Register today for the St. Roch Community Engagement Forum

On December 9 from 5:00-7:30PM and December 10 from 8:00AM-3:00PM inside Cafe Istanbul at the New Orleans Healing Center, the US Department of Justice, COPS, the NOPD, Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association and FSRP will host the St. Roch Community Engagement Forum, A Problem Solving Workshop.  

This is your opportunity as a resident, stakeholder or concerned citizen to help identify and prioritize local crime and disorder problems. We will be discuss why these problems exist, and develop strategies for addressing them. Specific next steps for addressing these problems in partnership with the NOPD and City of New Orleans agencies will be created.  This is the first US Department of Justice community forum that will be held at the request of US Attorney, Jim Letten and Superintendent Ronal Serpas. Two additional neighborhoods will engage in this process after St. Roch.

To Register for the Forum, choose one of the following:

1. Online at www.vcpionline.org– click on the “Classroom Training & Registration” icon and then scroll until you see the event.
2. Email Sheila Gunderman at sgunderman@vcpionline.org            3. Call 800.421-6770 

Celebrate the HOLIDAYS at the FSRIA ANNUAL SOCIAL

Meet your neighbors and share a meal while spreading some holiday cheer on Thursday, December 8, 6PM at True Vine Baptist Church, 2008 Marigny Street

If you will be bringing a covered dish for the social, please contact Darla Rumley, 432-7711 and let her know your plans. 

Additionally, a guest speaker from Sader Power will be sharing some new information on solar panels at the beginning of the meeting.

We look forward to sharing a glass of eggnog with you.

SUPPORT FSRP IN 2012

Thank you for your generous contributions to Faubourg St. Roch Project, as part of an annual report, we would like to share some of the achievements our organization has completed with your help. 

• 7 completed Thermal Coupling installations in partnership with the Louisiana Green Corps. Initial findings show 26% savings and pay back in 11 months.
• Completed Artwalk design. Artwalk completion expected in April 2012
• Community Housing Development Organization status pending allowing us to begin work on 1700 St. Roch next year in 2012.
• Employed 14 youth in the Summer of 2011 through the JOB 1 program to begin a property survey (something the community wanted to achieve for a long time)
• Developing partnerships with other non-profits and for-profits to build capacity 
• Conducted neighborhood survey regarding desired program for the reconstructed St. Roch Market, the survey had 378 respondents and 79% of respondents would like to see the Market re-open as a seafood market offering fresh and prepared seafood, 68% of respondents would like to also see a restaurant occupy the space as one of the vendors). FSRP presented results to the City and the City moved forward with designs with this data in mind.
• Facilitate dialog between the neighborhood and the City regarding the Market and other critical neighborhood interests.

Without the support of donors, none of this work would have been possible. Over the next 3 years, FSRP is working to increase homeownership in the St. Roch neighborhood through:

• Building affordable homeownership residents for First Time Homebuyers
• Expanding Thermal Coupling into a successful business providing energy conservation and weatherization services
• Increasing local workforce development in St. Roch

If you would be so generous as to help us continue this work, we would be so very grateful for your gift. Click here to DONATE and thank you for helping us continue to achieve our goals in the St. Roch community.

Meet the Neighbors * THE HERNANDEZ' FAMILY * 1338 SPAIN STREET

Cindy Hernandez is a life-long resident of St. Roch, her Grandparents, Victor and Adela Lantan purchased the family home, 1338 Spain Street in the 1960's after immigrating to the United States from Guatemala. This home has been a gathering place for her family over the last fifty years and provided a home to as many as sixteen of her extended family in the days after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

Today, 1338 Spain is home to Cindy, her husband George, son Gabriel and her brother Tony. Cindy's grandmother, Adela moved to New Orleans in the 1950's to work for an Ambassador from Mexico and stayed in New Orleans to work as a nanny for families here.  In 1960, after Adela's sister tried unsuccessfully to convince her to marry a man she knew from Guatemala, Cindy's Great Aunt assumed her Grandmother's name and married Cindy's Grandfather and then sent Victor to New Orleans with a letter that Adela and Victor were now married. Cindy's Grandmother, Adela accepted the arrangement and they were married for over forty years.

Cindy's mother Beatrice, Adela and Victor's only child has worked for Tulane Hospital for twenty-three years in administration and her father served as a New Orleans Police Officer in the 1st and 5th Districts. Mr. and Mrs. DeLucca have three children and now reside in Violet, LA along with Cindy's sister Brandy and her daughter Nereda.

Cindy has fond memories of growing up in St. Roch and playing in front of her house with the neighborhood children and going to various parks until the first signs of crime began surfacing in 1989. Cindy's grandparents were active members of the community and refused to move as they saw a rise in crime and drug trafficking, insisting that St. Roch would come back together and become a safer neighborhood. Sadly they both passed away before they could see the full potential of a strong neighborhood where it could be once again safe and family oriented. 

Over the years, Cindy has seen many changes to the St. Roch neighborhood and believes that there have been many promising signs since 2005. She has been a guiding force to the FSRP board since 2006. Cindy and her neighbors have set up a phone tree to combat unwanted elements in the community and she would like to see the level of homeownership continue to rise as well as neighborhood wide activities. Cindy believes in St. Roch and her Grandparent's legacy of always wanting this home to be there for her family and hopes that her son can one day enjoy the community in the way she did as a child and all the rich history that this neighborhood holds.