...from the 9th Ward to rebuild the walls of urban communities throughout the nation.
OUR NEED
Sixteen years ago we returned to New Orleans with a call to “rebuild the walls of the city.” At the time we did not know the literal and physical implications that would illuminate the spiritual fortification. During this time of intense rebuilding with thousands of volunteers coming to aid us in the Ninth Ward, God revealed that He was preparing to send a training ground in the hardest hit neighborhood of the city. He showed me thousands of churches, ministries, and organizations being born from the Ninth Ward and spreading throughout the nation.
​
For sixteen years Compassion Outreach of America (COA) has been meeting the spiritual and physical needs of our local community through church planting, leadership development, and community engagement. We have seen remarkable transformations and we know it's just the tip of the iceberg. There is much more to come...
​
COA is purchasing a facility in the lower 9th Ward to serve as its ministry headquarters and fulfilling the promise of equipping and releasing ministry from the 9th Ward to
rebuild the walls of urban communities throughout the nation.
​
The COA multipurpose facility will continue to be accessible to and of service to the community while also training and preparing the next generation of leader.
​
Partner with by giving to the Partner with us by giving to our Fulfilling The Promise Campaign. Our goal is to raise $100,000 to purchase and renovate the new facility and to increase our ministry's impact in the community.
Take a glance
at the current and future impactful work taking place at our headquarters
by the numbers
Partner with us in fulfilling the promise
by donating to Compassion Outreach of America
Future home to the 1st community kitchen in New Orleans’s Lower 9th Ward
Facility for 2 different churches
to hold services and meetings
Home to 3 of COA’s signature
programs
Office space to 4 local non-profit organizations
Make checks/money orders to:
Compassion Outreach of America
P.O. Box 3097
New Orleans, LA 7017
Give online - Click Below
and select "Quick Give"
Text the Campaign ID:
223211
1(855) 575-7888
to
All online and mobile giving is collected through PCI Security Compliant technologies.
Compassion Outreach of America is a 501(c )3 organization. Your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
OUR IMPACT
Fathers Matter
In August 2020, the Fathers Matter program partnered with Crescent City Family Services (CCFS) to manage the agency's male engagement initiatives and facilitate the 504 Dads Program. This partnership has expanded our reach to more fathers in the Greater New Orleans area.
Fathers Matters also had the honor of being featured in a several media outlets this year:
-
Pictured on the front cover of the Data News Weekly local newspaper
-
Featured on evening news Coronavirus Impact, State of Mind: a WDSU Special Presentation
Fathers Matter will be kicking off a Dad Discussions Cohort in February 2021. Register Today!
.png)
Fresh Start
In the midst of the pandemic, COA launched a new initiative - The Fresh Start Re-entry Program. Fresh Start's mission is to reduce these recidivism rates by providing the most essential services needed during transition: housing, mental health counseling, and employment. Fresh Start program will help returning citizens gain the tools needed to have a successful transition back into society.
Fresh Start has facilitated opportunities for returning citizens to give back by being involved in community outreach initiatives:
​
-
Food Giveaway to over 500 families in New Orleans
-
Christmas Baskets to over 200 returning citizens and elderly residents
In November 2020 Fresh Start partnered with Tulane University's Center for Public Service to host an AmeriCorps VISTA member. This three year grant will help to develop infrastructure and capacity within the Fresh Start Program
Faith Alliance
This year, Hurricanes Laura and Delta hit the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana, leaving the entire city in utter devastation. Hurricane Zeta made its way through New Orleans, Louisiana with winds of over 100 mph and caused great damage to the city. COA collaborated with churches, elected officials and the Southwest Pastors Coalition in Lake Charles, LA to provide a 5-day supply of food to over 1500 families and 15 tons of non-perishable food, hot meals, school supplies, toiletries and home cleaning supplies. COA volunteers also repaired several homes and removed debris for families that had no insurance. In New Orleans, COA partnered with Convoy of Hope and six local ministries to supply hurricane relief supplies and non-perishable items to families in need.
IMPACT TESTIMONIAL
Miss Mary tells her story of coming back to her home in the Upper Ninth Ward, after 10 years of being displaced following Hurricane Katrina and how Compassion Outreach helped make this happen.
OUR MOTIVATION
At age 21 my wife and I both experienced catalytic moments in our lives. These experiences inform who we are and the move of God that we have been called to be a part of in the Ninth Ward. I found myself in jail facing a second-degree murder charge with a $1 million bond, which began my spiritual awakening and transformation. My wife became the first in her family to graduate from college. Our stories are not unique; they are two of many testaments of the reformative and transformative power of faith and education.
Sherdren and I are committed to seeing people reconciled to God and communities holistically restored. July 2005, our family returned to New Orleans in response to what I termed the “Nehemiah Call.” After six years in Oakland, CA. God called our family back to New Orleans to rebuild the walls of the city one month prior to hurricane Katrina’s devastating landfall. We then understood that the call to rebuild was physical and spiritual.
In addition to being an important part of the recovery efforts in New Orleans, God continues to use our ministry to meet many of physical needs of the Ninth Ward and areas far beyond the city. Compassion Outreach of America provides work experience, after school programs and summer enrichment camps for students, paints and restores homes, and leads one of the most effective anti-violence initiatives in the city, the Stop Killing People Project. Through service to our community, we have gained trust and credibility in our neighborhood with residents, schools, businesses, and law enforcement. We believe that the transformations we have seen are just the tip of the iceberg. Partner with us to continue the great work that has been started in the Ninth Ward.
​
Blessings,
Robert Burnside
Co-Founder