The Mayor's Neighborhood Engagement Office (NEO) would like to wish you a very happy 2023 holiday season! This year has truly shown the resilience and hard work of our community, and we are glad to continue to be a part of it.
HOLIDAY TOY GIVEAWAY
 On Tuesday, December 12th, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office held its second annual Holiday Toy Giveaway. This event was held this year at the Central City Senior Center.
At the event, volunteers from UnitedHealthcare, Delgado Nursing School, Councilmember Lesli Harris' office and City Departments gave away over 700 toys to kids ages 4-12. This event is NEO’s seventh installment of its “Neighborhood Cares Initiative” this year.
NEO was proud to partner with Councilmember Lesli Harris' office, United Healthcare, The Dream Builders Foundation, PJ's Coffee, JusTini's and New Orleans Saints' star Chris Olave to make this event a HUGE SUCCESS!!!!
Click here to see the recap video!
 |
In 2023, the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office held Neighborhood Cares Days across all city council districts in the Upper Ninth Ward, Hoffman Triangle, the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans East, the Cut-Off, and Central City. Throughout the year, over 200 volunteers, community organizations, and city departments participated to patch over 200 potholes, cut over 200 lots, removed over 100 tires, fill over 150 trash bags, clean over 50 catch basins, and much more.
Friday, August 8th, the Mayor's Neighborhood Engagement Office (NEO) held a Back to School Fair in New Orleans East. NEO partnered with Cm. Oliver Thomas, Audubon Institute, City Park Conservancy, Park Place Premier Barber School, Asepsis Barbers, The Barber GOAT, Domino's, and Trillistic Juice Bar to distribute over 700 school bags filled with school supplies and over 1,500 attraction passes, and over 100 haircuts were provided.
NEO would like to thank all City Departments, our sponsors, and organizations that lent a helping hand!
You can visit nola.gov/neo for more information on future events or subscribe to text alerts by texting NOLA ENGAGE to 468-311
 |
On Saturday, October 21st the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office (NEO) hosted the 2023 Neighborhood Summit, a professional development conference for neighborhood leaders.
This was the largest conference in the history of NEO as over 1200 of our committed community leaders, residents, non-profit partners, and City agencies came together to strengthen our communities through engagement and empowerment. Residents attended workshops ranging from Public Safety to Effective Community Engagement. NEO was proud to present 76 community organizations, from all over the city, with a Neighborhood Enrichment Grant award. This grant will be used to improve our neighborhoods through green infrastructure and beautification projects. At the resource fair, over 30 City agencies and nonprofits engaged residents and provided them with valuable information.
The Mayor's Neighborhood Engagement Office thanks all who attended for making the 2023 Summit a success with meaningful conversations and feedback on how we can make our communities stronger and more resilient. We would also like to thank our dedicated sponsors and knowledgeable presenters that continue to make the Summit possible every year!
Click here to see the recap video!
Senior Citizen Engagement Initiative
The Senior Citizen Engagement Initiative is a new program, implemented in June of this year, that connects aging adults (62 or older) to resources, encourages community engagement, facilitates social participation, and brings awareness to issues aging adults face daily. In this short span of time, we’ve garnered great partnerships with local senior centers, nonprofits, small businesses, and city agencies to provide outreach, resources, engagement opportunities, and in-person events that reached over 300 seniors.
13 Senior Centers were provided with water during the summer heat wave.
NEO engaged over 300 seniors through digital and in person outreach efforts (center visits, canvasing, email blasts).
NEO held its first Seniors’ Roundtable event in October, where we partnered with city departments, local senior centers, nonprofits, and agencies to provide 65 seniors with services and resources.
NEO facilitated a Thanksgiving giveaway on November 14th. At the event, over 300 seniors received a turkey, stuffing and groceries.
 Neighborhood Engagement hosted three quarterly Neighborhood Leaders' Roundtables in 2023. The roundtables provide opportunities for discussions between residents and public officials centered around one main topic. This year's topics were quality of life, infrastructure, and public safety.
Click here to learn more about our Neighborhood Leaders' Round Tables!
Neighborhood Engagement once again coordinated its Spring and Fall cohorts of its Civic Leadership Academy (CLA). CLA offers New Orleans residents an 8 week experience learning about City of New Orleans government's operations, mission, and priorities. CLA provides its students with robust opportunity to interact with government and political leaders.
JUNIOR CIVIC LEADERSHIP ACADEMY/ MAYOR'S YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL
 Neighborhood Engagement, in partnership with the Office of Youth and Families, coordinated its first fall cohort of the Junior Civic Leadership Academy (JCLA) and Mayor's Youth Advisory Council (MYAC). The newly restructured program integrates JCLA and MYAC into one comprehensive initiative. JCLA provides its students with opportunities to interact with and learn from government and political leaders and an opportunity to serve on the mayor’s advisory council. This year, 26 students completed their third and final class of JCLA and will move to serve on the mayor's youth advisory council, led by the Office of Youth and Families.
 |
COYC is an engaging in-person event that provides residents who are less inclined to attend public meetings in the evenings an opportunity to hear about city programs, initiatives, and operations directly from city officials and representatives. It brings city government to residents in an informal setting, designed to be more personable. This year, we were able to bring together over two hundred and twenty-six residents, thirteen city departments, and agency partners to discuss ways to bring about solutions to real issues impacting communities across the City of New Orleans. This was achieved by successfully hosting eleven coffee on your corner events at local coffee shops, libraries, and small businesses throughout the city and being intentional in our planning process, ensuring every district was touched. In 2023, we also hosted our first faith-based coffee on your corner to expand the impact of this initiative.
The Police Community Advisory Board (PCAB) creates the framework for a public participation plan with the NOPD to engage in a collaborative problem-solving process that supports both the community and the police desire to enhance public safety. PCAB is responsible for vetting community ideas/suggestions, working with NOPD to understand operations, processes and challenges, and building consensus on priority items important to the community before submitting recommendations to NOPD for consideration.
NEO offered support and training to all eight PCABs throughout the city.
Click here to learn more about the Police Community Advisory Board!
 The faith-based initiative is designed to connect leaders of faith to city departments, opportunities, and needed resources. NEO has held three impactful faith-based events this year (Interfaith Breakfast, Leading Ladies of Faith Brunch, and Coffee On Your Corner) that collectively drew over 300 faith leaders together, along with city leaders, to fellowship, network, and share resources in efforts to build stronger partnerships.
The Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office would like you to know that Community Office Hours (COH) will be on intermission until January 2024.
This year more than 1,100 residents have stopped by and met with liaisons! The program continues to be one of Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s priorities and we look forward to its return next year. It is essential that the two-way street of effective communication and information stays open, to address neighborhood issues.
Residents will have the opportunity to meet with neighborhood liaisons and city personnel in-person or by virtual appointment. Stay tuned for more information about when and where you can participate in the Community Office Hours (COH) program starting next year.
 |
|
City Hall Spotlight
Meet Ms. Wilneicha Videau, Resilience Outreach Specialist for RoadworkNOLA!
Click here to read more!
|
City Hall Spotlight
Meet Mr. Henry Walther, Policy and Data Analyst for the Office of Community Assets and Investments!
Click here to learn more!
|
|
 |
|
