NEW ORLEANS (05/14/21) For too many years, young people in Old Algiers, a sliver of land nestled in the crescent of the Mississippi River on this city’s “west bank”, have often lacked access to training and good jobs, which resulted in few opportunities for sustainable futures and wealth building, according to Valerie Robinson, president of the Old Algiers Main Street Corporation. However, today, three entities announced a joint effort to bring equitable opportunities to the historic Old Algiers community. Old Algiers Main Street Corporation, Resilience Force and Advanced Nursing Training have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which establishes a partnership to assist Old Algiers residents, aged 18-40 years-old, to improve their chances of success by training and placement in healthcare jobs. Thanks to a $90,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, OAMSC’s Economic Development Committee, under the leadership of Linetta Gilbert, has developed #EquityRising, a program that ultimately will include other partnerships to build career and entrepreneurial opportunities in the Old Algiers community, comprised of the Algiers Point and Whitney and McDonogh (Algiers Riverview) neighborhoods of New Orleans. The program may be scaled and replicated for broader impact after being piloted in Old Algiers. “We want our residents to stay in Old Algiers; we want to create opportunities so people can work here, raise families, own homes, become entrepreneurs and support a fledgling small business ecosystem,” said Robinson. “We continue to identify organizations and partners that want to work with us on our #EquityRising initiative designed to help our many under-served residents, thus benefiting the entire community.” Resilience Force is a national initiative to transform America’s response to disaster by strengthening and securing America’s Resilience Workforce – the millions of people whose work, heart, and expertise make sustainable recovery from disaster possible. In partnership with the City of New Orleans Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, Resilience Force has created The New Orleans Resilience Corps, which is a new, diverse workforce development and jobs program created to help strengthen the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic while creating economic opportunity for those who have lost jobs over the last year. “We are incredibly proud to be a part of this partnership that aims to strengthen our underserved neighborhoods of New Orleans,” says LaTanja Silvester, Louisiana Director of Resilience Force. “It is through the investment of job training programs that we can continue to empower our communities by creating a secure pathway for workers to obtain the necessary skills they need to gain stable jobs and build their futures.” Advance Nursing Training, LLC’s goal is to provide opportunities for people to enter the healthcare industry by promoting professionalism and compassion and assisting students in preparing for careers in healthcare. The business is situated in Old Algiers on the Federal City campus and its programs are approved by the Louisiana Department of Health and the Louisiana Board of Regents. “We are happy to be part of this partnership to achieve a mutual commitment to opportunities that will increase employment in the area. Advanced Nursing Training is committed to providing quality healthcare training to individuals seeking to enter the healthcare field,” said business owner Melanie McCrary, MSN, RN. “What makes ANT unique is that we incorporate life skills and mentorship into our programs, such as homeownership training, credit literacy and entrepreneurship, while promoting our core mission ‘where compassion and professionalism meet.’” All three groups are committed to ensuring that residents have equitable opportunities to learn, work and live in their own communities. The groups will work in concert to recruit, train, and place residents in healthcare positions, including Community Health Care Worker, Patient Care Technician, and Nurse Aide, as well as to provide pathways to advanced health care training and careers. “This is an example of organizations and businesses working together intentionally to elevate the lives of residents in one small community,” Robinson said. “As this effort expands, our community will grow and thrive, and we will see “equity rising” in Old Algiers. For more information about this program, visit https://oldalgiersmainstreet.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram. Registration information is available here.