Regroup and re-emerge: A New Orleans church responds to its community's changing needs

Before Hurricane Katrina, St. Anna's hosted 70 parishioners and a youth group for teen boys in its Treme neighborhood. Because it was not flooded, the church was able to make a rapid response to help meet immediate needs of storm survivors. However, the much larger issue of lack of health care soon became apparent. Consulting with parishioners and other churches, St. Anna's decided to address this urgent need. The Mobile Medical Mission was established in December 2005 to provide basic medical care and screenings in neighborhoods in a mobile medical clinic. Four months later, the medical mission was expanded to include the Musician's Ministry. Weekly local band performances are coupled with free medical, legal, and psychiatric services, acupuncture, and housing assistance.

Two years later, St. Anna's has become a bustling mission-based church, nearly back up to its pre-storm congregation from a low of 25 immediately post-storm. The Medical Mission is flourishing, continuing to serve neighborhoods at least five days a week with volunteers from New Orleans and across the country. Nearly all of its projects are expanding, including new ESL courses and a new Hispanic Apostolate to serve migrant workers in the community.

Having established itself as a trusted source of spiritual care, St. Anna's has been able to expand services in direct response to its community's needs. St. Anna's success highlights the importance of an organization's ability to respond to a changing community, identify partnerships, and understand the importance of cultural institutions.