New Orleans Resiliency Center Provides Hub to Help Weather Storms

For many people across Southeast Louisiana, the word resilience can feel more like a burden than an aspiration. It has become shorthand for rebuilding after yet another hurricane, flood, or disaster, often without the resources or support needed to recover.

United Way of Southeast Louisiana (UWSELA) understands that frustration.

“We're trying to change what resilience means for our communities," says Michael Williamson, UWSELA president and CEO. “For too long, resilience meant being left to pick up the pieces without adequate support after something happens. 

"Through this center, we're taking that word back. We're putting it into action, helping families prepare and get ahead so they can weather the next crisis without sacrificing stability and prosperity."

The reality is that nearly 1 in 2 households in Southeast Louisiana are struggling to make ends meet, making it even harder to prepare for and recover from extreme weather and other disasters

But many are finding support at the United Way of Southeast Louisiana Resiliency Center. The center was created through a partnership between UWSELA and Rebuilding Together New Orleans. It is also part of United We Prepare, a United Way Worldwide initiative supported by Verizon developed to nurture community resiliency.

The Resiliency Center opened in August 2025 on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, in a brightly painted building in the Marigny neighborhood. 

It's dedicated to helping build more resilient communities across the region, making it a natural venue for preparedness workshops, resource fairs, response activations, and even a back-to-school supply drive with local partners and WDSU. These efforts help families avoid impossible choices, such as saving for an emergency or giving their children what they need to start the school year strong.

“A year in, what's most exciting is seeing the center become a place where people and partners really come together," notes Michelle Clarke Payne, UWSELA chief strategy and resiliency officer. “Together with our partners, we're helping families prepare, build stability, and connect to resources. And when disaster strikes, those same relationships help us move at the speed of need and show up in a coordinated way."

We're trying to change what resilience means for our communities. For too long, resilience meant being left to pick up the pieces without adequate support after something happens,"

Michael Williamson, UWSELA president and CEO

A Hub Built for Blue Skies and Gray

Founded in partnership with Rebuilding Together New Orleans, the Resiliency Center's opening commemorated the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and introduced a permanent home for disaster preparedness, response, and recovery in Southeast Louisiana.

The center brings trusted nonprofits together under one roof so families don't have to piece together help from a dozen different places when they need it most.

This approach treats resilience as proactive and community-driven, not as something families are left to manage alone after a disaster compounds the challenges they were already facing. The goal is to support households with the tools and information they need to prepare, recover faster, and protect the stability they have worked hard to build.

Over the last year, the Resiliency Center has demonstrated its value in both blue skies and gray skies. On blue-sky days, the center helps households prepare before a crisis strikes through preparedness workshops, financial capability programming, free income tax preparation supported by United Way Prosperity Centers staff, information and referral services, and other resources that build stability.

And when gray skies come, that same network has been ready to respond. In its first 12 months, the center mobilized after fires, tornadoes, and a tragic mass shooting. It continues to provide case management and other assistance to survivors of the 2025 New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street.

See how the center is providing ongoing support to families impacted by the New Year's Day attack.

The partners designed the center to activate when disaster strikes, not just to help families prepare beforehand. The space can serve as a staging and coordination hub for supplies, volunteers, and relief efforts, while staff and partners help families navigate the recovery process, including difficult questions about FEMA and insurance.

The Financial Reality Behind Storm Season

Nearly half of households in Southeast Louisiana are living on the financial edge, a reality that makes it harder for families to buy supplies, evacuate, and recover after a storm.

The latest ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) research in Louisiana found that 49% of Southeast Louisiana households, or 262,504 households, lived below the ALICE Threshold in 2024. That means their income did not cover the cost of housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, technology, and taxes.

A lifelong South Louisiana resident who experienced Katrina and other major storms, Michelle has helped lead United Way's response to dozens of disasters during her time with the organization. Again and again, she has seen that when families can take proactive steps before a crisis, they have more options when one arises.

“For families working hard to make ends meet, a disaster doesn't just create one problem. It can undo months or even years of progress. A few missed shifts, spoiled groceries, or an unexpected car repair can quickly put stability out of reach. That's why helping folks prepare and build a stronger footing is such an important part of resilience."

One of the center's founding funders, Verizon, partnered with United Way and startup Hyfi to install solar-powered, flood-sensing technology at 20 locations across New Orleans. The technology feeds real-time data directly into the city's public alert system so residents can make informed decisions during active street-flooding events, a common occurrence in a city below sea level.

“Preparedness is really about giving people more choices when the unexpected happens. A plan, a few supplies, and knowing where to turn for help can make a real difference in a stressful moment. Through the center, we want to make those steps feel possible for every family, no matter where they are starting from," Michelle added.

At a resource fair hosted at the center in June, more than 15 community partners set up booths offering free health screenings through LCMC Health, food, financial support services, and an expert panel discussion, while United Way resource navigators helped residents find assistance for their most pressing needs. The fair kicked off a series of preparedness workshops sponsored by Verizon to help families prepare for whatever hurricane season may bring to the region.

For residents, the message is simple: Use United Way's preparedness checklist and planning tools to create a disaster plan for your loved ones.

“An emergency leaves little room for error for families already struggling to make ends meet," notes LaToya Ratcliff, UWSELA's director of resiliency. “That's why we're encouraging every household to make a plan before a storm or other crisis happens. Know where you'll go, how you'll get there, what you'll take, and who you'll call. A few simple steps now can give families more options, more confidence, and greater stability when it matters most."

For LaToya, that work is personal, too. Her own small community has been hit by Hurricane Ida and multiple tornadoes in recent years, giving her firsthand experience with the fear, disruption, and uncertainty families face when disaster strikes close to home.

Those experiences have shaped how she approaches her role at United Way: with a jump-in, we're-in-this-together mindset and a deep understanding that recovery starts with showing up for people.

Whether it's helping a family make a plan before the next storm or connecting them to resources afterward, she brings both professional expertise and a personal understanding of what it means to need your community to show up.

Visit the Center

The Resiliency Center, located at 2831 St. Claude Ave. in New Orleans, offers walk-in assistance Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. An intake coordinator is on-site during those hours to help visitors.

As storm season continues, the center's message is straightforward: Preparedness works best when it starts before a disaster has a name and when families have the tools and resources to address the real financial pressures they are already facing.