NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Saturday joined more than 150 residents, visitors, City leaders and businesses for a clean-up project at Hardin Park in the 7th Ward. The effort was part of the Mayor's CleanUpNOLA initiative.
"Cleaning up New Orleans takes the City, neighborhoods and community partners working together so that we get real results and provide momentum for more efforts such as these. I was excited to hear how the neighbors asked how they could continue to stay involved. We don't want this to be a one-off. We know the work never stops and we want our people to stay engaged," said Mayor Cantrell.
Led by the New Orleans Neighborhood Engagement Office and its partner organization, HandsOn New Orleans, volunteers were able to remove hundreds of pounds of large construction debris, collect numerous bags of trash, clear multiple abandoned lots, and repaint and refurbish areas of the Hardin playground, all while interacting with dozens of residents along the walking routes.
“I’ve been praying for days like this in our community for seven years. I thank Mayor Cantrell for bringing the community together for an amazing day of service, compassion, and fellowship," said Johnathan Everett, Pastor, Rock of Ages Baptist Church.
“Unity and service are a part of the backbone of what keeps our neighborhood strong," said Mona Lisa Saloy, President, 7th Ward Neighborhood Association. "Thank you, Mayor Cantrell, for your commitment to revitalizing neighborhoods and investing time to meet residents where they are."
“We greatly appreciate all the City departments, leaders, residents and organizers that contributed to the success of this initiative and worked tirelessly to help make the community shine," said Kyle Shelly, Director of Strategic Engagement for the Neighborhood Engagement Office. "We will continue to provide opportunities for all New Orleanians to come together, give back and make our community brighter and better than before."
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