Lowernine.org
New Orleans, Louisiana / $9,000
Lowernine.org is dedicated to the long-term recovery and sustainable revitalization of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. We repair houses that have been destroyed and damaged by natural disasters or manmade disasters. Our client homeowners are 100% low-income, Black, 60+ years of age, and unable to repair their homes due to multiple barriers, including lack of access to financial and other resources due to long-standing discriminatory practices, insurance fraud, and lack of capacity to navigate the process. In its 17 years of operation, lowernine.org has completed 94 house rebuilds and 315+ houses repaired.
Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast (PPGC)
New Orleans, Louisiana / $20,000
The state of Louisiana ranks extremely high among all states in the U.S. in unintended pregnancies. In particular, Louisiana teen birth rates remain high, ranking fifth highest in the country, despite a national teen pregnancy rate that decreased over the past several years. PPGC continues to build a powerful movement working for strong, healthy communities in Louisiana and promotes a culture that normalized access to a range of reproductive health services and evidence-based education. The continuing goal is to deliver education sessions that increase participants’ knowledge of sexual health, healthy relationships, and available health services.
St. John Lutheran School
New Orleans, Louisiana / $2,700
St. John Lutheran School was founded in 1852. The student body at St. John is 99% African American, and 75% attend on financial scholarship assistance. The St. John “Frost Forward Program” will provide educational opportunities to further develop students’ literacy, critical thinking skills, and problem-solving through the addition of after-school reading programs; tutoring; field trips to educational sites engaging in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) lab off-campus programs. All off-campus activities will utilize private safe transport, which is the biggest inhibitor to broader educational opportunities for S. John elementary students.
Market Umbrella (MU)
New Orleans, Louisiana / $7,000
New Orleans faces significant challenges related to food insecurity, poverty and maternal and child health. About 15% of the city’s residents are food insecure, and many live in food deserts with limited access to affordable, nutritious food. MU addresses these issues comprehensively through year-round farmers markets, nutrition education, and targeted programs like Market Mommas Club - offering monthly meet-ups at the market, allowing participants to connect and engage in healthy food education activities. This well-established process ensures that mothers not only receive nutritional incentives, but also the community support they need to make lasting health improvements.
Renesting Project, Inc.
Bossier City, Louisiana / $17,500
Renesting Project was founded in the fall of 2009, and in 2024, we celebrated our 15th anniversary. Our mission is to gather and distribute gently used furniture and household items for those in need in NW Louisiana. We serve the clients of 60 agencies whose clients are in dwellings without items needed to function with dignity. We turn their house into a home. In 2025, we aim to go on 240 donation pick-ups, 5 pick-ups a week, for 48 weeks, and inventory at least 2,500 pieces of furniture, serving an average of 16 families per month.
Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana (VOASELA)
New Orleans, Louisiana / $10,000
Partners for Family Health reported in 2022 that the maternal mortality rate for Black women in Louisiana was over double that of white women, with accidental overdose being the number one cause of death. The acute need for accessible, quality, and culturally responsive care is critically clear for Black women. VOASELA is working to create equity by filling a critical gap in the New Orleans area health safety net. The mid-term goal is to open a substance abuse treatment center for mothers and their children by Summer 2025, serving up to 120 families annually.