Plan a quick summer getaway to 111 pristine acres of unique habitat 80 miles north fo New Orleans at All You Need Institute!

The Green Project is a nonprofit organization that recognized that New Orleans needed an alternative to dumping paint and polluting regional waterways. With equity in mind, the founding members sought to recycle usable paint and resell it back into the community at an affordable price. The idea expanded to building materials and the salvage store was born.

This pride month, give back to the New Orleans community by learning and donating to House of Tulip, a local TGNC housing initiative started by Black and Trans individuals that aims to keep housing affordable in New Orleans while also providing LGBT+ and GNC individuals with economic opportunities and much more.

This installment of the New Economy Blog Series explores the economic myths that hinder the formation of an impact development framework.

Amidst the pandemic, the affordable housing crisis has become an increasingly tough issue in New Orleans. It is not news that the city’s housing market does not have enough quality, affordable housing units for its residents. Historically, rent has increased while wages have remained stagnant. The recommended portion of income to be spent on rent is 30% or less but about a third of New Orleans renters spend 50% or more of their income on housing costs. The issue has only gotten worse as people lost out on work and business during the pandemic and fell behind on rent.

On June 10th, 2021, Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law that formally recognized Junetheenth as a state holiday in Louisiana. It passed unanimously in the House and Senate, which speaks volumes about the understanding of Juneteenth’s importance in history. However, the work does not end here. Much more should be done to take steps to dismantle the systemic racism in Louisiana as well as the rest of America. LifeCity would like to highlight two valuable organizations that work to do as such:

Reducing food waste and donating food is an important part of our community's well being. Emergency food assistance is of utmost importance in the state of Louisiana when one considers high unemployment rates and low-wage jobs that may make accessible food difficult. In fact, 1 in 5 households in Louisiana are at risk of hunger. We compiled two options for food donations and leftover food to help you give back to New Orleans!

Schmellys is making plans to scale our compost collection operations back up to pre-COVID levels. We will be on-boarding new clients in mid August. Interested businesses can fill out an inquiry form here.

Originally started in a backyard, Glass Half Full is the nation’s first grassroots glass recycling facility and has expanded to a location in Joliet St and then relocated to a large processing facility in New Orleans East. The recycling facility has experienced a large amount of success and support, and they even received a Love Your City Award in our 2021 ceremony under the resource management category.

In general, cities are equitable when all residents – regardless of their race, ethnicity, income, and neighborhood – can fully participate in the city’s economy, contribute to the city’s future, and connect to the city’s assets and resources. In New Orleans, equity means access, education, community development, inclusion, resources, funding, criminal justice, and much more.

Nowadays, most employee wellness programs consist of gym memberships, rec rooms, and catered meals. Such benefits are valuable, but within a wellness program should be room for mental health. Studies of a diverse group of occupations have found a number of job stressors associated with depression, yet there is a lack of intervention in the workplace to combat it.