Joseph and I live in Central City, and every day we ride down Oretha Castle Haley Blvd (formerly Dryades) on our usual route to work and back. So we literally pass the New Orleans Mission—the large brown building across from St. John the Baptist Church on the corner of OCH Blvd. and Calliope—every single day.
The New Orleans Mission is in dire straits.
The Mission is right next door to the Pontchartrain Expressway and there are many homeless people who hang out under the freeway, waiting to see if they can get a meal from the Shelter.
No one wants to think about what it would be like to be homeless, but it can happen to anyone. It’s particularly disturbing to see the numbers of homeless increase in New Orleans. The New Orleans Mission estimates that the numbers of homeless in the city have increased from 6,000 to 19,000 since Hurricane Katrina. We can judge for ourselves when we pass the Mission facility and see so many people on the street waiting to get in. It’s really heartbreaking at night when it’s really cold or hot outside. Anyone can fall on hard times, have a substance abuse problem, or even have mental issues, and respect for them and their needs is a duty for those of us who are more fortunate.
The New Orleans Mission will host two fundraisers to (literally) keep their lights on: a “Mexican Fiesta” with food, raffles, prizes and music from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday at 4625 Fairfield Street in Metairie, and a Golf Tournament on Saturday, October 23 at the City Park Golf Course, with trophies, food and raffle draws. Information on either of the events is available by calling Loretta at (504) 270-4967, emailing LLKimmick AT yahoo.com or by visiting the Mission’s website.
In the wake of the closing of Donna’s, I often muse about what club will step in to take its place. We know it probably won’t be anything on North Rampart Street, because it’s currently impossible to get an entertainment license there. There are brass bands playing on Frenchmen Street now—literally on the street—and the Frenchmen Street clubs feature brass bands. But there’s no place that rivals the mix of brass bands and trad jazz that Donna’s used to offer. It’s a huge loss for the New Orleans music community. Oh, interestingly, I’ve noticed that the owner of the building Donna’s use to occupy is now repairing the building, I suppose to try to attract another tenant (ironically, the building’s poor condition was the reason that Donna’s closed down!). I would certainly recommend to the new tenant that they take the lease to an attorney to make sure that they are not liable for repairs to the property. Just don’t sign that stupid lease!
To my knowledge, the city is still trying to work on a noise ordinance that’s fair to both the musicians and the residents of the French Quarter and other neighborhoods. Nothing has been decided yet. But, there’s also a movement to bring back permits for street musicians. Currently, there isn’t a requirement for street musicians to be permitted. Opponents say it will shut down live music on the streets; proponents say it will unite local musicians and keep musicians who don’t appreciate the neighborhood qualities out. I’m curious about your opinion. Take a poll here:
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