South Task Force meeting
Trinity Gardens community’s youth repairing houses for the disabled. Photo by Leevones Dubose, Director of the Bay Area Women Coalition.
New Orleans, La.
by John Etheredge
It was a good decision. What decision you ask? The decision for the South Task Force of the Self-Development of People to meet in New Orleans, La. One reason is because a community workshop was held at the Berean Presbyterian Church, 1629 Simon Bolivar Ave.
There is a saying, "you would have had to been there," to understand how a group of women from Mobile, Ala., stole the show. Self-Development of People funded the Bay Area Women Coalition, Inc. project in 2001. This community of several thousand saw their community being taken over by drugs, deteriorating houses and a city council that wrote the community off. The community said enough is enough. The women and a few men organized themselves. Their mission was to serve the Trinity Gardens community by providing decent housing that is affordable to low and moderate income families. To provide a safe urban community and consistent support and service through educational and cultural programs.
They accomplished much by working with the city council to get a community center and a satellite police station in the area. They worked with the school system and a high school was built in the Trinity Gardens community. They obtained block grants in the amount of $1,032,998.95 for low to moderate-income persons for home habilitation and new home construction.
Breaking ground for the constructions of two new affordable houses. “We give $20,000 grants to homeowners and up to $2,400 on closing costs. They pay $500 down” Leevones Dubose, Director of the Bay Area Women Coalition of the Trinity Gardens community. Photo by Leevones Dubose.
They were such an inspiration to those in attendance. They inspired all present to organize and get busy with their projects. We believe some good applications will come from the workshop.
It was also a good decision to meet in New Orleans because some of us came in a day early to visit other groups funded by SDOP in Mississippi. We visited the Generations Family Reunion & Event Planners group. They were affected by the floods resulting from Hurricane Katrina but now are ready to start working again. The other group Drum Line has not regrouped because many of the children involved in the program were displaced.
Teddy bears left on foundations marked homes were children were lost. Picture by Helena Lee.
We toured the lower 9th ward area where most of the houses have been removed. There were teddy bears left on some foundations which we were told was a reminder of homes where children lost their lives.
There were churches empty, yet you could just hear the gospel being preached on Sunday morning. As we drove street after street we were reminded this was a neighborhood where people went to work, children went to school and everyone enjoyed life. There were two families we talked to that had already rebuilt and would be moving in soon. To me personally, being from the Rocky Mountain area, it was living all over again Floyd of 1999. |
