GNOF Awards $150,000 in Second Round of Grants to New Orleans East Families Recovering from the Tornado

March 6, 2017

(February 23, 2017 | New Orleans, LA)The Greater New Orleans Foundation has awarded an additional $150,000 from its  Helping Our Neighbors: Tornado Relief Fund to nine organizations on the frontlines of helping families with recovery efforts. The organizations awarded grants in this round are schools serving students who live in the impacted areas and nonprofit organizations focused on the housing needs of displaced families.

“We are so appreciative of the donors who opened their hearts and their wallets to help our neighbors in New Orleans East,” said Andy Kopplin, president and CEO of the Greater New Orleans Foundation. The Foundation opened its fund on February 7th and to date, $250,000 has been awarded to 23 nonprofit organizations working tirelessly on the frontlines to support families impacted by the disaster.

The first gift was from Trombone Shorty who kicked off the fundraising efforts with a $50,000 match that was quickly met. Then, with the NBA All-Star game in town last weekend, generous corporate donations were made by the NBA, the NBA Players Association, and Jordan brand.

In addition to a generous donation of $100,000, Jordan brand provided 2,500 pairs of shoes and sports apparel that were distributed to impacted families in New Orleans East at two local churches, Household of Faith Church and Resurrection of Our Lord Church.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of the NBA and all the organizations who supported our tornado recovery efforts during their visit to New Orleans,” said Mayor of New Orleans Mitch Landrieu. “These investments are an example of the incredible community impact made during NBA All-star Weekend.”

“Our focus is now on getting funding to schools and to housing organizations,” said Isabel Barrios, program officer for the Greater New Orleans Foundation. “Schools play a critical role in identifying families still in crisis mode. Organizations helping with housing are making sure that people find a safe place to live temporarily.”

Nonprofit organizations receiving grants are the following:

  • Abramson Sci Academy – $10,000, to assist with families who have lost their homes
  • Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans – $35,000, to provide individual assistance for families seeking temporary shelter
  • Communities in Schools – $15,000, to provide emergency assistance to families most in need within their network of nine schools
  • Einstein Charter School at Sherwood Forest – $15,000, to provide translation services and one-on-one help with understanding the government relief process
  • KIPP New Orleans – $7,500, to provide assistance to school families most in need
  • New Schools for New Orleans – $30,000, to distribute assistance to families within their network of 21 schools
  • Renew School at Schaumburg Elementary School – $15,000, to replace materials and supplies for the students while the school begins the repair process
  • SBP (formerly St. Bernard Project) – $15,000, to provide critical assistance and information to families within the impacted area
  • Warren Easton Senior High School – $7,500, to provide assistance to families most in need