Our friends in New Orleans need our help

1. The The Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates, Inc. association in the French Quarter is looking for a community organizer with a preservation sensibililty or a preservationist grounded in community organizing. The problem is that organizers tend to think preservation is just for the rich, and the average preservationist doesn't understand organizing, what I call "built environmental justice." From the posting:

The job requires being a strong and effective:

Strategist; Motivator; Teacher; Facilitator; Organization builder; Committee builder/trainer; Financial Development coordinator; Organizational coordinator; “Behind the scenes”-style leader; Politically savvy thinker and practitioner; Big-picture thinker and doer; Patient and people-skilled leader.

Description:

This position is not that of an “advocate”. In some ways, being an“organizer” is harder than being an advocate. In a world in which it’soften “easier to just do it yourself”, organizing represents achieving victories by effectively helping other people succeed, by teaching them how to strategize, organize, inspire and motivate. This leads to not just winning issues, but a process of finding new leaders and building the organization.

The person in this position will help VCPORA develop its structure and operate according to its structure. This person does not and cannot do the work of the committee chairs; rather, this person helps the committee chairs reach their own potential in terms of leadership and results.

Success will be seen by the numbers of people involved, goals accomplished and campaigns won. Different types of involvement include issue work, support work, strong financial development and strategic recruitment.

Contact Ellen LaFleur.

2. There is a blog on rebuilding called "The Third Battle of New Orleans," and they have a "Walgreen's problem" in the South Carrollton area. Because I took the wrong bus a few weeks ago when I was there, I actually know this particular place, because I walked around exploring it. I didn't take too many photos, and I haven't uploaded the ones I did take. It's at the end of the St. Charles Streetcar line (not currently operational) and a short jog to Jefferson Parish.



Index Keywords: urban-revitalization