May 9, 2021 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Chris Blum

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Since 2009. I was able to find a job and re-locate here even-though I spent plenty of time here, especially while attending the University of New Orleans.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I wanted to feel part of the community and learn how civic engagement and how city government works and engages their citizens. I started volunteering where our neighborhood organization needed most, community engagement and events. I loved our former annual Porch Crawl event and volunteered multiple years after being an attendee for a few years. 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

The proximity to essential businesses and services. I can find times where I don't need to leave the neighborhood for most all of my essentials. It saves me time and energy better spent either with family and friends or volunteering. It makes me feel like we have a really thriving and healthy community when most of out businesses are serving the residents in that neighborhood more so than our seasonal happenings or large events.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We had to re-think our large event that is usually held around Halloween due to distancing requirements and event permitting. We were able to facilitate a Halloween house tour map and decorating competition rewarded with gift certificates to benefit our struggling local bars and restaurants, that saw over 35 homes and businesses participate for the betterment of the community in general and to bring neighbors together. It was a great thing to build community in the neighborhood and attract other more distant neighbors to participate in voting and touring the decorations. I like to think we may have influenced the planners of the wildly popular Krewe of House Floats. 

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW  IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? 

We are trying to figure out how to meet in person again and engage with the community in person. I realize so many residents have lost with mostly our remote meetings and digital information distribution and looking for ways to re-engage and continue to recover as a community. 

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Communicate with other neighborhoods! We all have a deep identification to our neighborhoods, but we share many if not all of the same struggles and benefits of living in this historic city. We are better together than divided and we are best served when we communicate and share information and strategies for success and change needed. 

April 13, 2021 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Dawn Hebert

 

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

I have lived in my the Lake Willow Neighborhood for 24 Years.

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

After Katrina, my employer returned operations in the city in March. At that time I moved into the second floor of my home and started the renovation process.  I immediately realized that community involvement was necessary for the protection of our neighborhoods. Within a few months, I made contact with my neighbors and started holding meetings to share information and discuss the return of the Lake Willow Neighborhood. During this time I met other community advocates and the rest is history!

What do you love about your neighborhood?

The Lake Willow Neighborhood has a park, with huge oak trees and is surrounded by a beautiful lake. 

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

Successes include holding Night Against Crime events, being able to share information via email with neighborhoods, and addressing problem issues with bordering neighborhoods.

What are you working on right now  in your neighborhood? 

Presently, I am working on scheduling a Zoom meeting with neighbors to hold a vote for Board Members. But presently I am working on stopping the school busses from taking a short cut through my neighborhood!! As the newly elected President of the East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission, I am and have  been working to improve the perception of New Orleans East and look forward to partnering with other organizations to achieve that goal.

Any words of advice for other neighborhood leaders and change makers?

My advice is to stay persistent in achieving your and your community goals. Also, stay on top of any developments in your districts.  Being a community leader is all consuming at times, so take a break and regroup, include other community members for assistance and provide them the contacts/information they need. We can’t achieve our community goals alone, but with invested community members and shared communication, it can happen.

March 4, 2021 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Pastor Jonathan Everett

 

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

8 years.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

For me, it was seeing the importance of our church being located in the 7^th Ward community. We felt it was our need to make sure our community didn’t have any food disparities. We also wanted to make sure we were actively addressing the social disparities and any other community needs. We felt we were compelled to be a strong pillar in the neighborhood.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I love the history, unity, diversity, resilience, and moral standings of the community.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We have fed thousands of residents hot meals, became an incubator for after school programs. We have distributed thousands of dollars worth of gas cards via community giveaways and developed rental programs to financially support those in need. We have also partnered with the 7^th Ward Neighborhood Assocation to do back-to-school giveaways. We were able to open our church to house AA programs.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We are working on grocery giveaways and COVID-19 vaccinations. We aim to provide those two resources for 500 citizens of New Orleans every week.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

To quote James Baldwin, “Nothing everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Not until we face what is happening in our community can we make any real change.

February 9, 2021 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Allen Johnson

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

8 years.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

My neighbor invited me to go to a meeting after some car burglaries on our street, and I’ve been involved ever since. 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

How easy it is to walk to wherever you want to be.     

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Successfully preserving our historic architecture and defeating the RiverFront Overlay.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

STR enforcement and making sure we are able to curtail overtourism in the Marigny

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Talk to other neighborhood leaders. You can learn a lot from each other, and benefit from each other’s experiences.

January 12, 2021 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Rev. Dr. Kenneth E. Thompson

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Ten-plus years in one location, four years in another location.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I became involved in neighborhood work through Joe Givens in All Congregations Together. I eventually worked as Vice-Chair of the organization. This organization identified the two major problems in the city as crime and blight. I also served briefly on the board of the Metropolitan Crime Commission through my affiliation of the Greater New Orleans Federation of Churches.

I became involved with the Hoffman Triangle Neighborhood Association through Rosalind Washington, Rosalind Peychaud, Kim Washington, and Brigida Reid. I eventually became President of the organization and served several years until recently.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I love the spirituality of the neighborhood. Churches and church activities are abundant in the Triangle. This has to have a beneficial effect on the neighborhood. It no doubt helps with the resiliency of the residents.      

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Prior to my work with Hoffman Triangle, I worked with the Greater New Orleans Federation of Churches to distribute $55,000 in non-perishable food (funded through FEMA) in the neighborhood.

HTNA sponsored a Candidate’s Forum that was well-attended.

HTNA worked with several organizations (Urban Conservancy, Umbrella, SOUL) to plant 86 trees in the HTNA area.

HTNA sponsored several Expos/Health Fairs in Taylor Park.

HTNA sponsored a food/masks distribution on the Pleasant Zion B.C. property.

HTNA continues to serve as a liaison to NOPD, Rosenwald Center, Taylor Park, District B, Propeller, Odyssey House, the Office of Neighborhood Engagement, Hotel Hope, and Umbrella.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

The current president, Rev. Chuck Morse, is working on planting additional trees, responses to the COVIT 19 situation, and the traditional HTNA liaison work.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

I would only advise other leaders to do what they probably are already doing. That is, to strain, struggle, and strive to collaborate with other leaders to do together what we cannot do alone.

December 8, 2020 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Tim Garrett

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I moved to Marlyville in 1993, exactly 160 years after its namesake Pierre Marly, a free man of color, acquired this part of town, and 120 years since my great granduncle, Bernard Fellman, began developing it. Our neighborhood has such an interesting history, if you care to read more about it online at bitly.com/hist-marl-font.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Having served as a block captain since the 1980s, I naturally gravitated to all the neighborhood association meetings here. The problem was that every street had its own group, plus three different patrol services! My long-term goal was to unify all of them under one umbrella, so all residents could have an equal voice. That took me over 20 years to accomplish.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I love that Marlyville is so uniquely self-reliant. New Orleans comprises between 73 and 320 (depending whom you ask) neighborhood entities, often overlapping, each with its own peculiar purpose, personality and charm. But right there in the middle of everything sits Marlyville, quietly minding our own business and getting things done.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

After Katrina reset the clock, our residents quickly pulled together to restore normalcy, with an eye toward staying visible on City Hall's radar. Our greatest success, perhaps, was to finally embrace the historic "Marlyville" brand. This has given us a sense of identity, place and purpose which did not exist pre-storm. Everyone knows about Marlyville now, from Realtors and newsies to the mayor herself.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

After many delays, the first of seven major roadway projects is finally underway here in Marlyville-Fontainebleau. The hope – aside from making sure everything goes smoothly for our residents over the next two years – is to coordinate other much-needed improvements: creating park space, restoring buried sidewalks, reopening abandoned passageways, planting new trees, improving signage, expanding bicycle access and so forth.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

My mantra is, "Eliminate gatekeepers!" Those advocating at the neighborhood level should aspire to connect residents directly with city services. Don't tolerate information silos established by the old guard. Seek instead to identify fellow change-makers, empower them with the proper tools – such as NOLA311, the Neighborhood Engagement Office, and free classes like Civic Leadership Academy – so they can help you pave the way for good things to happen.

November 10, 2020 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Ed Blouin

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I brought my house on Brittany Court, in 1979, from my best friend and knew my neighbors from me visiting him.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

After Katrina, I attended a lot of Master Plan meetings.  At one of those meeting, I met Marie McCoy.  She and I revitalized the Village de L'Est Improvement Association, she as president and I as the vice.  Soon afterward, Marie passed away and I became the president since that time until now except for two years.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

What I love about my community are the fine people that I can truly called my friends.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

My successes has been the ability to facilitate the improvement meetings, that help kept my community vibrant.  We have had guest speakers from every office and department in the City.  My community appreciate being informed.  And as the president, my attendance at meetings for the community intertest, enable their concerns and needs to be addressed, be it at a CPC meeting or in front of the City Council.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

As our community president, I have availed myself to join other groups in the East for the betterment of the whole East community.  For support for my community, I unite us with ENONAC and ask help from the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Engagement whenever the need arrives.  I am presently involved with the men's group, the Community Legion, helping in the formation of Dad's Clubs in our elementary schools, bring our males into our young students lives and along with the Voters East of the Industrial Canal, working to increase the East voters participation.  My recent involvement is being a member of the Six Flags committee, under the New Orleans East Matters Coalition.  We are seeking a developer to bring that blight to life. 

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

My only advice is the thing that keeping me going,  know that servicing others is serving God.

October 12, 2020 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Renee Cambrice

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I have lived in Liberty Terrace since May of 2020, but I grew up in Carollton, near Xavier University.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I got involved in my neighborhood after canvassing the area during an election. I quickly realized the lack of local representation and the lack of knowledge from the residents.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I love the friendliness of the neighbors! Everyone makes sure to keep each other informed on what's going on in the area. 

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We've been able to keep the neighborhood clean! This includes clearing debris from catch basins, keeping trash off the streets, and preventing illegal dumping - a big issue several years ago. We also now have crime cameras in the neighborhood, and since they have gone up, crime has gone down. 

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We recently were able to have a few overgrown lots in the area cut by the City. This has helped us reduce the amount of debris in the area and has also reduced the amount of wildlife in the neighborhood. 

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Stay in contact with neighbors, and keep them informed on what's going on in the city. Be accesible and transparent. Check on your older neighbors, and make sure they are okay. They may need you to make a run to the grocery store. 

September 7, 2020 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Greg Ravy

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I have been a proud resident of Algiers for over 35 years.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I saw very important issues that needed to be addressed immediately as it relates to the lack of youth opportunities, community activities, after school educational programs and much more.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We are a tight knit community that works together and have each other's back.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I have successfully started one of the only non profit organizations (Heroes of New Orleans) that works directly with the community, engaging in community police relationships, professional development for youth as well as paid; on the job experience training for youth workers.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

In light of the protesting happening around the country and police brutality, we are taking a first step to bridging the gap. Currently we're working on forming a Heroes of New Orleans Youth and Families police officer First Encounter Engagement Program. This program will work to increase relationship building opportunities with police officers and community members while decreasing the rate of crime, juvenile detention population and truancy. Each participant who completes the First Encounter Engagement Program will leave with a certified membership card. The membership card provides the youth with a mentor contact for the NOPD and Heroes of New Orleans which can aid as a resource during a time of need.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Now is the time to come together and work as one community by sharing resources, opportunities, facilities & anything we have that our community can benefit from.

 

 

August 10, 2020 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Debby Pigman

 

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I have lived in Faubourg Delachaise for about 18 years. I grew up in New Orleans, left for college, grad school, Peace Corps, teaching in the US and Africa before returning home to New Orleans to be close to family and teach at McGehee School.

 

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

When we moved in we inquired about a neighborhood group and immediately joined the Faubourg Delachaise Neighborhood Association. There we met more neighbors and found out about issues in the neighborhood. At meetings, we always had some speakers: council people, Neighborhood Engagement representatives, police, and business owners. Around election time, we often had candidates for office.

 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Faubourg Delachaise is a very walkable neighborhood and close to the action on Magazine with shops, restaurants, drug stores, a grocery, coffee shop, snowball stands, and bars. There is a diverse community which reflects our city: newcomers and long term residents; retirees, college students, and working people; a mix of black and white residents. NORD’s Lyons Center (when open) offered activities in the gyms, dance studio, meeting rooms, and fields. Also, there is good access to downtown, Audubon Park, as well as Bayou St. John and the lake.

 

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

FDNA has been active in issues involving land use. The owner of CAVAN (restaurant on Magazine) came to several of our meetings to get feedback on their plans before they opened. The city process on some changes to buildings and zoning require neighborhood input; we have actively followed these issues and have had an impact when we felt that the change would be detrimental to the neighborhood.

 

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? 

Since we are not meeting in person, I am forwarding important information from the city and other sources to our email list. We may have a ZOOM meeting for our next quarterly meeting. Additionally, we are keeping up with the District B Office and the Office of Neighborhood Engagement.

 

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Get to know your neighborhood association as well as the adjacent neighborhood associations and the important players and businesses. Walking your neighborhood is invaluable in addition to being good exercise. Also, build a relationship with the councilperson for your district and the staffers in his/her office. They can be quite helpful when issues arise. The Office of Neighborhood Engagement is also a good resource. Importantly, assume people will be reasonable until proved otherwise.