Situation

Ozanam Inn is a nonprofit direct service agency with the goal of not simply managing homelessness but ending it. Providing shelter to the homeless of the Greater New Orleans area is only the first of their duties: the organization also offers medical services, case management, employment readiness training, legal counsel, spiritual guidance, permanent housing assistance, and more. Despite only having 96 beds to offer, Ozanam Inn provides assistance to over 20,000 men, women and children annually. When the organization wanted to expand their facilities and services, they partnered with Gambel Communications.

Ozanam Inn purchased a new 31,351 square foot facility on Poydras Street, the Inn’s largest expansion since opening in 1955. In addition to increasing the number of available beds by more than 50%, the new facility would feature a dedicated clinic space with four medical exam rooms and a large dental exam room. In partnership with LSU School of Medicine, Tulane University Medical School, and LSU School of Dentistry, this would allow the Inn the opportunity to provide basic healthcare to hundreds more individuals each year.

Implementation

Gambel Communications organized a press conference on Jan. 5, 2021, announcing the purchase of the new facility. Speaking at the conference were Bishop Ferdinand Cheri, Councilman Jay H. Banks, Ozanam Inn CEO Clarence Adams Sr., New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and our very own Betsie Gambel. The press conference was emceed by photojournalist, author and public speaker Ted Jackson.

Mayor Cantrell acknowledged the longstanding partnership between Ozanam Inn and the City of New Orleans towards ending homelessness, thanking the Inn for their ongoing dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also announced that the City of New Orleans was able to help Ozanam Inn purchase their new facility with a Community Development Block Grant.

Former Inn client and current board member Jessie Pullins spoke about his experience with Ozanam Inn and how the services provided changed his life. Councilman Banks also presented a proclamation on behalf of the City of New Orleans to Adams.

Bishop Ferdinand Cheri and Father Louis Arceneaux performed a blessing of the keys to the new shelter.

Result

The press conference was widely attended and covered by the media. The story ran multiple times each on all four New Orleans television stations — WWL-TV, WGNO-TV, WDSU-TV and WVUE-TV. NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate Business Writer Anthony McAuley and Photographer Chris Granger attended and covered the event, as did Clarion Herald Associate Editor Christine Bordelon. Additionally, Mayor Cantrell wrote a post about Ozanam Inn on her personal Facebook page and the WDSU story was syndicated by Yahoo News.

All images by Frank Aymami.