How can you help the city during the incredible upcoming New Orleans Superbowl?  Watch the video below which discusses how the city is getting ready and how you can help.

Emeril Lagasse Foundation

November 3
Carnivale Du Vin
Emeril Lagasse Foundation's annual gala has many special VIPs in attendance including Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali. The Krewe du Vin Dinner served is a five-course dinner, complete with wine
pairings, from Mario Batali, Chiarello Family Vineyards and Arista Winery. The evening will be begin at 6 p.m. at Bacchus Reception, follow by the Krewe du Vin Dinner at 7 p.m. The live auction during the gala includes rare wines and unique travel and lifestyle experiences. The night will conclude with Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s celebration of 50 years featuring Cassandra Wilson and Trombone Shorty.
La Nouvelle Ballroom, New Orleans Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd. Tickets: $1,000 and up. Contact: CarnivaleDuVin.com

(by Margarita Bergen)

St. Paul's homecoming to help victims of storms

St. Paul’s Homecoming Center is asking the Community to

“Give $100 of Hope to a Braithwaite, LA or New Jersey Family” this Thanksgiving

NEW ORLEANS (October 30, 2012)  –  St. Paul’s Homecoming Center (SPHC), a non-profit organization established post-Katrina to help New Orleans residents return and rebuild their lives,  is  seeking to help the hundreds of Braithwaite residents whose lives continue to be impacted by Hurricane Isaac, as well as thousands more in New Jersey, facing the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, St Paul’s Homecoming Center is asking people across our area to consider donating $100, or about the cost of one night out at a nice restaurant, to help their fellow citizens both near and far rebuild their lives.  “While $100 can’t meet all their needs, it is a meaningful gesture that gives a family hope”, says Connie Uddo, Director of the St. Paul’s Homecoming Center.

“We still have a waiting list of 70 families who are trying to get back on their feet right in our back yard of Braithwaite,” says Uddo and “we are also reaching out to those affected in New Jersey.”  A donation of $100 will purchase a week’s groceries, much needed gas to travel back and forth to their devastated homes or help purchase basic, personal care items or cleaning supplies for their homes.  

We urge people to donate by November 15 so this relief can get to those in need by Thanksgiving.

Donations of any amount can be made online at: www.stpaulshomecomingcenter.org or mailed to St. Paul’s Homecoming Center, 1509 Filmore Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70122. Donors can designate Braithwaite or New Jersey when they give.  A portion of the donation is tax deductible.

“As we did post-Katrina, we are committed to bringing our neighborhood disaster recovery efforts wherever there is great need,” says Uddo. “The people of Braithwaite are still hurting and now residents of New Jersey are faced with recovering from the effects of an epic storm.  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stated today, the damage to New Jersey from Hurricane Sandy is ‘beyond anything I ever thought I’d see’.  Should individuals decide to ‘adopt-a-family’ in lieu of an expensive dinner, or a week’s worth of fast food, we hope that this will serve as a teachable moment for many families across our community about giving thanks by giving back.”

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ABOUT THE ST. PAUL’S HOMECOMING CENTER:

In September 2006, the St. Paul’s Homecoming Center, under the guidance of Director, Connie Uddo, was opened to provide the post-Katrina community with volunteer help, housing, tools, computer access, a wash-a-teria, Road Home assistance, case managers, mental health counselors, welcome baskets, community barbeques, bottomless cups of coffee and a shoulder of support.   In January, 2009,  St. Paul’s Homecoming Center moved to the flood-damaged neighborhood of Gentilly, where it continues to help hundreds of residents return and rebuild their lives. For more information on the St. Paul’s Homecoming Center, visit www.stpaulshomecomingcenter.org . 

Teacher's Rock

– Teachers from more than 80 Orleans area schools gathered today at Rock N’ Bowl for Teachers Rock!, an appreciation party hosted by Entergy Corporation and New Schools for New Orleans. The event, hosted by Entergy and New Schools for New Orleans, treated nearly 300 educators to an evening of music, food and bowling and boxes of classroom supplies. Entergy New Orleans President and CEO Charles Rice alsoannounced charitable donations from Entergy Corporation totaling almost $800,000 for schools and local educational nonprofits. 

“As a longtime partner of education reform, we know that in addition to spending countless hours instructing students, teachers often make personal contributions to their classrooms and students,” said Rice. “Our goal today is to show our appreciation for educators by providing them with some much-needed classroom supplies.”

To support the efforts of New Orleans teachers, Entergy partnered with Educational Products, Inc. (EPI) to provide pens, scissors, hand sanitizer and other classroom essentials to distribute at Teachers Rock! EPI outfitted teachers with “Teachers Rock!” t-shirts at the event. In addition to receiving a box of school supplies, each teacher also received gift bags and entered to win prizes from Hotel Monteleone, Steamboat Natchez and Zea Rotisserie & Grill. The Saintsations joined in on the celebration with educators as theybowled a few frames.

“It’s so helpful this time of year to receive a box full of supplies from Entergy,” said Sam Battan, ReNEW Accelerated High School Faculty Member. “With all the donations they make, it’s clear that they not only support public education but also the teachers working everyday to educate our children.”

SinceHurricane Katrina, Entergy has been one of the area’s largest private donors to education reform, giving more than $8 million to fund education and fulfill its mission to be a force for improvement in public schools.  The company’s charitable donations to schools and educational nonprofits in 2012 totaled nearly $800,000. Grantees included Teach for America; FirstLine Schools; City Year, Inc.; The Posse Foundation; KIPP New Orleans; A’s & Aces; LeadingEducators, Inc. and Victories in Service Inc.

Rice also recognized improvements in education made throughout the city. In fact, the percent of failing schools declined from 83 percent before Hurricane Katrina to 52 percent in 2011 and 40 percent in 2012. Thanks to a commitment to improvement from the Orleans Parish School Board and theRecovery School District, as well as financial support from partners like Entergy, the District Performance Score (DPS) for New Orleans schools has grown an astonishing 36.8 points, more than any other district in the state 1.

“At Entergy, we believe an essential element to healthy, thriving communities is creating an environment where every individual has access to quality education,” said Patty Riddlebarger, director of corporate social responsibility at Entergy Corporation. “We are pleased to partner with schools and organization throughout the city to support the teachers that invest in our children.”

Entergy is a longtime sponsor of organizations changing the landscape of New Orleans Public Schools, including Teach for America, City Year, KIPP Public Charter Schools, New Orleans College Prep Charter School and FirstLine Schools.

1According to Educate Now! Reports available at educatenow.net

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annualrevenues of more than $10 billion and more than 15,000 employees.

New Schools for New Orleans (NSNO) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and developing the people, resources and environment necessary to achieve excellent public schools for every child in New Orleans. Founded inApril 2006, NSNO is committed to making strategic investments of time, expertise and funding to support the growth of New Orleans’ high-performing system of charter schools. NSNO’s work to support continued student achievement gains citywide is focused on three objectives: serving the city as a strategic leader to maintain focus on academic excellence in a reform-friendly environment; supporting the expansion of high-performing charter schools toserve additional students in collaboration with the community; and, partnering with sustainable support organizations to ensure that the academic needs ofschools are met as they continue to advance student learning.

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