sustainability

Don’t pitch it, fix it, at the Repair Café in Broadmoor

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“We got press!” This was the surprised cry from Billie Golan, who started New Orleans’ own Repair Café in the summer of 2022. Although the bi-monthly event has rolled out with little fanfare, the free community resource has gained popularity. Here’s how it works: twice a month (one Monday and one Wednesday of each month) Repair Cafe volunteers set up shop on the second floor of the Broadmoor Arts & Wellness Center to help all who enter repair their goods and sundry: bikes, electronics and appliances, clothing and jewelry, furniture. There are snacks provided, and those getting repairs done are expected to assist the repair experts if they can, and hopefully learn about how to repair their items for the future. Donations are appreciated, but not required, though visitors may be expected to help pay for the cost of parts, if applicable. 

Though the Repair Café is new to New Orleans, it is far from the first of its kind.

InspireNOLA Charter Schools’ Peace Walk brings awareness to students’ loss at gun violence (sponsored)

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InspireNOLA high school students from Edna Karr, Eleanor McMain, and McDonogh 35 hosted a peace walk on January 11th, bringing awareness to the ongoing gun violence happening across New Orleans with the strive for peace in the city. NOLALove advocates for our youth by providing services focused on academic excellence, mental health awareness, family wellness, and community service to transform the outcomes of today’s youth both inside and outside the classroom. Following the peace walk, students held a “walk-in” at their schools, participating in sessions of reflection where they heard from alumni, students, and mental health professionals. Watch the recap below:

To learn more about NOLALove, InspireNOLA Charter Schools and support efforts against gun violence and crime in New Orleans, visit NOLALove – InspireNOLA Charter Schools. About InspireNOLA Charter Schools
Founded in 2013, InspireNOLA Charter Schools operates a network of eight public charter schools in New Orleans, including Alice M. Harte Charter School, Andrew H. Wilson Charter School, Dwight D. Eisenhower Charter School, McDonogh 42 Charter School, Pierre A. Capdau Charter School, Edna Karr -High School, Eleanor McMain Secondary School, and McDonogh 35 Senior High School.

Advertiser specials

Barcelo Gardens Fresh Market invites the community to celebrate grand opening Jan. 29th (sponsored)

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Barcelo Gardens Fresh Market celebrates permanent location Jan. 29 at 3440 Piety St. to bring more fresh produce to food deserts in Louisiana. Barcelo Gardens Fresh Market is excited to announce the opening of the newest location, a permanent venue at 3440 Piety St. This new venture, featuring a brick-and-mortar store and multi-use open space, will bring fresh vegetables and produce to the Florida/Desire area.

Mardi Gras

Will Thoth roll on its traditional Uptown route?

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The Krewe of Thoth — the altruistic children-centric parade that historically rolls through Burtheville and Hurtsville before heading down Magazine Street — hopes to return to its roots Uptown. Due to police shortages in 2022, the Krewe of Thoth lost over a mile of its Uptown route, including the Henry Clay and Magazine Street portion. Its unique route was designed 75 years ago to bring Carnival to the patients at Children’s Hospital and other institutions. “We’re trying to work it out,” said Pendleton “Penny” Larson, spokesperson for Thoth. “We’re still learning how the rules are going to play out.”

Christopher A. Etienne, Sr., Letters from a Father: Empathy and Character (sponsored)

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Dear Son:

The scripture teaches parents that we should “train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it” Proverbs 22:6. I believe and follow that scripture as an anchor to my fatherhood. Indeed, being a father to you, Christopher A. Etienne, Jr., is my most important job. I constantly reflect on when I first laid eyes on you, when you were born in 2019. I had no doubt the second I saw this gift from God with that gentle smile and big eyes looking up at me, I said, I will make sure to get you as healthy as possible with the help from the Lord. Indeed, the Lord continues to answer my prayers.

Christmas

Irish Channel couple offers a gift to their neighbors: secure package delivery

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It was 12 days before Christmas when Irish Channel resident Angela Timberlake Adkinson saw one too many posts on Nextdoor about a package theft. It’s the holidays. Children’s presents were about to land on porches, where their fate is precarious. So she posted an offer. Her family avoids the porch pirate plague by having packages safely delivered to her husband’s law office on Jackson Avenue in the Lower Garden District.

Advertiser specials

There’s still time to donate to the Holiday Food & Fund Drive hosted by District 98 and Second Harvest (sponsored)

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District 98 Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman and Second Harvest Food Bank host Third Annual Food & Fund Drive! 

Representative Aimee Adatto Freeman is excited to announce the Third Annual District 98 Food & Fund Drive for Second Harvest kicked off this week. Donations are accepted until Friday, Dec 23, at 200 Broadway St., Suite 212. Community members are encouraged to support with food and funds to help feed families in need across Louisiana. Click here for a list of most needed items.

Every dollar collected up to $125,000 is matched, thanks to the Goldring Family Foundation and Atmos Energy. A donation box will be outside Rep. Freeman’s office at 200 Broadway St, Suite 212.

Advertiser specials

New Chick-fil-A at I-10 & Carrollton is open and ready for business (sponsored)

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Franchised owner/operator Ben McLeish has deep roots in New Orleans, having lived in the city for more than 20 years, founding a nonprofit organization and leading an inner-city ministry. He has a deep passion for the city his family calls home and plans for his new restaurant to inspire a generation of leaders. Locally owned and operated

As full-time, hands-on leaders in their restaurants and communities, Chick-fil-A owner/operators proudly reside in the communities they serve. For McLeish, caring for neighbors in New Orleans has motivated him throughout his career. When he first moved to the city from his home state of Georgia, his desire to help those in need led him to nonprofit work, where he met his wife, Stephanie.

church

Temple Sinai opens its sanctuary for Trinity Episcopal’s Christmas Eve service

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For Trinity Episcopal Church on Jackson Avenue, Christmas Eve is one of the biggest nights of the year. This year, however, Trinity had a problem: The sanctuary is undergoing extensive repairs following damage from Hurricane Ida in 2021. With about 2,000 members, Trinity’s leaders had to find a way to hold services so that no one would be left out in the cold. 

Enter Temple Sinai, which offered its sanctuary to Trinity on Christmas Eve. “The relationship [between the two houses of faith] goes way back,” said Rabbi Daniel Sherman of Temple Sinai, as he and the Rev. Andrew Thayer, Trinity’s rector, met with Uptown Messenger at Temple Sinai. Each year for several decades, both the church and synagogue have participated in a rotating interfaith pre-Thanksgiving service with local houses of worship.