Message from the Founder, President & C.E.O.:

 

“If we want clean and safe neighborhoods, it is up to each one of us to take responsibility for making sure it happens.  Don’t just complain about it, do something to change it.  Be a blessing to your neighbors and your neighborhood.”

 

Elaine Keller Johnson, a Xavier University Alum, is the founder of the organization and serves as its President and C.E.O.  She decided to start the not-for-profit organization after years of community involvement in the Lakewood East Subdivision in New Orleans East. After Hurricane Katrina, Elaine Keller Johnson saw a variety of needs in her subdivision and decided to do something about it.  She readily identified some residents of the community who wanted to make a difference in the subdivision.

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The first project that she identified after Hurricane Katrina was the need to repair the subdivision’s serpentine brick fence that helped define the subdivision while providing limited security for the homeowners.  This project, if successful, would be a highly visible symbol of what can be accomplished when residents come together to address a common need. Elaine Keller Johnson spearheaded the project and played a major role in galvanizing the residents to contribute to the project.  She did not stop there.  She applied for grants that resulted in more than $16,000 for the project.  This outside support stipulated more residents to give for the first time and some residents to contribute a second time.  The project raised over $20,000 that was used to completely repair the serpentine brick fence. Elaine Keller Johnson organized some residents to clean-up debris around the fence and requested disposal services to rid debris from the serpentine brick fence project. She did not stop there.  She spearheaded another fundraising effort that resulted in $1,000.00 to replace the “Lakewood East” name on the subdivision’s main entrance sign.

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Elaine Keller Johnson was instrumental in the formation of the nonprofit status for the homeowner’s association of Lakewood East subdivision. She was a major advocate for the formation of Lakewood East Security and Neighborhood Improvement District and assisted in galvanizing homeowners to support formation of the taxing district.  Elaine Keller Johnson assisted in setting up Lakewood East subdivision on Neighborhood Partnership Network website. She ordered “Recycle” containers for the subdivision to encourage neighbors to participate in the disposal of plastics and cans to address environment concerns. She supports annually the subdivision’s “Night Out Against Crime”.

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Elaine Keller Johnson recognized many adults, especially the elderly, throughout the greater New Orleans area and surrounding parishes face two major obstacles to getting the resources and services they need to become self-sufficient or merely improve their quality of life.  One obstacle is computer literacy and the other is interpretation of technical documents.  Elaine has assisted veterans to complete and file applications to receive home improvement grants and monetary benefits. She has completed documents for respite care and delivery of meals with Council on Aging for senior citizens.

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After she continued receiving calls for assistance, Elaine realized that her purpose in life was to assist others in need and decided to form a not-for -profit organization to help others improve their quality of life.  To carry-out her new-found purpose in life, she founded Echoing Kindness, Inc. in 2014.