The NPN Trumpet - November/December 2013

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November/December 2013 • Community Voices Orchestrating Change • Issue 7 Volume 6

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INSIDE • Measuring Greater New Orleans’ Progress Toward Prosperity • Health Services: Driving a Prosperous Future for New Orleans • Recognizing the Work of NO/AIDS Task Force • Confused About Health Insurance?

Look to Your Health Insurance Marketplace • FitLot Outdoor Fitness Parks 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 Photo: Kevin Griffin/2Kphoto

NEIGHBORHOODS PARTNERSHIP NETWORK

New Orleans Neighborhoods Have Much to Celebrate and Much Left to Do

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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am commonly known amongst my family and friends as one who does not wait for others to celebrate my accomplishments or milestones. In fact, I am always looking for a reason to celebrate that special person in my life --- ME. Some might consider this to be vain or conceited, but I believe that selfcelebration is not only good for the soul but it also allows you to showcase your accomplishments while setting the context for your future visions.

NPN has produced the Trumpet Awards for the past seven years for this very reason. Community support and acknowledgement can be difficult to come by, especially when a community has be left shattered the way New Orleans was eight years ago. The little things that gave our city its soul were missing: the sound of children laughing and snapping their fingers to the sound of the neighborhood school marching band, the smell of seafood boiling in a neighbor’s backyard in the middle of the week, or the sight of neighbors sitting on the front porch saying, “Good evening!” as various passers-by walk in front of their doors. These are all activities that were distant memories for New Orleanians after the water diminished.

Neighborhoods needed something to celebrate badly after we invested our blood, sweat and tears in making our city closer to being whole again. NPN believed that - as a network of neighborhoods - there was no better group to lift up the individuals, organizations, businesses and elected officials that exemplified the best our city had to offer and what it would take to get us back on track in the wake of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. We needed to pat ourselves on the back. As we honor our 2013 Trumpet Award winners, we recognize that recovery has happened in spots; that all is not completely right with our world. But it is the people of New Orleans who continue to press forward, challenging the systems and the powers that be to include them in the decision-making process or holding them accountable for decisions that are not in the interest of their neighborhoods, family or civil society.

This year’s winners are just a few examples of those committed to continuing to move our city forward.

I have the honor of working with many passionate neighborhood leaders who are always striving to create a better quality of life for themselves and their neighbors. What is quite common among these people is that they are typically forward-looking and assessing their current success based on how far away they are from that next goal. As we approach the end of the year, I find myself reminiscing on what has been accomplished and how wonderful it is to see residents taking full authority over what is happening in their communities. Once looked upon by the nation as the laboratory for social innovation and civic engagement, we are now the leaders, architects and citizen engagement experts for how to plan, implement, evaluate and monitor civic processes. We have definitely come a long way.

I welcome the challenge to celebrate this year and to begin planning ahead and setting goals for the next 12 months, keeping us focused on what we want to accomplish in the coming year. As you set your 2014 goals, look back at 2013 and document all you’ve achieved and accomplished this past year. Take time to pat yourself on the back. In fact, why not treat yourself to something special to acknowledge your accomplishments? Celebrate your successes – you deserve it!

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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Contents

The Trumpet

5 Measuring Greater New Orleans’ Progress Toward Prosperity 7 NCBI: Building Capacity Throughout New Orleans

18 Health Services: Driving a Prosperous Future for New Orleans 20 Recognizing the Work of NO/AIDS Task Force 22 Confused About Health Insurance?

25 FitLot Outdoor Fitness Parks

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11 2013 Trumpet Awards

Trumpet Year in Review

The Trumpet Editorial Board

Karen DeSalvo Presented 21 Dr.Family Service Award

Services: Driving a 18 Health Prosperous Future for New Orleans

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 , Associate Neighborhood Editor

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

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

NEIGHBORHOODS PARTNERSHIP NETWORK

3321 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com www.npnnola.com 3

About Our Contributors Jamie Wine is the recently appointed Executive Director of the Energy Wise Alliance, a nonprofit formed to create a sustainable energy movement in Louisiana to the benefit of disadvantaged communities. Its mission is to provide education, data and quality assurance programs for individuals, businesses, schools and policymakers to lower utility consumption and to contribute to a more sustainable community. First priority will be creating sustainability and conservation education programs and policy initiatives at EWA. It has formed initial partnerships with Green Coast Enterprises and PosiGen Solar Solutions to reach its goals. Jamie joined EWA from Bike Easy, New Orleans’ regional bicycle advocacy organization which takes local action to create a culture of bicycle and pedestrian safety. Learning more about EWA’s work in Energy Wise Alliance Plans to Teach Efficiency to All on page 12.

Get connected to the Neighborhoods Partnership Network.

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Rodrick T. Miller is the founding president and CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA), the official economic development organization responsible for ensuring the long-term economic vitality of and driving job growth for the City of New Orleans. As the chief economist and thought leader on economic recovery, Miller has focused the organization’s efforts on lowering barriers to entry in the marketplace, increasing transparency and developing strategies for urban economic growth. In their first 30 months in office, the organization has attracted more than $600 Million in new investment and 4,500 new jobs through proactive attraction and expansion of corporate projects in the New Orleans market. In June of 2013, NOLABA launched ProsperityNOLA, the first ever economic development plan for the city of New Orleans. In Health Services: Driving a Prosperous Future for New Orleans (Page 18), Rodrick shares his perspective on the sector’s impact on economic growth in the city.

Post news & events for your organization at NPNnola.com THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

Measuring Greater New Orleans’ Progress Toward Prosperity In September, the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center released, New Orleans Index at Eight, a comprehensive study of indicators first compiled after Hurricane Katrina to gauge the city’s recovery work. As the city quickly approaches Katrina’s 10th Anniversary, reflection on what has been accomplished and consideration of what is yet to be done will shape the work of New Orleans neighborhoods and civic, business and government leadership. It will also shape The Trumpet’s content in 2014 as we will focus on those areas most critical to the city’s ability to not only recover but also to thrive. The following is a reprint of the index’s Executive Summary. For a full copy of the index, executive summary, data tables and slide presentations, visit www.gnocdc.org

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t is nearly eight years since Katrina and the levee failures, and an important time to take stock of the region’s progress. In two short years, at the 10th anniversary of Katrina, the nation will turn its attention to Southeast Louisiana to assess whether the massive federal and charitable assistance invested here has paid off. There is no doubt progress has been made. Leaders and residents have undertaken an unprecedented number of reforms that, over time, may have transformative outcomes. In addition, the New Orleans metro has weathered the Great Recession impressively. The recession took hold locally in 2008, and the metro lost only 1 percent of its jobs before the economy rebounded. In contrast, the nation hemorrhaged jobs beginning in 2007 and lost 6 percent before its turnaround. By 2012, the New Orleans metro had fully recovered, and employment levels surpassed the 2008 peak by 1 percent. At the same time, the nation remained 3 percent behind its pre-recession employment level.

Yet the question lingers how much of New Orleans’ success has been supported by one-time recovery investments that are tapering. New Orleanians and outside observers alike wonder: Has the metro truly broken from its historic path and taken up a new trajectory; and if yes, what are the unique elements of New Orleans’ current — and future — success?

The answer to the first question involves an assessment of where the metro is positioned in the process of redefining itself. The New Orleans Index at Eight examines this question by comparing indicators for the New Orleans metro with that of a peer group of post-industrial metros with which New Orleans was identified pre-2000, and separately with a group of seven aspirational Southern metros that have experienced greater than 10 percent job growth since 2000. Has New Orleans joined the ranks of Nashville, Orlando, Raleigh, Austin, Houston, Charlotte, and San Antonio?

The answer to the second question about the metro’s unique elements is more complex, but can provide a roadmap for the steps that need to be taken to solidify New Orleans’ progress toward prosperity. It involves identifying the metro’s strengths and how they can be packaged together in ways that yield a distinct new identity for the region — one that is not enabled by others but one that is forged from within. Answering this question also involves identifying New Orleans’ weaknesses to assist leaders in addressing them in ways that work with the metro’s strengths — to fully realize New Orleans’ potential and affirm its position as an emerging leader among U.S. metropolitan areas.

The New Orleans Index at Eight analyzes over twenty indicators reaching back to 1980 to provide crucial information for formulating the answers. Our findings on economic trends, quality of life, inclusion, and sustainability are not just findings about today, but source material for shaping the future.

“Has the metro truly broken from its historic path and taken up a new trajectory; and if yes, what are the unique elements of New Orleans’ current — and future — success?”

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Key Findings The New Orleans metro is taking the first steps toward a new path, with signs of a more competitive economy and expanded amenities.

Economic Growth • By 2012, the New Orleans metro had recouped all its recession-era losses and reached 1 percent above its 2008 job level, close to the aspirational metros which had reached 2 percent above their 2008 job level. In contrast, the nation and weaker post-industrial metros remained more than 2 percent below their 2008 job levels.

• The New Orleans regional economy continues to diversify by growing knowledge-based industries, such as higher education and insurance, while maintaining older industrial strengths. Industries known for occupational depth, such as heavy construction and engineering, expanded significantly and can support further diversification by supplying highly skilled professionals for more knowledge-intensive industries.

• Entrepreneurship in the New Orleans metro continues to expand — reaching 501 business startups per 100,000 adults in the threeyear period ending in 2012 — a rate that exceeds the nation and aspirational metros by 56 and 33 percent respectively.

Inclusion

• While median household income in the New Orleans metro fell 8 percent from 1999 to 2011, it fell more sharply (11 percent) nationwide over the same time frame.

• As the metro’s minority share of the population fell post-Katrina, our share of all businesses that are minority-owned continued to rise, maintaining our advantage over the rest of the nation at 27 versus 21 percent.

Quality of Life

• New Orleans has always been known as a distinct location for arts and culture and has built upon this reputation by growing the number of arts and culture nonprofits to 34 organizations per 100,000 residents — more than double the national rate of 13 per 100,000.

• The City of New Orleans spent $10.1 million on recreational programs in 2012, exceeding pre-Katrina expenditures by 18 percent.

Sustainability

• Bicycle lanes and pathways are growing exponentially in New Orleans — now at 56.2 miles compared to the 10.7 miles that existed in 2004.

Yet on several economic, social, and environmental metrics, the New Orleans metro is not performing as well as the nation or aspirational metros.

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Economic Growth

• The advantage in productivity that the New Orleans metro has enjoyed over the nation has steadily dwindled since 1980. Although 14 percent higher than the U.S. in 2011, productivity grew by only 24 percent since 1980 in comparison to national growth of 57 percent.

Inclusion

• Adult educational attainment, a key factor influencing success in today’s economy, is not being advanced in the New Orleans metro at the same rate as in aspirational metros, especially for black men, who experienced no increase since 2000 in the percent obtaining bachelor’s degrees.

• Today’s service-based economy is experienced differently by race and gender. Employment for women has increased in the New Orleans metro across all racial and ethnic groups since 1980. In contrast, it has fallen for men, and black men have been most impacted. In 2011, only 53 percent of working age black men in the metro were employed compared to 61 percent in aspirational metros.

• The benefits of the metro’s minority-owned businesses have not been fully realized with the share of all receipts accruing to minority-owned businesses stagnant at only 2 percent from 1997 to 2007, lower than the national average.

• Despite decreases post-Katrina, jail incarceration rates in Orleans Parish are higher than the rest of the New Orleans metro, and several times greater than the national rate as of 2011.

• The share of the metro’s poor that lives in suburbs continues to expand, reaching 56 percent by 2011.

Quality of life

• Crime rates have declined to lower than pre-Katrina levels, but the city’s 2011 crime rates remain significantly higher than the national averages for both violent and property crimes.

Sustainability

• In the three-year period ending in 2012, the New Orleans metro experienced nearly double the number of “unhealthy” air quality days as the aspirational metro of Houston, which made considerable improvements in its air quality while maintaining a similar industrial base to New Orleans.

• Six sampled sites within the New Orleans metro show increases in the concentration of chloride in the water since 1951, and as of 2008, three of these sites have converted from freshwater to saltwater — an indicator of saltwater encroachment.

Conclusion

Despite all the shocks it has endured, New Orleans may be on a path toward long-term success. But to fulfill its potential, leaders must look to bolster current strengths and add to them by addressing persistent challenges.

The economy is a current strength of New Orleans. Diversification is happening with traditional industries (such as shipping and tourism) and newer knowledge-based industries (such as higher education, insurance agencies, and heavy construction and engineering) expanding despite the Great Recession. Entrepreneurial activity is taking off. For New Orleans to expand diversification, producers within older industries can tap new markets by rearranging their current products and expertise. In emerging industries,

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producers can aim to export specializations more broadly — even globally — to sustain success. Entrepreneurship can help achieve these goals.

Improvements in quality of life are being enjoyed across the metro. The presence of arts and culture organizations in the city has never been stronger.

When coupled with entrepreneurship trends, it is clear the metro is a creative place. There is no doubt that a commitment to improving amenities, such as recreational programs and education, is helping to solidify New Orleans’ identity as a unique place.

Yet, preparation of the labor force is happening unevenly, and the benefits of employment are being accrued unevenly as well.

To be sure, all the progress the New Orleans metro makes in other arenas will not be enough to signal to the world the emergence of a qualitatively different place post-Katrina if large segments of the population continue to be left behind. New Orleans must cultivate a culture that promotes openness, creative collaboration, and interaction across groups that becomes evident in its economic activity. The metro’s deep industrial mix can help achieve this goal, as it is capable of absorbing workers across all skill levels. Labor force preparation should build the highest levels of human capital but also focus on vocational skills that can quickly lead to better paying careers. This is most effectively done in collaboration between industry clusters, educational institutions, and social service providers to ensure labor shortages are met while maximizing opportunities for local residents. Increased commerce with minority-owned businesses could spur expanded employment and training opportunities for African American residents in particular. Finally, the public education, health care, and criminal justice reforms underway have significant potential to raise standards of living and build a safer and more just community. Leaders and residents must sustain and build upon these reforms. To do so, they will need to continuously learn and adapt — even in mid-course when needed. This will require trust, which is best fostered through transparency, accountability, and the use of data and objective research to inform decision-making.

At the end of the day, perhaps the most daunting issue New Orleans faces is coastal wetland loss. Creating a new New Orleans will mean little if it cannot be protected for the long-term. Fortunately, coastal restoration has the potential to both bolster economic diversification and provide employment for a diversity of workers. Restoration work, which will require labor of varying skills, can stimulate the adaptation of older industries and hone economic expertise for broader export. The pioneering collaboration underway between Southeast Louisiana’s economic development leaders will be key to maximizing the benefits of restoration and positioning the region to be globally competitive in rapidly expanding sustainable industries. If approached creatively and with thought to long-term effects beyond just securing our coasts, restoration could become the defining event for New Orleans — instead of Katrina.

“To be sure, all the progress the New Orleans metro makes in other arenas will not be enough to signal to the world the emergence of a qualitatively different place post-Katrina if large segments of the population continue to be left behind.”

The Trumpet is New Orleans’ only community newspaper written by neighborhood residents for neighborhoods about New Orleans neighborhoods.

Email thetrumpet@npnnola to advertise.

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

Putting Zion City on the Map

By Greg Lawson, Associate Editor, Neighborhood Liaisons Program

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once vibrant, self-sustaining neighborhood in the early 1900’s, Zion City has long been forgotten. The neighborhood is composed of two areas. Commercial corridors run along Earhart Boulevard, Howard Avenue and Washington Avenue while the residential corridor sits between Washington Avenue and Earhart Boulevard.

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the neighborhood was ravaged with blighted properties and infested with criminal activity. Worse still, residents lacked a voice in their neighborhood recovery following the storm. Despite the challenges it faced, a concerned group of residents gathered to form a grassroots neighborhood coalition to find solutions around eliminating blight and improving the area’s overall appearance.

The Zion City Blight Coalition was establish and soon began a partnership with Beacon of Hope, a local nonprofit that worked with the residents to create a comprehensive neighborhood improvement plan. The plan identified three key strategies: improving the overall appearance of Zion City by eliminating blighted structures; identifying properties best suited for lot expansion; and improving the overall appearance of Zion City by clearing lots and hosting neighborhood clean-ups and beautification projects to residents quality of life. Following the creation of the Blight Elimination plan, the coalition hosted a Hotdogs, Hamburgers & Hope party and its first Night Out Against Crime as a kick-off to engage other residents in their neighborhood revitalization campaign.

That same year, the coalition worked with several city agencies including the Office of Code Enforcement and the office of District B City Councilmember LaToya Cantrell to resolve their blight issues. Through this partnership, the coalition engaged more than 1,500 volunteers

in neighborhood revitalization projects that led to the demolition of approximately four abandoned structures, the clearing of overgrown vegetation and illegal dumped debris from more than 80 vacant lots and the assistance of four homeowners with repairs and landscaping.

With all of their neighborhood revitalization work, the coalition soon realized they lacked a voice within city government to effectively combat neighborhood blight issues. The coalition formally created the New Zion City Preservation Association, Inc. (NZCPA) in 2012. Janet Hayes, local advocate and NPN member, connected the newly formed association to NPN. Since joining NPN, NZCPA has received more than 20 hours of technical assistance to support their work. This past summer, the association hosted NPN’s YouthWorks Capacity College. This partnership engaged several youth in neighborhood planning that led to a “Trash Mob” that cleared a neighborhood lot of debris. While NPN currently serves NZCPA’s fiscal agent, the association is now working the Neighborhood Liaison program to complete their tax exemption application to further assist in its ability to independently raise funds.

New Zion City Preservation Association, through its commitment to neighborhood revitalization, has realized several remarkable accomplishments in a short time that have put the neighborhood on the map. NPN salutes the members of NZCPA for their tireless efforts to improve their quality of life.

For more information on New Zion City Preservation Association, contact Mrs. Cynthia Harris, NZCPA president, at newzioncitypreserve@gmail.com or visit the association’s new website, newzioncity.wordpress.com

Building Capacity Throughout New Orleans

New Collaborative Initiative Aims to Enhance Civic Engagement Skills of Residents

By Jason Stopa, Associate Editor, Education and Public Policy

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PN and several local organizations have joined together, with support from the City of New Orleans Neighborhood Engagement Office, to form the Neighborhood Capacity Building Initiative (NCBI) through NeighborWorks, a national network of community development and affordable housing organizations. NCBI seeks to build the internal capacity of local organizations to train residents and help develop the skills necessary to enhance civic engagement at the neighborhood level. The year-long initiative is comprised of workshops provided by NeighborWorks to develop local trainers.

Members of the NCBI began working to advance their skills in September during a three-day NeighborWorks workshop in Washington D.C. Organization representatives worked with each other to discuss course content specifically designed to address citywide community needs. This collaboration provided the partners with the opportunity to learn more about the trainings each offers.

This new collaborative of trainers put their learning into action by teaching workshops at the City of New Orleans’ 2nd Neighborhood Summit in mid-November. Titled Working Strategically with Government, the summit targeted New Orleans residents interested in building skills and gaining knowledge on issues that affect neighborhoods citywide. Workshops covered a wide range of topics including: • Embracing Diversity and Promoting Cultural Competency • Addressing Blight through City Policy • Understanding Market Value Analysis

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• Creating Campaigns and Taking Action • Strategies for Effective Communication, Meeting Management and Public • Engagement (Engaging Government) • Asset Mapping for Community Revitalization • Building Meaningful Youth-Adult Partnerships • Language Access for the Latino Community • Better Coverage, Lower Costs: Making the Health Insurance Marketplace Work for Your Community • NOLA Communities Living With Water • Navigating City Hall Online Additional capacity building opportunities will be offered by NCBI members in the future and will range from personal leadership development fellowships lasting several weeks to half-day or evening workshops held throughout the year. Set to re-launch on December 7th, NPN’s Capacity College will provide one such opportunity for residents to expand their skills set. The series offers a comprehensive approach to supporting the development of neighborhood group capacity and inter-neighborhood collaboration.

Through workshops, information sessions and partnerships, enrolled groups learn how to lead an effective organization; to lead a project from vision to implementation; and to find few partners and allies for civic engagement.

For more information on upcoming fellowships, workshops and training opportunities, email jason@npnnola.com 7

Orleans Public Education Network Holds 4th Annual Convening, Releases “Public Education in New Orleans Eight Years After Katrina”

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n late September, Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN) brought together more than 100 educators, students and New Orleans citizens for its 4th Annual Convening. A celebration of the community’s commitment and dedication to the realm of public education, the convening featured a wide variety of speakers and panels discussing the crucial topics in our system.

Themed “Be The Change,” the convening’s goal was to re-ignite a passion amongst attendees to stand up, speak out and build excellence for students in New Orleans public schools. OPEN also debuted its “Eight Ways to Engage” campaign, offering engaging, creative and actionable opportunities for members and citizens to be hands-on in making the city’s schools better and brighter.

Most excitingly, the event was also the debut of OPEN’s publication “Public Education in New Orleans Eight Years After Katrina: The Intersection of Race, Equity and Excellence,” a comprehensive study charting the landscape and challenges facing students since 2005. Unlike any previous studies on New Orleans education, this 60-page report frames the discussion from the point of view of local citizens. What does a community-stewarded view of public education look like? Download the report at www.opennola.org to find out.

The convening also presented a diverse array of panels and panelists gathering to engage attendants on the issues that matter to them. Topics included: • Little School at Risk: Are New Orleans Children Kindergarten-Ready?

• Restorative Justice: The Crisis of the Black Male • Show Me The Money! Public School Funding • Building a Human Capital Pipeline: Why TFA Alone Won’t Do • Pathways to Graduation and Beyond The day’s events culminated with a fiery performance by the Hot 8 Brass Band leading a second line through the halls of Mary Coghill Elementary. At the end of the day, attendees were left inspired, fired up and ready to BE THE CHANGE for New Orleans students!

Want to join them? Visit opennola.org to read the full report and become an OPEN member! With OPEN membership, you gain access to the full power of the network’s contacts, media resources and community power; the ability to write for our blog and much more.

From School Gardens to Superpowers

Edible Schoolyard NOLA’s Comprehensive Approach to Wellness

By Amelia Bird

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n the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans teaching kitchen at Arthur Ashe Charter School, third and fourth graders are learning the difference between whole and processed foods. They’re making ice cream out of frozen bananas, fresh strawberries and pineapple, and coconut milk, blended together—no sugar, no preservatives, just fruit. As they spoon the creamy mixture out of multicolored plastic cups, a kitchen teacher asks if this ice cream is a whole or processed food. “Whole,” a boy says, “because it’s made out of real stuff!”

On the other side of town at Samuel J. Green Charter School, Watermelon Day is in full swing. Jubilee watermelons crack open, gleaming red in the hands of farmers from the Mississippi Indian Springs Farmer Cooperative. Two boys grab Farmer Ben by the hand.

They want to show this overall-wearing farmer their melon patch. And there’s yelling on the other side of the field because the relay race has begun. Tiny kindergartners roll huge watermelons to garden teachers who quiz them. Do watermelons grow on a vine, a bush or a tree? What’s one cousin of the watermelon? What’s one way they’re good for you?

The kids run and roll; think hard and answer; and cheer on their teammates until they’re panting, ready for a hydrating watermelon treat.

In 2006, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA) was simply a group of kids sitting under an oak tree. Originally taking its shape from chef activist Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard Berkeley, ESYNOLA is now very much its own thing; home-grown to fit the needs of four K-8 schools and one high school in our culturally unique, urban environment. A signature program of FirstLine Schools (FirstLine), ESYNOLA works to change the way children eat, learn and live. It offers more than 3,000 daytime and afterschool classes every year that teach students and their families how to grow food, prepare it in healthy ways and share it joyfully. Our farm-to-school model celebrates building community relationships with Open Garden work days, school visits from farmers and chefs, field trips to local farms, youth entrepreneurship opportunities with farmer’s markets and a Family Supported Agriculture program that feeds 10 families a month.

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This kind of breadth is not what you might expect from a school garden program.

However, ESYNOLA has grown beyond a traditional approach in part because the children in our schools are some of the most underserved in the country.

Students at Green, Ashe and the other three schools in the FirstLine network receive at least 70 percent of their weekly calories at school. A vast majority of students go home to neighborhoods that do not have grocery stores or access to fresh vegetables, and 96 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch, a common indicator of poverty. Chronic disease— such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes—disproportionately impacts these predominantly low-income children and their families. So the work ESYNOLA does with food is not just important for academic success in our schools or environmental stewardship in our children. It is means which to fight racial, economic and social inequity in our city.

ESYNOLA noticed that food was not the only factor contributing to the high instance of chronic disease in the communities we serve. So now there’s this: Whole Child, Whole School, Whole Community, FirstLine’s network-wide wellness initiative that impacts how faculty, staff, parents and students prioritize wellness at school and at home. ESYNOLA organized wellness committees consisting of teachers, parents, coaches and students at each of its five schools to inform FirstLine’s wellness initiative. Whole Child combines ESYNOLA’s food education work with

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

They don’t notice that one kid—the boy who doesn’t speak much English yet—has slipped away because he wants to give Farmer Ben a hug.

a focus on increased physical activity and moves beyond educational programming to network-wide policy change in order to create school atmospheres conducive to wellness. ESYNOLA is especially grateful to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Louisiana Public Health Institute’s (LPHI) School Health Connection, Action for Healthy Kids and Alliance for Healthier Generation who provided start-up and expansion funding for FirstLine’s wellness initiative. It has taken a village of supporters and volunteers to grow this program to what it is today: a national model of effective whole child education.

But let us not forget what this looks like in action: one magical moment after another.

At Green, the relay racers jump and high-five each other because they are kindergartners, and they all think they won. They don’t notice that one kid—the boy who doesn’t speak much English yet—has slipped away because he wants to give Farmer Ben a hug. Farmer Ben, translated by a garden teacher, asks the boy what the Spanish word for watermelon is. “Sandia,” the boy says, beaming. And later that day, after his farmer’s cooperative gets a standing ovation by hundreds of children, Ben confides to a teacher, “By God, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

And back at Ashe, all the ice cream cups are washed and the children wait in line to file out of the teaching kitchen. As the line starts to move, one girl grabs her friend’s arm and leans close. “If I had a superpower,” she whispers, “it would be to make that ice cream, and I would make it twice.”

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Energy Wise Alliance Plans to Teach Efficiency to All

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By Jamie Wine, Executive Director

nergy Efficiency is a simple concept -- small lifestyle changes and intelligent choices regarding consumption can reduce high utility costs.

However, the information on how to make these small changes is not readily available to most people. The Energy Wise Alliance is making it their mission to ensure that this changes.

Several energy conscious non-profit groups and advocacy agencies have tried to educate the public for years. However, best practices for teaching the community about energy efficiency have yet to be defined. The mission of the Energy Wise Alliance is to provide education, data and quality assurance programs for individuals, businesses, schools and policymakers in order to lower utility consumption and create a more sustainable community.

The Energy Wise Alliance is determined to reach a diverse audience – there is a broad spectrum of communities that need consistent, reliable information about energy education. It is important to deliver a message that can cross all mediums, yet remain relevant to each individual, family and community.

There are limitless opportunities to spread information about Energy Efficiency and intelligent consumption. While one homeowner is receiving an Energy Wise home consultation on positive efficiency changes, that homeowner’s child could be at school watching a presentation on how to make Energy Efficient choices in everyday life. This is a small example of how the Energy Wise Alliance envisions a message that travels full circle, educating all aspects of society in order to harbor a cultural change for the better.

The Energy Wise Alliance is also invested in pushing for a higher standard of practice when it comes to installing Energy Efficient products. A big disconnect with the typical energy consumer is the high upfront cost and fear of substandard quality of work. The Energy Wise Alliance aims to establish a new industry standard and

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provide affordable energy efficiency options to all energy consumers across the market.

The Energy Wise Alliance will not be doing this alone. They have already partnered with Neighborhoods Partnership Network (NPN), PosiGen Solar Solutions and Green Coast Enterprises; three local, sustainable organizations that have already made an impact in their markets by changing the mindset of energy consumers and helping them reduce costs. NPN was established after Hurricane Katrina to facilitate neighborhood collaboration, increase access to government and information, and strengthen the voices of individuals and communities across New Orleans.

PosiGen Solar Solutions (the first solar leasing company to successfully offer a Solar Energy and Energy Efficiency package) has helped thousands of homeowners lower energy costs to the point that their savings have exceeded those of standard Solar and Energy Efficiency measures. Their holistic approach to energy production and conservation has allowed customers to make simple changes that have significantly improved their quality of life. And Green Coast Enterprises develops real estate and performs a continuum of real estate services focused on urban areas in need of community renewal located in the Southeastern United States with a special focus on coastal areas threatened by climate change.

The Energy Wise Alliance is also set to create tens of thousands of jobs in a vastly developing Sustainability field.

Along with PosiGen, the Energy Wise Alliance wants to educate the greater New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas about energy efficient living and smarter consumption. This effort will provide a more sustainable future, and allow those who need savings the most to keep more of their hard earned dollars in their pocket.

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Announcing the 2013 Trumpet Award Recipients

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ourage ... If there was one word to summarize the people of the City of New Orleans, this would be it. In the face of what many deemed insurmountable odds, residents from across the city - with no regard for ethnicity or socioeconomic standing - displayed tremendous fortitude in banding together and saving their individual neighborhoods. But perhaps more importantly, neighborhoods displayed courage by reaching across their boundaries and working together to ensure their voices were included in the dialogues taking place about when, where and how the City of New Orleans would return.

From that courage, the Neighborhoods Partnership Network was born.

It is only fitting that the commonality shared by this year’s cohort of Trumpet Award winners is a certain audacity to look into the face of a challenge - be it real or perceived - and dare to take a stand ... make a change. Whether it’s bringing an avant garde art exhibition to the crumbling, tattered ruins of the Florida Housing Development ... being brave enough to advocate for equity in educational resources or language access and not accepting the status quo... or holding city leaders accountable to their responsibility to serve the people; each of our 2013 awardees has displayed the same courage that is central to NPN’s mission and that THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

Photo of the Trumpet Award

continues to move the City of New Orleans from recovery to resurgence and on to resilience.

NPN salutes the 2013 Trumpet Award winners. Your bold ability to see beyond the “now” to the “what could be” will certainly move New Orleans closer to the reality of being a place where all neighborhoods are quality places to live.

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“Citizenship is Not A Spectator Sport.”

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he St. Roch neighborhood, as well as the entire city of New Orleans, lost a true champion for resident engagement and urban renewal when Reginald “Reggie” Lawson, Sr. succumbed to a valiant fight against cancer in October. But the life Reggie Lawson lived and the impact he made in his community made him the obvious choice as the 2013 Trumpet Awards Model Citizen.

Reggie grew up in the Lafitte Housing projects. He attended Joseph S. Craig Elementary School and McDonogh #41 Junior High School. He was a graduate of St. Augustine High School where he was a member of the glee club and the football team.

He went on to attend the University of New Orleans. He later graduated from Straight Business School and began working as a city auditor under the Moon Landrieu administration. This experience laid the foundation for his career as a real estate broker and contractor, work that would ignite his passion for urban community development. He was the recipient of the Marc Morial Mayoral Golden Hammer Award in 1997 and 2000 for his work restoring historically designated homes.

As the founder of the Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association, Reggie was a tireless advocate in support of providing greater opportunities for his fellow residents and is credited as being the guiding force behind St. Roch’s current revival. Some of his greatest accomplishments came from his work to establish competent neighborhoods through affordable homeownership, community-based education and innovative employment initiatives.

Just prior to his passing, city leaders and community residents came together to celebrate the completion of more than $1.8 million in improvements to St. Roch park, a project he was integral in bringing to fruition.

His last project - an effort to build a $4.2 million natatorium in the newly refurbished park - reflects his deep commitment to the youth in the community. If successfully completed, the complex would provide a facility for a competitive high school swimming program as well as adult recreational aquatics.

He also firmly believed it was the responsibility of city leaders to represent the interest of the people in their decision making, and as a result, was often sought out to give voice to the residents’ perspective on city initiatives.

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Interviewed a week before his passing, Reggie had one simple charge for the residents of the St. Roch community: “I expect someone to step up.” A daunting task, yet one that is fully achievable. NPN salutes the awesome legacy Reggie Lawson has left behind and lifts him as an example of true neighborhood leadership.

The Community Remembers Reggie Lawson After Katrina, he was passionate about getting back. Relocating elsewhere wasn’t even in the discussion. The people whose lives he’s touched, the lives that have touched him, is here. This is home.

This is New Orleans.

—Reggie Lawson, Jr. Reggie Lawson has been a servant leader representing the St. Roch (neighborhood). As a leader, he advocated for the neighborhood park, improved neighborhood relations with city government and much more.

—Darla & Will Rumley, Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association Knowing him through both NONDC, Rebuild Together and our post Katrina recovery planning, I came to appreciate that he was a force of nature ... “Citizenship is not a spectator sport” perfectly describes Reggie’s tenacity. Big shoes to fill.

—Diana Lewis, Community Volunteer I had the opportunity to have a personal relationship with Reggie Lawson ... He has had a lasting impression. The first thing that comes to mind is selfless and always for the right. He (was) an oak tree and gentle giant ... though he was fighting the battle of his life, yet he was still giving directions and instructions from his death bed ... they don’t make them like that anymore or too often.

—Jamon Barrow When I think of soldiers in the neighborhood engagement movement who have invested their time, talent and treasure, I could NEVER not think of Reggie Lawson. He will truly be missed, but we should never let the flame for making St. Roch neighborhood a great place be extinguished.

—Timolynn Sams He is one of those people I just pick up the phone and call. He is my sounding board on so many things.

—Hon. Kristin Gisleson Palmer, New Orleans City Council, District C Whatever they said they were going to do in St. Roch, Reggie made sure they would do it.

—Emma Sampson, St. Roch Neighbor THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

Good Neighbor to Neighborhoods New St. Claude Association of Neighborhoods New St. Claude Association of Neighborhoods has provided an example of neighborhood collaboration by working with their surrounding neighborhood associations, including the Bywater Neighborhood Improvement Association and Bunny Friends/Upper Ninth Ward neighborhood groups, in the creation of a pocket park through a partnership with Tulane City Center. The Association has also extended their reach beyond their boundaries to assist residents living near the railroad organize to develop the new Franklin Avenue Neighborhood Association.

Neighborhood Phoenix New Zion City Preservation Association This small, committed group of residents formed a grassroots coalition to find solutions to pervasive blight in what was once a vibrant, self-sustaining neighborhood. Working with city officials, non-profit organizations and across a broad demographic cross-section, the New Zion City Preservation Association has engaged more than 1,500 volunteers in neighborhood revitalization projects leading to the demolition of abandon structures, assistance to homeowners with repairs and landscaping and the clearing of overgrown vegetation and illegally dumped debris from more than 80 vacant lots.

Best Neighborhood Councilperson The Honorable LaToya Cantrell With roots in one of the city’s most engaged neighborhood groups, it’s no wonder that Councilmember LaToya Cantrell has proven to be an ally to the neighborhoods within District B during her inaugural term. Prior to her election, Councilmember Cantrell led the citizens’ fight to save her flooded neighborhood following Hurricane Katrina. Today, Broadmoor is one of the most recovered neighborhoods in the city. Now serving as an elected official, she has continued her support of residents, working with them to identify opportunities to work more closely with city agencies to find solutions to challenges like blight, crime and decaying infrastructure. She is a regular participant in the meetings of the neighborhood associations throughout the district and remains a tireless advocate for the people who elected her.

Best Education Advocates The Students of Landry-Walker and Walter L. Cohen High Schools THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

The dialogue around education reform and equity is usually dominated by parents, politicians and other so-called “grown-ups”. However, the 2013 Trumpet Awards Best Education Advocates are unique in that they were students who stood up for what they believed and spoke out for themselves.

Facing two unique situations resulting in two different outcomes, the efforts of students at Walter L. Cohen High School and the newly formed L.B. Landry - O. Perry Walker College and Career Preparatory High School provide a remarkable example of civic engagement that can serve as a model for young and old, alike.

In October 2012, the Recovery School District made the decision to fire the principal and several teachers and administrators at Walter L. Cohen High School and replace them with an outside charter operator. In a response harkening about to the civil rights era youth protests of the 1960s, students organized a mass walk-out. They developed a list of grievances - including the firing of the school’s administration and the lack of adequate resources - and refused to returned to school until requested resolutions were met. RSD Superintendent Patrick Dobard agreed to meet with the group to discuss administrative changes and ongoing resource shortages. Although students returned to class and plans to replace the staff moved forward, they displayed adult-level courage to stand up for their rights.

Discussion regarding merging L. B. Landry and O. Perry Walker High Schools started in late 2011. A battle to block the merger amongst school officials, parents and alumni of the two Algiers educational institutions went on for nearly two years. But while the adults battled over the two schools futures, the students fought for the future of their education and let their opinion be known: it was time for the merger to move forward. Students believed the move would provide them the best of both worlds; the quality of Landry’s facilities and O. Perry Walker’s academic strength. Landry-Walker’s vaunted athletic teams are now known as the Charging Pirates, a further demonstration of the two schools’ unification. While there have been some adjustments to make, these two former rivals, led by their students, have found a way to make it work.

Best City-Neighborhood Partnership Evacuspot What happens when you combined the city’s tradition as an artistic treasure trove with its need to find a solution to the challenge of providing a safe means of storm evacuation for its most vulnerable residents? You get Evacuspots, a network of funky signature metal sculptures by artist Douglas Kornfeld that identify 17 locations in neighborhoods through the city where New Orleanians can congregate and catch a ride to safety. Launched in May 2013, the works were commissioned through a partnership with the Arts Council of New Orleans, the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and evacuteer.org, a non-profit agency that aids and enhances City Assisted Evaluation (CAE) and proposed the Evacuspot initiative. The CAE is citywide and can accommodate the more than 30,000 residents who lack the ability to evacuate in advance of a Category 3 hurricane or higher. Evacuspot help clearly identify the way to safety.

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Best Recovery Resource Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana As the city of New Orleans approaches the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the catastrophic failure of the city’s levee system and the devastation left in its wake, the landscape - and definition - of recovery is shifting. And while conversations around repairs to the city’s infrastructure are still relevant as neighborhoods continue to rebuild, addressing economic disparity, racial justice and conversations on equity are rising as important issues that can potentially render Post-Katrina achievements completely meaningless.

In the recently released New Orleans Index at Eight, the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center (GNOCDC) identifies high rates of incarceration and unemployment among African-American men as threats to the city’s ability to one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its aspirational peers. One of the primary barriers the formerly incarcerated face when attempting to successfully re-enter society is the lack of a clean record, or “jacket,” once their full obligation to the court has been met. Enter the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana (JAC). This New Orleans-based nonprofit tackles deficiencies in the post-conviction phase of the criminal justice system while creating a supportive collaborative space for attorneys and advocates. ​JAC responds to the needs of incarcerated and ex-incarcerated populations who are marginalized by both social stigma and the difficulty of communicating outside of prison walls, while changing the way lawyers provide services to these individuals. In September, JAC partnered with the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, Foundation for Louisiana and SEIU Local 21 of Louisiana to present Clean Jacket Day in collaboration with 25 law firms who provided voluntary assistance with expungements for several hundred participants.

Best Community Beautification Project Project Be by Brandan Odum What is widely regarded as one of the largest installations of African-American political art is not featured in a Julia Street gallery or as one of the city’s many public art installations. Project Be, a series of captivating spray-painted portraits, can be found on the walls of the soon-to-be demolished Florida Housing Projects in the Ninth Ward. Created by a group of artists led by Brandan “BMike” Odum, co-founder of youth education advocate 2Cent Entertainment, the stunningly vibrant works depict influential historical icons ranging from civil rights legends Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass and Angela Davis to arts and culture luminaries James Baldwin Melvin Van Peeples, John Coltrane and Gordon Parks. As the Housing Authority of New Orleans moves forward with plans to build new apartments on the Florida projects footprint, efforts are underway to preserve the site and make the renegade installation available for tours in time for the arrival of a touring exhibition of works by Jean Michele Basquiat, the highly regarded Haitian-American artist known for the latent political messages of his graffitiinspired works.

Best Business Neighborhood Project Propeller Incubator

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Located in the city’s Broadmoor neighborhood, the Propeller Incubator is a shared work space offering a relaxed environment to be productive and collaborate with fellow innovators. Its co-working space is home to a creative and diverse group of entrepreneurs, small business owners, freelancers, non-profits and foundations whose work is making a difference in New Orleans. Through a public-private partnership between Propeller and Green Coast Enterprises, an $8.7 million renovation project has restored four crumbling and abandoned buildings back to community benefit in the form of a bakery, a community health clinic, an office building, and the Propeller Incubator. In addition to providing event space for organization such as TimeBank NOLA and a spoken word collective, Propeller also offers capacity building classes for future entrepreneurs and community residents alike.

Most Outstanding Youth Group YOU2 (Youth Organizing Unity) YOU2 (Youth Organizing Unity), a program of the Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association (VAYLA), is a youth organizing campaign that has been working to promote English as a Second Language rights across New Orleans to support students that need assistance with learning the English language and to prevent them from being treated unfairly. The group, which is composed of high school age students, is devoted to protecting the educational rights of immigrant students and parents by addressing the absence of translation, interpretation and English Language Learner programs at many of the city’s charter schools.

YOU2, along with VAYLA and the Asian-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), recently filed a complaint with the Department of Justice on behalf of students with limited English proficiency and their parents against New Orleans public schools. The complaint alleged that the school district violated Title VI regulations by failing to meet the language needs of Asian-American and Latino limited-English proficient (LEP) students. It was the culmination of more than two years of investigations into educational equity and access issues in New Orleans. In May, YOU2 also released a report, ESL: Lost in the System, documenting rights violations. It is the group’s hope to create a school system that truly values students with limited English proficiency by sharing its recommendations on ways to improve the learning experience for and drawing attention to existing disparities.

Best Faith-Based Community Initiative Christian Unity Baptist Church Founded in 1989, Christian Unity Baptist Church has stood at the forefront of the city’s recovery efforts from the very beginning. Led by Rev. Dwight Webster, this congregation has worked tireless to meet the needs of New Orleans residents and to bring about meaningful dialogue and change in the areas of long-term recovery strategies, equity and inclusion in the city’s judicial and education systems and youth engagement work. Rev. Webster is the co-founder of the Jeremiah Group, a broad-based, faith-based ecumenical organization, affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation, that “seeks the welfare of the city” of New Orleans. In February of 2013, Christian Unity hosted the launch of The Equity Caucus, an ongoing collective effort to improve the way community engages in and works towards more equitable policies to improve resident lives presented by the Foundation for Louisiana.

The congregation also serves as a hosting partner of Justice and Beyond, a cadre of leaders who represent the city’s labor, community, culture, social, educational, political, faith based interests that meets weekly to discuss, organize and hear the “true voice” of the New Orleans community.

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Health Services

Driving a Prosperous Future for New Orleans

By Rodrick T. Miller, President and CEO, New Orleans Business Alliance

Health Services is the third largest employer in New Orleans, providing a wide spectrum of jobs with attractive career opportunities. As we look forward to the completion of the various facilities in the BioDistrict in downtown New Orleans and the redeveloped New Orleans East Hospital, the Health Services industry is growing at an exponential pace and is well positioned to address the critical need for quality jobs in our community.

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n the last few years, Health Services and the related BioInnovation industries have shown rapid growth in New Orleans. Together, these two industries posted a 7.6 percent job growth rate from 2008-2013, and are predicted to grow jobs by another 4.4 percent from 2013-2018 in current economic conditions. With more than 15,000 employees, Health Services and BioInnovation industries represent 7.7 percent of all jobs in New Orleans. Activities in these industries are varied and diverse and including doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics as well as health manufacturing, wholesale, supply, research and development, devices and pharmaceuticals. With the redevelopment of the health care facilities throughout the city, there will be a need to recruit and hire an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 employees to fill existing and new healthcare-related jobs.

Driving this growth most directly is strong investment in infrastructure, including a combined $149 million investment to develop the New Orleans BioInnovation Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Center, and more than $2 billion to redevelop the University Medical Center and the Veterans Administration Hospital. As the anchors

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of the BioDistrict, these institutions have the potential to make New Orleans a center for both bioscience and specialized destination health care.

Another $130 million is being invested to rebuild the New Orleans East Hospital, a much-needed medical center for neighborhoods in New Orleans East that will restore full service healthcare to that community.

What is perhaps not widely known is that Health Services salaries are often well above minimum wage and the majority of these jobs have a low barrier to entry. Meaning, these are quality jobs with wages to sustain a family, without excessive educational or training requirements (see Top Occupations chart). For example, the fourth and fifth top occupations in Health Services, home health aides and personal care aides, require only short-term on-the-job training. Another key benefit of many careers in Health Services is that they offer clear career pathways for continuing education, promotions and wage growth. Registered nurses, for example, require an associate’s degree at a minimum to start. However, they can pursue multiple career advancement programs such as Master of Science or Doctor of Nursing Practice that will offer opportunities for promotions of responsibility and increased salaries.

To ensure an equitable and sustainable Health Services industry in

The Health Services industry in New Orleans is strong and the infrastructure commitments are in place.

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

Top Occupations: Health Services

New Orleans, we must develop clear career ladders and training opportunities for existing employees and create local workforce pipelines.

The Greater New Orleans Foundation’s innovative “New Orleans Works” program is one example.

It targets local medical assistants to increase career satisfaction and reduce turnover. Other important steps we must take will be to connect employers to appropriate local training programs that will identify new hires in the community. Also, we need to develop K-12 curriculum that exposes students to careers in Health Services at an early age and prepares them for entry into the workforce after high school graduation.

The Health Services industry in New Orleans is strong and the infrastructure commitments are in place. With that said, changes in federal and state healthcare policy, Medicaid cuts and budget challenges have placed extreme pressure on the industry to serve more with less, leaving fewer resources available for clinical trials, research and product development and quality healthcare for our most vulnerable citizens.

To ensure the sustainability and continued growth of this industry in

New Orleans, there must be a coordinated and collaborated effort on behalf of public and private stakeholders and a clear policy agenda to advocate at the state and federal levels for committed health services funding locally.

Today, we have a plan in place to meet the needs of our growing Health Services industry. My organization, the New Orleans Business Alliance, worked with the City of New Orleans and more than 200 business and civic leaders to develop ProsperityNOLA: A Plan to Drive Economic Growth for 2018.

ProsperityNOLA outlines the critical action steps we need to take as a community over the next five years to grow jobs and investment in Health Services and the related BioInnovation industry cluster. The plan is publicly accessible on our website, and I encourage you to review it for more information.

With the focused efforts of businesses, public sector, educational institutions, and the community to achieve the goals set forth in ProsperityNOLA, New Orleans will emerge as a regional destination for top quality health services, and as a hub for the research and commercialization of new health technologies.

About the New Orleans Business Alliance: The New Orleans Business Alliance is uniting a diverse community of stakeholders to catalyze job growth, create wealth, and build an equitable and sustainable economic future for the new New Orleans. New Orleans Business Alliance is the official non-profit organization tasked with leading economic development initiatives for the City of New Orleans.

To learn more, visit http://www.nolaba.org/ THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

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In Celebration of World AIDS Day: Recognizing the Work of

NO/AIDS TASK FORCE

By Remeka Jones, Assistant Editor, Healthcare

On December 1st, millions around the world will stand in solidarity in the fight against HIV for World AIDS Day. This year’s theme, “Shared Responsibility: Strengthening Results for an AIDSFree Generation,” requires a commitment from a multi-sector partnership. According to the World Health Organization, in 2011 an estimated 34 million people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. In the United States, more than 1.1 million people are living with the HIV infection (Centers for Disease Control). Several organizations throughout the metro-New Orleans area will celebrate World AIDS Day with a variety of activities focused on prevention, raising awareness and fostering collaborations.

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ationally, New Orleans ranks second for new HIV rates and fourth for new AIDS cases (CDC, 2011). Here in New Orleans, the NO/AIDS Task Force, the oldest and largest HIV/AIDS service organization in the Gulf South, has been instrumental in increasing public awareness about HIV/AIDS and reducing the spread of HIV while providing services and support to HIV-affected individuals. According to T. J. Rogers, NO/AIDS Task Force communications specialist, the higher incidences of HIV and AIDS in New Orleans is a result of other underlying factors such as a high poverty and unemployment, lack of education and affordable housing and religious stigma. Celebrating its 30th year of existence, NO/AIDS Task Force and its staff work to address the needs of persons living with or affected by HIV. The organization provides a plethora of services including HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, primary

medical care, community mobilization and outreach, case management, substance abuse and mental health counseling, legal services, drug assistance, housing services and peer support services. Notable programs of the organization includes the Family Advocacy, Care and Education Services Program (FACES) which provides case management and services to HIV-infected and affected women and families; the Movement, a community center that provides prevention activities for young, African-American gay and bisexual men between the ages of 13 and 29; and the CHAT program that is a peer-to-peer HIV prevention program that recruits black youth between 13 and 19. NO/AIDS Task Force provides free HIV/AIDS testing and counseling six day weeks to the general public in a variety of locations and free syphilis testing at its main office 2601 Tulane Avenue Suite 500.

In honor of health and healthcare, join NPN in celebrating NO/AIDS Task Force, a local health advocate.

For more information about NO/AIDS Task Force, its services and volunteer opportunities, visit www.noaidstaskforce.org, send inquiries to info@noaidstf.org or call (504) 821 –2601.

Get Connected to the New Orleans Neighborhood Network.

Post News & Events for Your Organization at NPNnola.com 20

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the effort. As a result, the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation awarded New Orleans its “Roadmaps to Health Prize” in recognition of its success in developing community partnerships to support healthier lifestyles.

“Winning the Roadmaps to Health Prize is a validation of the work we have done as a community since Hurricane Katrina and has given us a new energy to continue this work so that by 2018 we are the healthy city we want to be,” Dr. DeSalvo said.

Before the city’s 300th anniversary, she will tackle some of the most intractable health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, inadequate nutrition, mental illness and violence. In Orleans Parish, more than a third of high school students are overweight or obese. Incidence of diabetes in New Orleans is almost 4 percent higher than the national average and high blood pressure averages 39.1 percent.

“That is how we’re getting from a place where we were treating the consequences of poor health decisions and the impacts of social determinants of health, and actually move into a place where we’re upstream and we can prevent it,” she said.

Inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, the city has developed a comprehensive Shared Action Blueprint for all citizens to achieve healthy weight and level of fitness within five years. Progress will come in the form of preventive care, access to fresh foods including school lunches, recreation, parks, playgrounds, libraries, hospitals, safe schools and safe family environments.

“An incredible spirit of wellness exists here in New Orleans,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “In order for us to out-educate, out-build and outinnovate the rest of the world, we must prioritize wellness now,” he said.

For more information about Fit Nola, visit www.nola.gov/health-department/healthy-lifestyles/.

Dr. Karen DeSalvo Presented Family Service Award for Civic Leadership

By Mary Rickard, M.S.

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r. Karen Bollinger DeSalvo, M.D., Commissioner of Health for the City of New Orleans, was among 10 illustrious “Most Outstanding Persons” honored by Family Service of Greater New Orleans in October. Appointed New Orleans Health Commissioner, Dr. DeSalvo was recognized at the annual gala for her role in inventing a new city health care delivery system post-Katrina.

Over the past five years, she has helped establish 80 community health centers. Now, Dr. DeSalvo has set an ambitious goal for New Orleans to become one of the healthiest U.S. cities by 2018.

The Commissioner said we must “change the trajectory for kids.”

“We can make a difference today, but how can we make a difference for generations to come?” she asked.

While vice dean for community affairs and health policy at Tulane University School of Medicine, DeSalvo had a vision for creating an innovative system of neighborhood-based primary care and mental health services for low-income, uninsured and other vulnerable New Orleans populations, which has since been hailed as a national model.

There was a lack of systems to support health before the storm, she said.

Hurricane Katrina exposed the problems, but also created an opportunity to develop new ways to impact the overall health of the population, she said.

The Public Health Accreditation Board’s accreditation blueprint demonstrated how the health department could move from “broken and outmoded” to a modern public health agency. A coalition of more than 100 stakeholders, from Fortune 500 companies to neighborhood groups, joined

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

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Confused About Health Insurance?

Look to your Health Insurance Marketplace

By Nicole Duritz

Journalist Edward R. Murrow once said, “Anyone who isn’t confused doesn’t understand the situation.”

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early half of the American public says they do not have enough information to understand how the Affordable Care Act will affect them and their family, according to an August 2013 Kaiser Family Foundation report. (For that matter, they may not even know what the Affordable Care Act is – they know it as “Obamacare.”)

The thing is, healthcare has always been confusing: Even the 86 percent of Americans lucky enough to have insurance have always had to worry about what would be covered if they needed medical care, what out of pocket costs they would incur and whether or not they would be dropped in the middle of an illness if they hit a cap on coverage – or worse, just made an honest mistake on their insurance application.

Obamacare was actually designed to take some of the confusion and unpredictability out of the equation.

Even if you are already insured, the healthcare law provides critical new benefits and protections. For example, did you know that your insurance company can no longer drop your coverage because of an honest error on your application? That was a common method of purging the sick from the rolls of insurance companies. Nor can insurance companies

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put lifetime or annual caps on essential medical services.

The law also makes it possible to keep your children on your family plan until they reach age 26 – an invaluable protection as this younger generation struggles to find their footing in the new economy. And all insurance plans are now required to provide more preventive care such as health screenings for certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease.

Many organizations like AARP offer free tools such as HealthLawAnswers.org and HealthLawFacts.org that can help you better understand the benefits and protections of the health care law for you and your family. The Affordable Care Act also offers protections – and convenience – for those who are uninsured or looking for health coverage. The law created the online Health Insurance Marketplace, a new way to comparison shop for health plans. And, depending on your income, financial help may be available to help cover some of the costs.

You can shop online through the Health Insurance Marketplace during open enrollment from Oct. 1 through March 31, 2014. To access Louisiana’s Marketplace visit www.healthcare.gov If you have questions about your

Even if you are already insured, the healthcare law provides critical new benefits and protections.

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coverage options or signing up, assistance is also available via phone at 1-800-318-2596.

When you’re shopping for health plans in the Marketplace, keep in mind the three Cs: Coverage, Costs and Compare.

1. Coverage. Although all insurance plans offered in the Marketplace are now required to cover important health care services - like emergency care, hospitalization, physician’s services and prescription drugs – there are still other factors you should consider when purchasing health coverage: • What services do you and your family need? For example if you need orthopedic care you’ll want to select a plan that offers this coverage.

• Does the plan limit which doctor or hospital you can use?

If you have a favorite doctor, make sure they’re part of the network you select. Otherwise you may have to pay more for those services.

• What happens if you need health care while away from home? If you spend a lot of time out of Louisiana, you’ll want to find a plan that covers health services in other states.

• Does the plan cover the prescription drugs you need?

Prescription drug costs add up fast, especially if you end up needing to take them regularly or for prolonged periods.

2. Costs. Most health insurance plans have a monthly premium which is a fee that you pay the insurer for your health insurance coverage. You also need to consider the other costs that a health plan might not cover. Be sure to get a clear picture of your costs before selecting a plan.

• Is there a deductible? Deductibles – the amount you have to pay for health services each year before your coverage kicks in – vary and have a direct impact on your out-of-pocket costs.

• Are there coinsurance or copayment requirements? These are the costs you pay each time you visit the doctor or use certain services. They also vary by plan. Be sure to factor in these costs before making a decision.

• Is there coverage for out-of-network providers? You may have to pay more – sometimes as much as 100 percent of the costs – if you use an out-of-network provider. So if you have a favorite doctor, make sure they participate in the plan you select.

3. Comparisons. The Louisiana Marketplace will allow you to directly compare the costs and coverage of health plans in your state, find out about financial help and get your health coverage questions answered.

Remember. Open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace runs from October 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014. After that, if you still don’t have coverage in place, you may have to pay a tax penalty. Sign up by December 15 and you can start getting coverage by January 1.

It may feel confusing right now, but all you need to do is take that first step by visiting www.healthcare.gov or calling 1-800-318-2596. The time you invest in researching your options will pay off with the peace of mind that comes with knowing you and your family are covered.

Nicole Duritz is Vice President of the Health & Family issues team in the Education and Outreach group at AARP. She leads AARP’s educational and outreach efforts on health education issues, including Medicare, the health law, prescription drug affordability, long-term care, and prevention and wellness. She can be reached at nduritz@aarp.org.

Groups Brings Health Workers Together Across New Orleans for Networking, Professional Development, and Recognition

By Naomi King Englar, Prevention Research Center at Tulane University

Y

ou may know them as community health educators. You may know them as health workers, advisors or in Spanish-speaking communities, promotores. No matter the title, these frontline health workers provide valuable services and resources to neighborhoods across New Orleans and Louisiana. They provide information on healthy lifestyles, connect people to services, recruit people to participate in health studies and research, advocate for healthy community environments and are trusted members of the communities they serve. And around the U.S., the profession of community health workers - as they’re now widely recognized - is growing and gaining recognition.

The Louisiana Community Health Outreach Network, or LACHON, is following suit by working to expand its membership and provide professional development opportunities to community health workers across the state.

Current members work for a variety of organizations, including Daughters of Charity, Xavier University, LaCare, United Health, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Louisiana State University and Tulane University.

LACHON started in New Orleans about three years ago as support meetings for health workers, according to co-founder Ashley Wennerstrom, who is now director of the Louisiana Community Health Worker Training Institute at the Tulane University School of Medicine. It was a place for workers to discuss common problems and solutions they faced in their jobs, Wennerstrom said. Since then, LACHON has grown to become a venue for community health workers to receive professional support to enhance their skills and to advocate for the profession to be recognized as integral to healthcare, public health and social services systems.

LACHON held its first conference this past June in New Orleans, drawing 60 people together from diverse backgrounds and careers for a day of learning, sharing and networking.

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

In the past, most community health workers were hired to work on health projects and studies aimed at specific topics like AIDS or diabetes work, Wennerstrom said.

“Literally, there are about 100 different titles for community health workers,” according to Wennerstrom.

In the last several years, the field has become more recognized as a profession that uses a broad set of skills to work in partnership with communities no matter the health topic being addressed. The community health workers field is becoming more recognized by national government agencies and health departments, and an occupational code has been developed to track what’s happening in the workforce. “People realize they have to pay attention to this group and how they can contribute to improving both individual and community health,” Wennerstrom said.

LACHON members meet the first Friday of each month at 11 a.m. at the Ruth U. Fertel/Tulane Community Health Center, 711 N. Broad St., New Orleans. Anyone in the community health outreach field is welcome to attend. For more information about LACHON or to become a member, call (504) 988-1158 or email lachws@ gmail.com. You can also follow LACHON on Twitter @LACHON1 and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ LouisianaCommunityHealthOutreachNetwork.

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YOU and NPN Making All New Orleans’ Neighborhoods A Great Place to Live!

YOU and NPN make a great team!

Together we are passionate about making all of our neighborhoods great places to live.

You told us you were worried about public education, healthy living and our cultural communities.

NPN now has a Neighborhood Liaison – a skilled professional staff person – focusing specifically on each of those concerns.

You voiced anxiety over the City’s budget. NPN is right now partnered with strong, well-respected advocacy groups to help local government welcome citizens into the budget decision-making.

You reminded us that it takes a village to raise healthy and educated children.

NPN’s Parent’s First campaign is now empowering parents of young children to connect and engage about quality of life troubles for young children.

Now is the one time of year that NPN asks for you to put your dollars where your passion is.

Give a gift to NPN so NPN can continue giving to New Orleans neighborhoods.

When You Contribute to NPN… NPN can give the community … $15 A Best Practices Binder full of tips and tricks for neighborhood leaders $25 A Task Force meeting to tackle an urgent issue $50 A full year of hosting resource-rich www.NPNnola.com $100 $250 Amonth of transporting a Neighborhood Liaison around the city $500 Two months of Trumpet Tidbits weekly enews One bi-monthly issue of The Trumpet delivered all over the city $1,000 Twenty Capacity College how-to guides for neighborhood leaders $2,000 One month of keeping NPN’s office open and operating! $3,000

I am giving $_______________ to NPN’s 2013 Annual Fund.

Name:_______________________________________________________________________________ Organization:_________________________________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________________________________________________ Phone number:____________________________ Email:______________________________________ Send your gift to: NPN – The Neighborhoods Partnership Network, 3321 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, LA 70119 To give a gift by credit card, please email Mary@NPNnola.com.

NPN is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gift is tax deductable to the extent allowed by law.

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THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

FitLot

Outdoor Fitness Park Mission and History FitLot is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization committed to building outdoor fitness parks in neighborhoods across New Orleans. We believe that every New Orleanian can and should enjoy the health benefits of a more active lifestyle. Formed in 2013, FitLot’s vision is for every American to have access to a cost-free exercise space within walking distance of their homes.

What We Do FitLot works with community leaders to build outdoor fitness parks so that people have access to cost-free exercise and equipment that is safe and fun to use. We see FitLot as a tool to not only increase public health but to increase public safety and reduce blight by repurposing vacant property.

Each park is staffed with a returning veteran who is a trained FitLot Coach, there to help individuals meet fitness goals and ensure safety.

How We Do It FitLot partners with land owning community organizations to identify potential locations with high foot traffic and low accessibility to outdoor exercise space. We fully engage community members for input and participation throughout the planning process. Sponsorships are secured from corporate, municipal, and foundational partners to build each outdoor fitness facility. Months of planning culminate in a community Build Day where volunteers from the neighborhood and sponsoring body come together to landscape and assemble their new outdoor fitness park.

Benefits and Impact Outdoor fitness parks provide people with a convenient opportunity to improve their health at no cost. Outdoor fitness parks are fun and have been shown to inspire interest in many who would not ordinarily join a gym. Plus outdoor fitness activities, also referred to as green exercise, are known to reduce stress and improve sense of well-being. Beyond individual health benefits, FitLot positively impacts neighborhoods and communities by re-purposing blighted or underutilized properties into attractive, welllandscaped fitness parks.

The Bottom Line Sedentary lifestyles combined with poor diets are leading to an increase in chronic health problems. Research shows that obesity and conditions related to physical inactivity (heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer) are some of the leading causes of preventable illness and death. In 2013, Louisiana ranked 49th in the nation for Obesity, 46th for Diabetes, and tied with Mississippi for most unhealthy state (americashealthrankings.org). By supporting FitLot, you can do your part to increase the quality of life, and support the health and well-being of yourself and your neighbors.

If you are a member of a landowning community organization that would like more information on how to become a FitLot community partner please visit our website at FitLot.org THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

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NOLA TimeBank coordinator Van Perkins (left) discusses TimeBanking with newcomers. Photo: Zé daLuz NOLA TimeBank members Kaya Martinez and Jules Richelson welcome guests. Photo: Zé daLuz Guest speaker Stephanie Rearkick from Madison Wi. Photo: Zé daLuz NOLA TimeBankers working on a repair project. Photo: G. Zalkind NOLA TimeBanker Jamie Garuti examines a repair project with library patron. Photo: R.Haddan

NOLA TimeBank

Where Your Time Counts

NOLATB Begins Third Year

Since October of 2011, a growing group of New Orleanians have received services including haircuts, yard work, music lessons, sewing, transportation, computer assistance, respite care, resume writing and more.

Hundreds of hours of assistance have been provided without any exchange of money. NOLA TimeBank is a free and open network of people who have agreed to offer their skills, talents and time, not for money but hour for hour for the skills, talents and time of others.

A recent event at Propeller Incubator in Broadmoor celebrated the second anniversary of NOLA TimeBank. Attendees of the event were encouraged to post their names on the 50-foot-long wall covered with paper lists of service categories. “NOLA TimeBank is a great way to connect with neighbors and the larger community,” remarked NOLA TimeBank coordinator Rosalie Torres. “TimeBanking really demonstrates how much talent and generosity surrounds us here in New Orleans.”

Volunteerism with a Twist

NOLA TimeBank also offers membership to community organizations.

Volunteers at Freret Neighborhood Center or Keller Library Community Center can “bank” volunteer hours for future service requests. NOLA TimeBank also provides volunteer opportunities for NPN members to earn hours toward their NPN membership commitment.

The NOLA TimeBank welcomes new members. Folks interested in joining can do so on-line at www.NOLATimeBank.org and should attend an upcoming workshop. Workshops are at the Freret Neighborhood Center (4605 Freret St.) on Friday, December 6, from Noon - 1:30 p.m. and Saturday, January 11, 2014 from 10 a.m. - Noon. There will also be workshops at the Keller Library Community Center (4300 S. Broad St.) on Monday, November 18, and Monday, December 16, from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. These workshops are open to all New Orleans residents - new members, potential members and existing NOLA TimeBank members. Get more information at www.NOLATimeBank.org or by calling (504) 439-4530.

NOLA TimeBank’s mission is to increase the social capital among diverse groups of individuals and neighborhoods in Orleans Parish by promoting resource exchange, cooperation, community-building, and access to alternative work and learning opportunities.

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THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

Upcoming NOLA TimeBank Events TimeBanking Intro & Orientation Mon. Nov. 18th, 5:30 - 7:30 pm Rosa F. Keller Library Community Center at 4300 Broad

Ti N m ol eb a an k

Check out this event if you’re interested in a general overview of how the NOLA TimeBank works to match up community assets and community needs. Current members, prospective members and the general public are welcome. There will also be a hands-on demonstration of the NOLA TimeBank software platform. There is no fee for this event and participation in NOLA TimeBank is free of charge.

TimeBanking Intro & Orientation Fri. Dec. 6th, Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Freret Neighborhood Center at 4605 Freret

Learn about the NOLA TimeBank, meet fellow TimeBankers and enjoy a healthy lunch. Get coaching on how to sign up or use the NOLA TimeBank website. If you have not updated your postings in a while, this is the event for you. Bring your own laptop or use one from the co-op. There is no fee for this event, and participation in NOLA TimeBank is free of charge.

FIX MIX Mon. Dec. 9th, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Rosa F. Keller Library Community Center at 4300 Broad

At FIX MIX, we share our skills and repair stuff that might otherwise be discarded. We mend clothes, re-wire lamps, re-glue shoes, stitch up backpacks and research and repair all sorts of items. Tools and assistance are provided. Participants are invited to bring broken items in from home. There is no fee for this event and participation in NOLA TimeBank is free of charge.

For more information, visit www.nolatimebank.org email community@nolatimebank.org or call 504-439-4530

TimeBanking Intro & Orientation Mon. Dec. 16th, 5:30 - 7:30 pm Rosa F. Keller Library Community Center at 4300 Broad

Check out this event if you’re interested in a general overview of the NOLA TimeBank, or if you’d like a web site orientation. Current members, prospective members and the general public are welcome. There is no fee for this event and participation in NOLA TimeBank is free of charge.

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 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

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THE TRUMPET | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER | 2013

l l e n r e K m o r f s t h g u o th s d l o n y e R ” l l e n r e k u “Tr

CeCe Gets

I enjoyed this interview with Kernell “Trukernell” Reynolds . This guy thinks deep, loves hard and appreciates the love that he gets. He was once afraid of change and success, but now he understands succeeding isn’t optional.

In this interview, he evens talk about controversial rapper Corey “C-Murder” Miller. As you read this, laugh a little, but understand this is a guy that has brought the design of culture and snap back LA18 hats to another level.

1. What do you do ?

I am a designer. I design shirts and snap backs. I am also into filmography. I also sew and paint for a hobby.

2. How did you get on the scene?

The first thing was designing the “TRU” records logo. It started from there. My vision was to be “the” screen printer for celebrities.

By being around artists, I became very versatile in the entertainment industry.

3. Where are you from?

I am from the Uptown. I was raised in the Calliope Housing Development.

4. As a child what did you want to be?

I wanted to be a shoe designer for Nike. I was in fact presented with the opportunity, but fear of pursuing and committing did not allow me to accept the offer.

5. What is your relation to No Limit Record company?

Master P’s brother C-Murder is. I worked on his record label TRU Records. I met C-Murder through a mutual friend of ours.

6. How do you personally feel about C-Murder’s present situation?

I think it is wrong. I think the judgment in this case was apart of the “Making Harry Lee Happy Movement”. I don’t feel he got a fair trail because of his background, who is brother was and because of the “Harry Lee” system.

7. What is your brand?

LA18 8. Where did the name LA18 come from?

I was starting a hat company a few years ago called “Nu Fitted”. Someone inboxed me on Facebook that they wanted to start a hat company as well. We met. We discussed it.

I study time. I study eras. We tried to find the right name. We brainstormed. We Googled.

We wanted to include Louisiana, so we researched Louisiana. Louisiana was inducted as the 18th state. So from there we came up with LA18.

9. How did you get into filmography?

My cousin Ivan edits videos. It sparked my interest, so I invested in cameras and started practicing. I started recording different things.

10 . You were the producer and director

of “C-Murder: The Movement.”

Where did the concept come from?

I wanted to show C-Murder’s everyday life. He was on house arrest at the time and couldn’t move around too much. I wanted to show his feelings as a human being and his talent as an artist. I wanted the public to see him in my eyes versus the animal the media tried to portray him to be. Yes, we all make mistakes, but we shouldn’t have to be continually judges for our past when we are trying to be productive citizens. I also did a documentary called “The TRU Story” narrated by B.G. of Chopper City records (former Hot Boy of Cash Money Records). This documentary shed light on the murder case that he is now incarcerated for. It shows him going to court and the emotions that were brought out due to it.

11. How is that you were able to get Fantasia (American Idol winner/ Grammy winner) to support your “LA18” movement ?

We share a mutual friend by the name of Keon Foley. Keon has been a supporter of my vision, and I appreciate her so much for that.

I put my all into what I am now doing. Keon introduced Fantasia to LA18 gear. Fantasia embraced the shirt, then the hat, then our customized phone cases and then on US. It was history from there. Celebrities embracing my brand keeps me humble. The feeling is crucial meaning overwhelming and proud, but it’s a blessing. Blessings keep you humble.

12. How is being in a personal relationship with your now partner Renata Johnson?

I am a firm believer that you don’t mix business with personal. I always respected her strong, business-woman mindset. She had and has a lot of potential. She was always attractive and a sweet lady. I said that I wanted my next relationship to just happen. We were required to spend a lot of time together. We became closer, and it just happened. Renata made me want to be different. I became open and learned how to express myself and my feelings. This was something that I lacked.

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

13. How do you feel LA18 will impact our state and city in a positive way?

The meaning itself sheds light on us a state, as one. It unifies. We are the 18th state. It also explains some history to our youth as well.

14. What was the hardest trial you

ever faced?

Not being able to see my son. My child was involved in a “parents brawl” between his mother and I. That was the hardest thing ever.

I didn’t want to work. I lost all motivation.

That was the first time anything ever affected me. Things worked out . Now my son sees us parents in a positive manner. But that also came with growth.

15. What do you feel has been your biggest achievement?

I haven’t reached it yet. It isn’t about celebrities buying and wearing my brand.

My goal is for everyone in the state of Louisiana to wear a LA18 hat. (chuckling) 16. How do you stay so positive?

You have to. I don’t dwell on problems.

I come up with solutions. Vibes are important to me. If I get a bad vibe about anything,

I don’t participate in it. I don’t associate with negative people nor do I entertain it.

17. Tell our readers something

about yourself?

I value myself. I know what I am bringing to the table. I have my own hustle. Frosted Flakes is our favorite. Last but least that “I am for ReRe”...(smiling) 18. What is your biggest goal thus far?

To dream with my eyes open.

19. What is your next step ?

Whatever life brings. I want to embrace all opportunities. I want people to anticipate my next move, so just watch. (smiling) 20. Where do you see yourself

in five years ?

I see myself yelling at Renata “ NO MORE PUPPIES IN THE YARD.” Teaching our kids values and how important accomplishments are. Also enjoying the success of myself, Renata and our whole team.

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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

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

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

THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2013

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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