Skip directly to Content.

Note: You are seeing a plain version of this site because you're using an outdated web browser, a PDA or cell phone, or a screen reader. If you're using an older web browser like Netscape 4, we urge you to upgrade to a modern browser that supports web standards. Upgrading is easy and free, and you'll be able to enjoy a wider variety of online content. Find out more.

Photos from Trip

Devastation in the Lakeview neighborhood in December (3 months after Katrina) View photos.

Map of Locations Visited

Snapshot of Louisiana’s Children

Prior to Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, families and children in Louisiana faced tremendous challenges

  • In 2004, 28% of Louisiana’s children lived in poverty (ranking it 49 th out of all states in per capita child poverty rates)
  • Nearly 320,000 children in Louisiana were at risk of hunger before Katrina hit
  • Louisiana ranks 48 h among states in infant mortality rates per capita
  • In 2004, only 12% of eligible children were receiving the summer meals they were entitled.

How You Can Take Action

Hinges of Hope works to create understanding and action, educates participants about solutions, and deepens participants' engagement with Share Our Strength and the communities we visit.

Relief and Recovery for Families After Hurricane Katrina

This trip focused on exploring the organizations, systems and leaders that are leading the relief and recovery efforts in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Hinges of Hope – Louisiana

DAY ONE – Tuesday, December 6th

  1. Tour devastated areas of Lakeview, New Orleans East, St. Bernard Parish and Lower 9th Ward: David Meeks, City Editor of the Times-Picayune, Clancy Dubos, Editor of Gamit Weekly, and John Barry, Author of Rising Tide in addition to other New Orleanians shared their stories along the way.
  2. Tour St. Bernard Unified School: In recent weeks, a surprising number of families have started to return to reclaim and rebuild their lives, and they were heartened to find the former area Chalmette High School reopened under the name St. Bernard Unified School, welcoming students ranging from elementary to high school and serving as a source of stability for the St. Bernard community. Enrollment is now at 550 students with more than 700 of St. Bernard’s regular 8,800 students having registered for the classes being held in the second-floor of Chalmette High and in trailer classrooms in the football stadium parking lot. They expect to have over 1,000 students by January.
  3. Lunch at St. Augustine Church: Lunch with Father Jerome LeDoux, Toby Ives, acting director of Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans, Jenny Rodgers, Development Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans, and Le’Kedra Robertson, Community Organizer of Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans in addition to members of the community at St. Augustine Church in the historic Treme neighborhood, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. Following Hurricane Katrina, the church is serving as a community gathering place and a hub for distributing donated goods and other services to the residents of Treme who have remained in the city without access to food or other supplies.
  4. Meet with Dr. Tony Recasner at the Samuel J Green School: Tony is the Director of the New Orleans Charter Middle School and a member of the Mayor’s Commission to Bring New Orleans Back Education Committee. The New Orleans Charter Middle and Samuel J. Green Charter Schools will reopen as a combined school on January 3 rd at the Green Charter Campus. Learn from Tony about challenges and opportunities associated with education in New Orleans and have an opportunity to ask whatever questions we might have.
  5. Visit Ashe Cultural Center: Meet with members of community and hear from leaders such as Carol Bebelle, Director of ASHE Cultural Center and Kathy Laborde, Co-Chair of the Housing Sub-Committee of the Mayor’s Commission to Bring Back New Orleans. The Ashe Cultural Center combines community development and economic development with the creative forces of culture and art to revive and reclaim a historically significant corridor of New Orleans' Central City community .
  6. Dinner and discussion at HerbSaint Restaurant: Join New Orleans community leaders including Louisiana State Senator Walter Boasso.

DAY TWO - Wednesday, December 7

  1. Meet with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation: The conversation will focus understanding the short and long-term plans for relief and recovery efforts for Louisiana. (see sidebar for details)
  2. Visit Scotlandville Middle School: A former Baton Rouge middle school reopened to accommodate some of the thousands of New Orleans school students who have relocated to Baton Rouge. 100% of the students at the newly created Scotlandville k-8 school and 95% of the faculty are displaced residents of New Orleans.
  3. Meeting with Advisory Council and tour FEMA's Renaissance Village in Baton Rouge: The 1,640 residents living in the largest temporary village in FEMA’s history were primarily residents of New Orleans’ deeply impoverished 9 th Ward. In the days following Hurricane Katrina, these individuals and families including approximately 200 elderly and 160 children under two, were sent to area shelters, including the American Red Cross shelter at Baton Rouge’s downtown convention center and several area faith based shelters. After weeks in shelters, the residents were introduced to their new trailer homes in Renaissance Village.