Just the Right Attitude Honors Bread Member Sister Jane Remson

JTRA honors Sister Jane Remson and NOAAHH

The New Orleans-based organization Just the Right Attitude (JTRA) honored Carmelite Sister Jane Remson and New Orleans Artists Against Hunger and Homelessness (NOAAHH) for their work to address hunger and homelessness in New Orleans at its First Annual Brunch  this fall. Sister Jane, who heads Bread for the World New Orleans, is also founding president of NOAAHH.

(Photo: (Left to right) Corey Evans, Sr., JTRA President; Debra South Jones, JTRA Founder and Executive Director; Sr. Jane F. Remson, O.Carm., NOAAHH Executive Board Member Emeritus; Pierre Hilzim)

The work of JTRA, NOAAHH and Bread for the World New Orleans is crucial in the City of New Orleans, which has the second-highest rate of food hardship in the United States, according to the Food Research and Action Center. Food hardship is defined as the lack of money to buy food that families need and is considerably worse for households with children. An estimated 17,000 to 19,000 men, women and children in the New Orleans area are homeless.

JTRA, founded by executive director Debra South Jones, has been working to address hunger in New Orleans since 1999.  In 2013 JTRA served more than 800,000 pounds of food, over 8,000 meals per month, hundreds of turkey giveaways at Thanksgiving, and bikes and toys giveaways at Christmas. After Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, JTRA partnered with NOAAHH and United Way to serve thousands of needy families in Louisiana and Mississippi. It is the largest neighborhood-based emergency food distribution agency in New Orland and the largest single-site distribution agency in New Orleans.

NOAAHH, founded in 1985 by renown recording and performing artists Allen Toussaint and Aaron Neville, raises funds through concerts and other special campaigns to provide funding for organizations that serve the poor, hungry and homeless in the New Orleans area. To date NOAAHH has distributed more than $1 million in grants to 50 plus area organizations. In 2013, NOAAHH donated $42,000 to 15 community organizations.