The New Orleans Healing Center Grand Opening is this Sunday, the day before the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. It should be an amazing time featuring live music, an art show, panel discussions on art, spirituality and health, and more. Since my physical body will be in rural West Virginia I thought I would take some time to chat with one of the main organizers of the center, Sallie Anne Glassman about its origins, what it means and where it is going.
What is the origin of the healing center?
After Katrina, a group of concerned citizens came together and formed a salon group to explore ways we could contribute to the rebuilding of New Orleans. We knew that we had to reach into ourselves and find our greatness.
We have worked on three projects: a cultural video policy project to address why N.O. culture is irreplaceable and invaluable (at the time there was a dialogue in the country about New Orleans not being worth rebuilding) , a committee to advise City Council on a sustainable energy , and The New Orleans Healing Center. I had wanted to create a healing center for a long time and proposed the idea to the Salon group. They agreed and I remember Pres saying, ”It’s going to be a LOT of work.” How right he was!
How does the Healing center of now differ from the original concept? Are there any surprises, things that you never expected to happen that have?
My original idea for the healing center included complementary and alternative healing practitioners, a yoga studio, a “Street University” and an organic restaurant and café. It has grown considerably to include some 20 “silos”, or businesses and organizations, and is housed in the massive, 55,000 s/f former Universal Furniture bldg. Our mission has stayed the same and we remain organized around the principles of sustainability; the vision has grown and matured. There are surprises every day and the learning curve has been immense. We continue to grow and adapt. A major and well-earned surprise: we were funded and are about to actually open, after 5-1/2 long years of work. I am constantly thrilled that people are willing to heal and willing to help. Our major missions are extremely challenging and yet the healing is happening! We are immensely grateful to the community and to all the volunteers, who have given and continue to give of themselves to make this beautiful and powerful vision a reality.
Also never expected to hold a huge Halloween Festival in the middle of a police precinct. But that’s another story….
Healing can be a broad term, what did you have to do to define it?
A lot of people had a lot of trouble with the term: “healing.” To heal means to make whole and balanced. We’re not there yet, so the verb is in the active tense: we’re in the process of healing… We understand healing in a holistic and synergistic sense. Healing has to happen on all levels of sustainability at once: physical/mental, social, cultural, environmental, economic, spiritual…
What are some long term goals you would like to see for the center, things that didn't have the time to gel or new ideas that still need to be implemented?
We’ve been trying to get a WIC program and childcare for the Center. We’d like to see the City develop the St Roch Market across the street. We’d like to see the Street Car come down St Claude to Poland Ave. We’d like to see NORA fix up blighted houses in the neighborhoods. We’d like to see the St Claude corridor light up with activity and vibrancy. We’d like to see the Lakeside of St Claude and the Riverside of St Claude become one united community. We’re very idealistic! Yet we’re seeing the healing happening already: there are so many new businesses on St Claude and people from all walks of life (and both sides of the street) are coming into the Healing Center and are working together for the common good. It’s wonderful to hear laughter in the building and see activity and life in those formerly dank, dark rooms.
We hope everyone will come to the Grand Opening, celebrate and participate with The New Orleans Healing Center.
Check out the Healing Center's website, Facebook and Twitter.
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Oh, and congrats and a shout out to Jeff & Devon over at EVR radio, I just listened to their Dead fueled wedding party while I was getting this post together. Bummer I was on a beer run when they got hitched. I don't know Devon but I've known Jeff for a long time, he's a true supporter of weird, cool, strange music. His this, that and 110% entertaining twitter is here - http://twitter.com/#!/avantghettonyc
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