Past Community Projects & Support

Community Outreach

The Association of Women Attorney supports these and other organizations in the New Orleans community.

Plessy and Ferguson Foundation

Phoebe Ferguson, the great, great granddaughter of John Howard Ferguson, the Defendant in the famous case that created the separate but equal doctrine, has joined forces with Mr. Keith Plessy, the great nephew of the Plaintiff, Mr. Homer Plessy, to form the Plessy and Ferguson Foundation for Education, Preservation and Outreach. The foundation works to create new and innovative ways to teach history of Civil Rights through the understanding of this historic case and its effect on the American conscience. The organization seeks to preserve historic landmarks related to those historic events, outreach to communities on issues of civil rights and educate young people about the case and its place in history.

For more information, click here.

Grace House

Grace House is an all women drug/alcohol rehabilitation residential facility that boasts a higher than national average success rate for recovery. If you would like to more about how you can help, please visit Grace House website by clicking the link

The Pro Bono Project

In an effort to Ride the Wave to Rebirth, The Pro Bono Project’s continuing mission to provide free, quality civil legal services to the poor is more important than ever. By engaging volunteer attorneys to render pro bono services, The Pro Bono Project serves clients in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Tammany and Washington parishes.

With funding from the Justice For All Ball and other sources, The Pro Bono Project works in collaboration with other social service providers to improve the quality of life for our clients and our community. The AWA is a regular sponsor of the annual Justice for All Ball. Visit the Pro Bono Project web site by clicking here.

Lafayette Square Conservancy

The Lafayette Square Conservancy is a non-profit corporation organized to re-vitalize Lafayette Square. AWA member participated in a cleanup and planting day at Lafayette Square in April of 2007. If you would like more information about the Lafayette Square Conservancy, click here

Blueprint Louisiana

Blueprint Louisiana is a citizen-driven effort to identify and implement essential changes to fundamentally improve Louisiana. For more information click, Blueprint Louisiana.

Partnership for Youth Development

Partnership for Youth Development helps school age youth in New Orleans maximize their learning opportunities and educational experiences during out of school time. The Partnership maintains strong connections between community groups, schools, government agencies, and families. Serving as this critical link, we strive to leverage resources to community based organizations that serve youth and fill any gaps between existing local youth systems in order to create a strong infrastructure that effectively supports the children and youth of New Orleans. For more information, Partnership for Youth Development.

Youth Empowerment Project

The YEP believes that “by providing legal advocacy, intensive aftercare and case management to at-risk New Orleans youth, we will strengthen each young person’s capacity to successfully connect with his or her families and communities and lay the foundation for their healthy transition to adulthood.”

There are no other programs in the city of New Orleans that provide holistic, wrap-around services to court-involved youth. YEP links youth with existing social services and community resources and it also provides in-house, culturally competent care that empowers youth and their families to advocate for themselves. YEP teaches youth and their families how to navigate legal, social service and greater community systems. It does this in part by collaborating with a wide range of local entities including the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court, various faith-based organizations, mentors, educational programs, job-training centers and counseling specialists. The AWA has recruited volunteers to provide pro bono legal services to YEP participants.

For more information click, Youth Empowerment Project.

Second Harvest

The AWA held a Fall Food Drive in 2011 to benefit Second Harvest. Our donations yeilded 84 pounds of food, translating to 70 meals for the needy.  The AWA is continuing to work with Second Harvest on various projects.

For more information: Second Harvest

KIPP Central City Primary

The AWA held a continued book drive to supply the school’s library. KIPP’s mission is “to build the academic, social, emotional, and spiritual foundations that our students will need to pursue higher education, create their best selves, and transform their world.” KIPP was in need of books for their library and for use in small class study groups. We believe that by donating books, we will have a lasting impact on the KIPP students.