From the beginning, LKNB has been about creating community partnerships that support, empower and uplift people. Touched by the horrifying destruction of Hurricane Katrina, and the equally horrifying aftermath of mismanaged rescue and recovery efforts, Ithaca social worker, Catherine Martinez, founded LKNB in the summer of 2006 and assembled the first team to deliver material aid to New Orleans that December. We came together around a shared desire to show survivors of Hurricane Katrina from low-income areas that we had not forgotten them.
We were particularly drawn to the situation in the 7th Ward of New Orleans after meeting Pastor Bruce Davenport of St. John #5 Faith Church, a small, dynamic church and social service center in the 7th Ward. Pastor Bruce showed LKNB volunteers the heartbreaking ruins of his community, taught us about the history of economic disadvantage and institutional neglect of the area, and inspired us with his vision of a 7th Ward that could come back even stronger than it was before Katrina. His faith and courage could not be shaken by Katrina or the political fallout that followed. He and his church had been doing amazing work in the community before the storm and during the storm, and they had every intention of continuing that work after the storm, regardless of the size of the task at hand.
We saw clearly that, with the support of the Ithaca community, we could help Pastor Bruce and St. John #5 Faith Church get their programs up and running and through their efforts, reach a significant, and traditionally underserved, segment of the 7th Ward. We saw that we could play a vital role in Pastor Bruce’s vision of a thriving community, where prior to Katrina there had been struggle and despair of every kind. And from that vision, a Sister City relationship was born between Ithaca and the 7th Ward.
Since December 2006, we have been able to make an impact in thousands of people’s lives, both in New Orleans and in greater Ithaca. This partnership has brought people from many different backgrounds together for the common purpose of healing and recovery. Many people, particularly youth, have remarked that working with LKNB in New Orleans has been a turning point in their lives. Pastor Bruce calls us “the cavalry,” and has stated that “Ithaca is our saving grace.”
Now, we are ready to bring what we have learned in New Orleans to other situations of dire emergency around the world. We are ready to reach out beyond our own community and create new bridges of support and connection in Haiti, Japan, and other areas impacted by catastrophe. We enthusiastically invite YOU to be part of these trans formative partnerships and to get on board this Love Train!!
LKNB at work & play
