Remembering Katrina. Celebrating communities

AARP Louisiana has been working in the Hollygrove community of New Orleans for the past eight years, engaging hundreds of residents to build a stronger neighborhood.

Following the devastating one two punch of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, AARP Louisiana connected with members, residents and community partners to launch the Hollygrove Livable Communities Project in efforts to plan and revitalize an “elder-friendly” neighborhood.

27 Hollygrove residents attended an eight-week Livable Communities Academy to build community leadership, identify neighborhood priorities and develop a rebuilding plan.

As the result of its successful efforts to reduce violent crime, MetLife Foundation selected the Hollygrove project from a national pool of 700 applicants for one of 10 awards.

The livable communities’ project has successfully helped create an urban farm and market that increases access to fresh, local produce and serves as a community meeting place; and encouraged resident participation to work with FEMA to tear down and rebuild a once-thriving senior center that was destroyed in Katrina. The Carrollton-Hollygrove Senior Center is slated to be open later this month.

Learn more about AARP Louisiana’s Livable Communities work in Baton Rouge, Alexandria and Lafayette by connecting with Jason Tudor at jtudor@aarp.org.

Would you like to explore volunteer opportunities with AARP? Reach out to Andrew Muhl at amuhl@aarp.org.