The Walls Project is proud to be a founding member and strategic partner of the OneRouge Coalitions. As a community action movement, OneRouge unites thousands of people representing over 400 organizations for the purpose of directing positive, systemic change in Louisiana's capital city. That change is much needed by Baton Rouge ALICE residents and persons who live in poverty.
OneRouge is committed to disrupting drivers or conditions of poverty in order to build pathways of opportunity for everyone. The Walls Project has been an active participant in this effort since its inception.
OneRouge's approach to community change follows the Collective Impact 3.0 framework, which encourages shared community aspiration, strategic learning, high-leverage activities, and inclusive and authentic community engagement. The organization has identified nine specific drivers of poverty in the region and has launched individual coalitions focused on three of them: access to fresh and healthy food through the Capital Area Food Equity Coalition (CAFÉ), quality education through the Education Coalition, and safe and reliable transportation and mobility through the Transportation and Mobility Coalition.
The remaining five coalitions will be prioritized through community input and will address issues such as fair pay for women, high teen birth rates, and growing numbers of neighborhoods in poverty.
OneRouge Coalitions Highlights:
150+ Weekly Zoom Community Calls held to connect 400+ organizations with 9 Drivers of Poverty topic experts
Over 400 topic experts connected with EBR programs through OneRouge Calls
$450,000 of funding brought to EBR programs through a partnership with American Heart Association
2 Coalitions launched (CAFÉ and Education to Career), and 2 incubating (Transportation & Mobility and Housing).
The Walls Project's role in One Rouge Coalitions is primarily focused on the placemaking and community-based events. By partnering with other organizations and community members, The Walls Project helps to mobilize residents and form catalytic partnerships that promote community engagement and empowerment.
Additionally, through our Mural Arts program, we have contributed to OneRouge's goal of re-activating community assets by creating vibrant public art that strengthens the community's economic and social capital.
We are excited to continue working with OneRouge Coalitions to build pathways of opportunity for everyone in our community. By supporting OneRouge, donors can indirectly affect thousands, if not tens of thousands, of persons within the ALICE population, as OneRouge efforts-to-date have engaged 400+ organizations in South Louisiana. Together, we can make a positive impact and bring systemic change to Baton Rouge.