Diocesan Resources
CCHD Newsletter Helping People Help Themselves Issue 22.3 (2022)
CCHD Newsletter Helping People Help Themselves Issue 22.3
Power to the People: Together New Orleans Provides Refuge from Disasters by Beth Griffin
This issue highlights Together New Orleans (TNO), a CCHD-funded coalition that is helping communities become more resilient to disasters through an innovative initiative called Community Lighthouses.
Southern Louisiana frequently experiences extended power outages caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters. To address this challenge, TNO is creating a network of Community Lighthouses at churches and community centers. These sites will be equipped with solar panels and battery storage systems to provide:
- Emergency power
- Cooling stations
- Phone charging
- Hot meals
- Safe gathering spaces during crises
TNO's goal is to establish 85–100 Community Lighthouses across southeastern Louisiana so residents are within a short walk of emergency support. Since 2016, TNO has grown into a coalition of more than 50 congregations and organizations, including many Catholic parishes. The organization intentionally builds trust across racial, religious, and political lines through listening, collaboration, and community-led action. CCHD funding helped support the coalition's early development and relationship-building efforts.
The newsletter illustrates how community organizing, faith-based partnerships, and renewable-energy infrastructure can strengthen disaster preparedness and promote justice for low-income communities. Through the Community Lighthouse initiative, TNO is helping churches become centers of resilience, service, and solidarity while advancing CCHD's mission of empowering people to address the root causes of poverty.