The IGEC Adopt A City Initiative – New Orleans the Lower 9th Ward Village

The great people of New Orleans have endured so much. The children of New Orleans cannot erase the memories of Katrina until they do not see the remnants of it any longer. The only way for healing to begin is for revitalization and redevelopment to begin in earnest. It has been way too long for massive recovery to begin in the Lower 9th Ward of Louisiana.

The time to act is now! The International Green Energy Council is confident that the Lower 9th Ward Village Community Center can and will become the heartbeat of revitalization of the Lower 9th Ward. It will become a place of healing for the children of the Lower 9th Ward. This center will become a hub of activity for the revitalization of the Lower 9th Ward. Children will come to learn about art, music, technology, alternative energy and how to cook. New Orleans style! Our vision is that it will become a community outreach center providing resources to the people of the Lower 9. A place where they can find the answers and the means to rebuild their homes and their community.

It is easy to forget about the destruction when you don’t deal with it every day or see the pictures on the news. New Orleans is America! Part of the greatest country on the Planet. We need to help our fellow Americans regain their dignity, their pride in being American. We need to help New Orleans regain a basic staple need of humanity….SHELTER.

The IGEC is currently working with many corporations for donations to rebuild the Lower 9th Ward Village Community Center sustainably . We have many donations of money, time and materials to rebuild this Center powered by Solar, heated by Geothermal as well as energy efficient.

We are seeking to attain the following objectives:

I know that this is a tall order of requests however, our greatest natural resource is our youth and we must not let them continue to be reminded of the despair and destruction that Katrina brought to their lives.

New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, a culturally vibrant and historic neighborhood, was devastated in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. As the neighborhood hardest hit by the storm and the subsequent flooding of the city, the Lower 9th Ward saw thousands of residents displaced and homes destroyed. Over two years later, residents are slowly returning to rebuild their neighborhood. But the Lower 9th Ward desperately needs services to rebuild and sustain the community.

The Lower 9th Ward Village will help fill this void by providing a range of services, from literacy, job training and apprenticeship programs to recreational facilities and community meeting space. The Lower 9th Ward Village is a tax-exempt not-for-profit community center that will serve the residents of the Lower 9th Ward as they rebuild their lives and their community. The main purpose for the Lower 9th Ward Village is to serve as a focal point for residents returning to the neighborhood by offering a number of services in one centralized location, thereby contributing to community revitalization.

The community center will be housed in a former sugar cane research facility. Currently, the volunteers are dedicated to renovating the building into a functioning community center space that will embrace all aspects of the burgeoning Lower Ninth Ward community. Work on the building includes gutting of the structure, replacement of broken windows, and cleanup of the property.

They are currently in the process of engaging an architect for the design and construction phases of the project. The community center will house a basketball/volleyball court; commercial kitchen; computer workshop; music workshop; art studio; and meeting areas.

After completion of the construction phase, the facility will provide a wide variety of services; everything from job training programs such as kitchen management and food prep, mentoring programs for youth, computer training classes; meeting space available for all community groups; and meals for the homeless and elderly.

The Community center services will include a community kitchen, adult literacy programs, computer programs, vocational training programs, youth sports programs, music and art classes, and an information center for New Orleans’ residents returning home. These services will be developed and provided by the Village in response to community needs. The Lower 9th Ward Village will seek to receive support from the city government, charitable organizations and corporate sponsorships to cover the construction and operating costs.

Our client base is low-to-moderate income residents of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana, mainly families, who need help to get back home to New Orleans and resources to be self-sufficient here in the city.

Currently there is no organization or place that serves as a hub to bring all of these services together in the Lower 9th Ward. The Village will be an important resource to the city of New Orleans because we can respond quickly and effectively in addressing the most pressing needs of the residents of the community.

We believe that their services will improve the ability of families to return to their homes in New Orleans, reduce neighborhood crime, and help families achieve goals of self-sufficiency. Our services are an investment in the renewal of a devastated community and city.