faqs
ABOUT THE CENTER
Q: What is the United Way of Southeast Louisiana Resiliency Center – Founded by Rebuilding Together New Orleans?
A: The Resiliency Center is a permanent, storm-hardened hub for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Located at 2831 St. Claude Avenue, the center will serve as the headquarters for Rebuilding Together New Orleans and a collaborative space for trusted nonprofit partners, including United Way, HandsOn New Orleans, Ride NOLA, New Orleans ToolBank, and LA GreenCorps, to strengthen Southeast Louisiana before, during, and after disasters.
Q: Why was the center created?
A: The center grew from two decades of experience responding to hurricanes, floods, and other crises. After Hurricane Katrina, Rebuilding Together and United Way became cornerstones of recovery. But as disasters intensify, we realized resilience can’t be temporary or reactive. It must be built year-round. The center allows partners to coordinate, eliminate service gaps, and ensure rapid, equitable response when disasters strike.
Q: How will the center operate during “blue skies” versus “non-blue skies”?
A: Blue skies (non-disaster periods): The center will host disaster-preparedness workshops, financial readiness classes, volunteer training, and nonprofit strategy sessions. It will also provide access to information, referrals, and United Way of Southeast Louisiana Prosperity Center services to help residents strengthen financial stability. Non-blue skies (disasters): The center will transition to an emergency operations hub with on-site supply staging, volunteer deployment, and direct aid distribution to affected communities.
Q: What’s the historical significance of the building?
A: The building, formerly Club Discovery, has long been a fixture in the Marigny/St. Roch neighborhood. After Hurricane Katrina, it became an entrepreneurial hub for small businesses rebuilding the local economy. Today, it enters its next chapter, serving as a resilient community hub for disaster readiness and recovery.
Q: What does “storm-hardened” design mean?
A: The building is constructed of concrete block and equipped with solar panels and Tesla Powerwalls, allowing it to operate off-grid during power outages. This ensures the center remains functional and accessible in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP
Q: Who are the main partners?
A: The center was founded by Rebuilding Together New Orleans with anchor partner United Way of Southeast Louisiana. Additional partners include HandsOn New Orleans, Ride NOLA, New Orleans ToolBank, and LA GreenCorps.
Q: How will the center measure its impact and share results with the public?
A: The Resiliency Center will track key metrics across all partner organizations, including the number of residents trained, calls and visits received, requests for assistance, and households served. These results will be shared through collective impact reports to demonstrate how collaboration multiplies our reach and effectiveness.
Q: How have United Way and Rebuilding Together worked together before?
A: Since Katrina, both organizations have responded to disasters, often side by side, stabilizing families, repairing homes, and mobilizing volunteers. Their parallel efforts have now merged into a single vision: to create a unified hub where preparedness, response, and recovery efforts work in concert rather than in silos.
Q: Who funded the Resiliency Center?
A: The center was made possible by support from United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Shell, First Horizon Bank, Hancock Whitney Bank, and other community partners. In addition, Entergy sponsored an opening day of service, and Verizon is supporting a dedicated United Way Community Hub inside the center.
ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES
Q: What services will residents find here?
A: Residents will have access to preparedness workshops, volunteer programs, public transit assistance, and referrals to financial stability and workforce services. In a disaster, the center will serve as a resource hub for supply distribution, case management, and volunteer coordination.
Q: How many people can the center serve during an emergency?
A: The center’s storm-hardened design and on-site warehouse allow it to stage and distribute supplies quickly to hundreds of families. Its capacity can scale depending on the severity of the disaster and available resources.
Q: What kind of preparedness workshops will be offered?
A: Workshops will include topics such as emergency planning for families, public aid (e.g., FEMA) guidelines, financial preparedness, and volunteer training programs to build a ready-to-respond community network.
Q: How can a nonprofit learn more about joining the Resiliency Center?
A: The center welcomes collaboration with organizations focused on disaster preparedness, housing stability, workforce development, and community resilience. Nonprofits interested in office or program space should email info@rtno.org to discuss opportunities, space availability, and alignment with the center’s mission.
Q: Will services be available in languages other than English?
A: The center can provide assistance in Spanish and Vietnamese upon request to ensure residents receive the support they need.
