Just Love Staying for the Story
Phew!!! 2025 was quite the year for Just Love – Greater New Orleans. What started as a handful of ideas and new connections in January became full-fledged projects, micro-communities, and deep relationships by December. One of the big reasons we think this happened is that we decided early on that we would “Stay for the Story”—day after day, week after week, and person by person.
We “Stayed for the Story” at the table with the Good Samaritan Initiative. Six small churches in Central City kept cooking, serving, and connecting our unhoused neighbors to real help. Together, we served 1,900 meals, made 1,600 guest engagements, and rallied 260 volunteers. It wasn’t flashy, but it was faithful. And alongside UNITY of Greater New Orleans, that faithfulness translated into warm handoffs and housing-first pathways so folks could move from the street to stability with dignity!
We “Stayed for the Story” on the sidewalk, too. Our Little Free Library launched May 26 and sent 184 books back into the world—91 for adults and 93 for kids—and Halloween turned into a mini block party where we connected with 25 neighbors. A little box of books became a little hub of hope. Small? Sure. But small things, done steadily, change streets.
We “Stayed for the Story” of foster parents. Fostering the Families met twice a month with over a dozen families (plus a joyful swarm of kids). We shared meals, swapped stories, and reminded tired grown-ups they’re not alone while kids got to simply be kids.
We “Stayed for the Story”...or rather “Stayed for the Questions”. Curious Krewe grew to 351 members...people practicing curiosity before certainty. Each month we put one honest question in the middle, listened hard, and resisted the urge to “fix.” The pattern kept showing up: curiosity → compassion → connection → community. It was something to watch how strangers became friends, and ideas turned into collaborations. We even started a podcast to share the curiosity!
We “Stayed for the Story” at tables that stretch across differences. We became part of the Interfaith Movement, which meets monthly in the city and spans all religions and faith traditions. These relationships led us to be part of the 20th Anniversary Katrina Interfaith Memorial, partnering with the Catholic and Muslim traditions for the Two Traditions, One Table dialogue event, two Interfaith Prayer Services for the Unhoused, and, most recently, the Interfaith Prayer Vigil for our Immigrant Neighbors. There are also all the “smaller” connections and collaborations we enjoyed, too many to mention. We prayed, learned from each other’s sacred traditions, and stayed in the tension long enough to find shared ground... and things changed for the people we cared for and for us.
And you “Stayed for the Story” with us!!! Together we raised over $85,000 that went directly to the neighbors we serve in our various micro-communities, worked with over 35 community partners, and widened the circle to almost 500 neighbors that have joined the Just Love - Greater New Orleans movement in some way, shape or form. Those aren’t just numbers; they are real people with real stories and real impacts.
What’s next? Well...we will continue to “Stay for the Story” in 2026. That will look like integrating our Good Samaritan partnerships even more with city resources; pursuing funding to expand services; sketching a citywide volunteer platform and a “love your block” toolkit so anyone can act locally with confidence. We’ve identified two new Little Free Library sites (West Bank and Metairie), are broadening Fostering the Families, and exploring a member-written project on living with—and healing from—bipolar disorder. On the soul side, we’re launching even more content for the Curious Krewe Podcast, as well as new groups and events for the in-person folks. We will grow our network and relationships with our Interfaith partners and build spiritual care pathways for folks harmed by church or religion.
If you cooked or carried, donated or drove, asked or listened...thank you. You helped turn ideas into impact and neighbors into community. If you’re new here, we saved you a seat. Around here, the rhythm stays the same: we show up curious, care for the folks in front of us, create connection, and then community, then communion, then we circle back and do it again, all moving at the speed of trust, with great love. If 2025 is any indication of how 2026 will go, you’re going to want to “Stay for the Story” that is unfolding for Just Love - Greater New Orleans.
