Community Impact

By harnessing the wealth of resources, skills and compassion in the community, one nonprofit is helping New Orleans students stay on track for success.

Representing a sector with some 19,000 organizations across the state, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations is helping them tell their stories and use their resources most effectively.

On the water, commercial fishermen are accustomed to being self sufficient and independent. But the nonprofit Coastal Communities Consulting helps build the sustainability of these businesses dockside, in the world of loans, taxes, tuition and ever-changing seafood prices.

How one nonprofit helps early- and mid-career educators build professional leadership skills that go beyond classroom instruction.

With its annual Water Challenge, the Idea Village is trying to turn one of the region's most pressing issues into an economic engine. 

In 2009, St. Bernard Parish resident Elizabeth Richardson was the victim of extreme violence. She feels blessed to be alive, though she still grieves for her daughter, India Mahoney, who did not survive.

“He came in at 5:30 in the morning and he shot me in the face three times and my 18-year-old daughter was killed that morning, point blank,” Richardson says. “And then this man left the house and locked the door and ran off like nothing happened.”

Giselle Nakhid leads a community dance class early one evening at the Ashé Cultural Arts Center in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. The class is called Sistas Making a Change, and as the name suggests, the ladies who participate in this free, weekly gathering get more than a few dance moves. They hear from experts on health topics, they share a healthy meal and they bask in a sense of togetherness.

Franco's Fitness is celebrating the New Year with an exciting event that will challenge even the most athletically-inclined. Jollaine Schear talks with the organizers and participants of the event about what they have in store.

"Place-based initiatives" is a big buzz phrase in philanthropy circles these days. It means taking a comprehensive approach to improving a neighborhood, considering how factors like jobs, education, transportation and housing all interact in a specific place. But even if you've never heard that term before, if you live in the New Orleans area, chances are you already know what it means.