NEW ORLEANS – In 1879, in response to the number of impoverished women in the wake of the Civil War, Coralie Correjolles organized 30 women into “La Société Hospitalière des Dames Louisianaises” to provide them with food and medicine. The group became especially concerned by the plight of elderly ladies, who, due to the loss of their husbands in the war, were destitute and living in squalid conditions. Through its collection of 10 cent monthly dues over 14 years, the Société was able to raise the money for its first building, 822 Barracks St., to provide residence for 20 women. Over the next 113 years Maison Hospitaliere evolved into a skilled nursing facility for both men and women.
Hurricane Katrina scattered both residents and staff across the country, and in November 2006 the board decided to close the facility. When Maison Hospitaliere sold its French Quarter complex for more than $4 million, the proceeds were incorporated into an endowment that, through grantmaking to local nonprofit organizations, stays true to Maison’s original mission of serving women and their families.
“We are honored to be a recipient of a Maison Hospitaliere Foundation grant,” said Terri North, Providence Community Housing president and CEO. “The Foundation does so much to help poor and disenfranchised women have access to the services they need to regain control over their lives. This grant will allow us to engage and support more women and children in New Orleans.”
“This is a good example of one of the many ways the Greater New Orleans Foundation supports our community,” explains Albert Ruesga, president and CEO. “We can help a donor repurpose a private asset to address a pressing public need while ensuring that the donor’s intent, in this case, the support of indigent women, is met.”
The Greater New Orleans Foundation is proud to announce the following grants that will be given as part of the 2015 Maison Hospitaliere Foundation grantmaking, totaling $285,000:
• Boys Hope Girls Hope of Greater New Orleans: $20,000 for "Where Hope Lives”
• Bridge House / Grace House: $15,000 for general operating support for Grace House Camp Street
• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans: $20,000 for Voyage Permanent Supportive Housing
• Covenant House New Orleans: $20,000 for a Crisis Center for Young Women and Mothers
• Eden House: $20,000 for supporting the residents of Eden House
• First Grace Community Alliance: $20,000 for Hagar's House
• Kingsley House: $20,000 for the Kingsley House-Community Support Services Program (CSSP) Homeless Prevention Fund
• Lakeview Shepherd Center: $5,000 for the Lakeview Shepherd Center
• Luke's House Clinic: $15,000 for “Women's Wednesdays: A Well-Woman Health Clinic at Luke's House (Miercoles de la mujer)”
• Mercy Endeavors Senior Center: $10,000 for the Mercy Endeavors Senior Center
• Metropolitan Center for Women and Children: $20,000 for “Shelter from the Storm”
• New Orleans Family Justice Alliance: $15,000 for support for an emergency shelter for survivors of domestic violence
• New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter: $20,000 for sheltering and transition support services for homeless women and children
• Ozanam Inn: $10,000 for Shelter Vouchers for women/women with children
• Providence Community Housing: $5,000 for community engagement and supportive services for women and their children
• Raintree Children and Family Services: $15,000 for Raintree House Afterschool Personal Development
• St. Bernard Battered Women's Program, Inc.: $20,000 for domestic violence residential capacity building
• The Salvation Army New Orleans Area Command: $15,000 for Overnight Emergency Families Program (Formerly named Women & Children's Shelter Program)
GNOF is one of the oldest and largest philanthropic organizations in the region. Its mission is to create a thriving community for all. Every day, GNOF joins other foundations, nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and government officials to address the needs of the community and build consensus for solutions. Together with a family of donors, the Foundation has invested over $100 million in the region.
