An Urban Nonprofit
Greetings and welcome to our blog! Here you will find information about each branch of our organization, upcoming events, thought-provoking entries, and zest for life! Allow us to introduce ourselves:
Each of us has lived in New Orleans for 10 or more years, enjoying and surviving all facets of the city. Our founder, Rev. Teresa Reiger, has been a pastor in New Orleans for many years and founded nonprofit Elan Ministries in 2003. Rev. Larry Swift joined as a relief volunteer in 2006 and now serves as the Executive Director of HisHands2Go. In 2007 Suzanne Duvall and Kayla Wilson likewise came as relief volunteers; all three chose to permanently relocate and make New Orleans home. Kayla is now the Director of Garden on Marais, and Suzanne serves as Hospitality Coordinator of HisHands2Go. Together these four form the core unit of Elan Ministries. Elan is a french word meaning "zest and zeal for life", accurately describing the efforts of the ministry to instill hope and wellbeing in the urban community. Each of our staff members is dedicated to this vision, and works hard to bring elan to our surrounding urban community.
New Orleans is our home, our playground, and our workplace. Whether this city is inspiring, humoring, frustrating, or saddening, there is never a dull moment within her borders! Her history and culture are rich, worthy of an afternoon perusing a museum. The urban culture is welcoming and, most of the time, will offer tangible southern hospitality. The food and entertainment are world renowned and accessible to most folks. Festivals almost every weekend create the feeling that, though you live here, you are on vacation whenever you join in the fun. She is a unique specimen of a city, full of quirks that draw you in and help you easily look past her faults. We love New Orleans and look forward to sharing our thoughts and experiences with you from our vantage point within the heart of this urban community.
Stay tuned!
The Elan Team
