FILMORE
LAKEVIEW
GENTILLY TERRACE
LAKEWOOD
GENTILLY WOODS
COUNTRY CLUB GARDENS
LAKE TERRACE/ LAKE OAKS
NAVARRE
MILNEBURG
WEST END
PONTCHARTRAIN PARK ST. ANTHONY
ALGIERS POINT U.S. NAVAL SUPPORT AREA AURORA BEHRMAN FISCHER HOUSING DEVELOPMENT MCDONOGH TALL TIMBERS/ BRECHTEL NEW AURORA ENGLISH TURN
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ART AND ARTISTS
ART + BARRELS CREATES PRIDE The art is a crucial component of the program, as this gives residents a unique feeling of ownership of their storm water management tools. In many ways, the success of the program can be gauged by the reactions people have to seeing their painted barrel in person for the first time. Besides community volunteer artists, Green Light usually employs one resident artist on staff. Green Light’s current staff artist, Kami Galeana, is a middle school art teacher who has had her work shown at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and other galleries throughout the city and state.
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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“I love my rain barrel for three reasons,” one recipient said. “First, I’m doing my part to help New Orleans manage flooding. Second, I save money on the water bill, which has more than tripled in 8 years. Third, it’s a beautiful landscaping feature and conversation piece. Thank you, Green Light!” – Recipient
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As mentioned previously, most rain barrel installations generated an additional one or two applications, as recipients told their friends, neighbors and family members about the program. That became especially apparent throughout the end of 2019, as many neighborhoods and even specific blocks had multiple applicants requesting rain barrels. Green Light anticipates this will continue to be the case in 2020, which makes continued momentum and implementation especially crucial.
2019 GREEN LIGHT RAINBARREL TRENDS 50 49
45
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It is also anticipated that an expedited application process— using an online form that does not require applicants to download PDFs or mail in applications—will help increase applications for the program.
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35
30
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25
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17
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AMOUNT
5
8
8
0 JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
# OF RAIN BARREL INSTALLATIONS (UP TO TWO BARRELS)
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
JUL
AUG
SEPT
OCT
NOV
# OF RAIN BARREL APPLICATIONS
DEC
2019 GREEN LIGHT FUNDING STRUCTURE
CITY WISNER GNOF
6%
VOLUNTEER GROUPS
4%
8%
SSDN
12% ENTERGY
59%
12% COST SHARE DONATIONS
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
2019 GREEN LIGHT UPDATES
Garden Program LEAF LETTUCE
MUSTARD GREENS
RADISHES
GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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GARDEN PROGRAM
Growing gardens for your community helps conduct research for better health. In 2019, gardens for individual families have been funded and implemented by volunteer groups.
In partnership with Tulane University Green Light installed seven garden beds at the Broadmoor Community Church Food Bank. Jeannette Gustat, a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health, which funded the project, sent an email: ”Here is the harvest from today! Radishes, red tipped lettuce, kale and greens.” University students help to tend to the garden, get the community involved and conduct research. Green Light also installed four backyard vegetable garden beds and two rain barrels at Little Professor Day Care in Central City in December 2019. The garden build was initiated by Shelly Dolan, a nurse educator at LSUHealth in New Orleans. “Children who do not regularly consume diets rich with fresh fruits and vegetables, suffer negative consequences that encompass many parts of their live. Reducing nutritional health disparities in children should be a priority. The implementation, cultivation, and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables from a backyard garden at a childcare
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
center can be one of the best practices with the greatest impact for change,” she stated in her garden application. Green Light applied to the Fairlife Grant Program and was granted funding for the project. The garden beds are set up in a part of the backyard that receives six hours of sunlight, even in the winter months. Four 4x4 beds are sufficient to provide some healthy food while not being intimidating or requiring hours of maintenance. Adding the rain barrels to the project makes sense because there is no water source close to the gardens. The barrels will provide 100 gallons of free water to the day care each time it rains. In November 2019, Green Light was able to purchase the Green Light Edible Teaching Garden. The land was leased from NORA for multiple years. Having ownership will allow the organization to make capital improvements and combine the use as a teaching garden with demonstration of water management.
2019 GREEN LIGHT COMMUNITY IMPACT 19
BACKYARD VEGETABLE GARDENS INSTALLED IN 2019
2,965
ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS INSTALLED 2019
162
HOMES SERVED WITH LIGHT BULBS
> 1,325,355 CO2 REDUCTION ACHIEVED IN 2019
> $138,000 FINANCIAL BENEFIT TO COMMUNITY IN 2019
17,000 GALLONS OF WATER RETAINED DURING EACH RAIN EVENT
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2007-2019 GREEN LIGHT’S IMPACT BY THE NUMBER
607,691 ENERGY EFFICIENT CFL LIGHT BULBS INSTALLED
28,336 HOUSEHOLDS IMPACTED
RAIN BARREL PROGRAM S TA R T ED 2 0 1 5
BACKYARD LE VEGETAB E D GARDEN S TA R T
2012
CFL PROGRAM nce side Sub Less
on ati uc Ed
Me nt al w el ln es CO s 2 r edu cti on
Com mun ity Fre sh foo d
S TA R T E D 2 0 0 6
RESILIENCE in a disaster
l cia n a Fin
t efi n be
uct red y rg Ene rce C Resou
Improved
Art
28MIL
272MIL
IN ENERGY COSTS SAVED
POUNDS OF CO2 OFFSET
240 MIL KWH CONSERVED
674
601
RAIN BARRELS INSTALLED
GARDENS INSTALLED
9,127 VEGETABLE SEEDLINGS PLANTED
tion
ction Conne
33,700
GALLONS OF WATER RETENTION CAPACITY
health
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IN NEW ORLEANS, RAIN IS A PROBLEM. BUT THERE ARE SOLUTIONS WE CAN MAKE TOGETHER.
2020 GOALS:
600
RAIN BARRELS 2021 GOALS:
1,200 RAIN BARRELS
JOIN THE MOVEMENT. GREENLIGHTNEWORLEANS.ORG
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GREEN LIGHT NEW ORLEANS | 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
