One year later, we remember what matters most.
It has been a year since the January 1 attack on Bourbon Street, an act of violence that shook our city and left families carrying pain that cannot be measured. And as we mark this anniversary, we do so at a moment when communities across the world are still reeling from similar mass casualty events. Each tragedy pains us with reminders of that heartbreaking day and the lives lost. We will remember and honor their names forever.
You know, New Orleans has always been a place where people take care of people. When something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us. And in the earliest hours of that New Year’s Day, before the headlines, before the cameras, our community did what it has always done. We wrapped around the families who were hurting. We offered comfort where there was shock, clarity where there was confusion, and support where there was sudden and overwhelming need.
At United Way of Southeast Louisiana, we believe deeply that where there’s a need, there’s always a United Way. It’s not merely a slogan. It’s who we are. When our city is shaken, whether by violence, disaster, or hardship, we show up. We respond at the speed of need, not because it’s easy, but because people depend on us. And because every family deserves to know that they’re not alone.
In the days following the attack, the people we met weren’t statistics or cases. They were neighbors trying to make sense of the unimaginable. They were hospitality workers suddenly without wages. They were families making impossible decisions. And each conversation reminded us why this work matters. In moments of crisis, the greatest gift we can offer one another is presence.
That’s the heart of this anniversary. It’s less about the process and more about the promise: We show up for each other, no matter what.
Over the last year, our United for New Orleans Relief Fund efforts have continued to evolve with that same commitment. We’ve partnered with organizations that share our belief in dignity and care. We’ve been transparent about our decisions because trust is the foundation of community. And we’ve kept listening to the people most affected, because they should always be the ones guiding the support they receive.
This anniversary is not about our actions. Today is about honoring the resilience of every person who has had to rebuild after tragedy. It’s about standing with communities navigating their own heartbreak. And it’s about recommitting ourselves to a simple and powerful truth: When one of us hurts, all of us show up.
New Orleans understands this better than most. We’ve lived it through storms, violence, loss, and uncertainty. And we will keep living it through compassion, connection, and a shared determination to take care of our own.
As we remember the lives forever changed one year ago, let us also remember what this city teaches us again and again.
We are strongest when we stand together. And we will always rise by lifting one another.
United is the Way.
Michelle Clarke Payne
Chief Strategy & Resiliency Officer