A 'crazy' idea from 70-year-old Betsy Smith amidst the lack of an automated federal response sparked the effort: "Rather than just donate money....donate $120 to pay an unemployed person $15 an hour for an 8-hour day's work helping with the cleanup effort."

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Citing concerns that if homeowners don't "get this wet stuff out of their homes in the next few days, the entire home will be contaminated," leaders of Together Baton Rouge organized "Gut Check Saturday" pairing groups of volunteers to residents needing assistance.

160 TBR leaders turned out Saturday to help their neighbors.

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At Governor Bel Edward's request, Together Baton Rouge will lead a discussion on police tactics and race relations, a conversation the Times-Picayune editorial board says "is important to have." Towards that end, the governor arranged a meeting between the organization and the Department of Justice Community Relations Service, which will convene public meetings to get input on what needs to change.

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Together Baton Rouge says there are "two versions of 'community policing.' One of them is a powerful tool for change. The other is an exercise in public relations. Over the next few months, we'll have to draw some hard distinctions to bring about the real thing, and not the PR version." Read more

In a press conference covered by the New York Times, National Public Radio and the Wall Street Journal, Together Baton Rouge leaders repudiated recent violence and called for careful and intentional dialogue about community divisions and policing. "We condemn violence of any kind..." said Lee Wesley, the pastor of Community Bible Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. During the press conference, leaders stood behind the lectern wearing "Together Baton Rouge" buttons and hoisting signs saying "We refuse to be divided."

TBR will soon hold meetings about community policing to address "how we employ people in our law enforcement agencies, how we vet them" and more. Together Baton Rouge also plans to address this issue with all mayoral candidates running this fall.

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In the wake of the fatal shooting of 3 police officers in Baton Rouge, leaders of Together Baton Rouge continued their call for law enforcement and economic reforms, in addition to calling for unity. Said Retired Lt. General Russel L. Honoré during an interview with MSNBC, "We need to focus on what unites us not divides us." The former Commander of the Joint Task Force Katrina reminded viewers that Baton Rouge police officers earn less than a living wage ($31 thousand per year) stating, "We need to take care of our police." Honoré also pointed out that community policing efforts must not be abandoned.

On the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Together Baton Rouge's community gathering was described as giving "a sense of hope and openness" as leaders listened to each other (regardless of race and age) in a mutually professed desire to move the city forward.

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Over 300 leaders of Together Baton Rouge called for both law enforcement and economic reforms at a luncheon meeting held at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church. The call to action occurred after breakout sessions in which leaders substantively listened to each other. Said Rev. Lee Wesley, "It is not our goal to return to where we were before Alton Sterling was shot. It is not our goal to get back to business as usual. It is our goal to move forward."

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Shortly after leaders of Together Baton Rouge called on the Justice Department to widen the scope of its investigation into the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, saying it should include possible state criminal violations, a spokesman for Gov. John Bel Edwards responded, saying that the U.S. attorney's office will not only investigate whether civil rights were violated, but also potential state and federal violations. "If the U.S. attorney's office finds any violation of state laws and believes the officers should be charged with battery, assault or murder, it will refer that back to the local district attorney for prosecution."

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When the Mayor of St. Joseph held up at least $250,000 in state funds available for local water system repairs, Together Louisiana leaders took their fight to the state Capitol, bottles of brown water in hand. In testimony to the House Natural Resources and Environmental Quality Committee, Pastor Samuel Johnson of Guilefield Baptist told legislators that parishioners are losing their hair and suffering from skin irritation. Others detailed that the mayor countered calls for water system repairs with the assertion that residents "can drink bottled water."

Though the state has allocated $7 Million for clean water, local mayors have the power to block such initiatives. The committee chair, impacted by Together Louisiana testimony, talked of issuing a subpoena if the Mayor does not respond to calls to appear before the committee. Governor Bel Edwards has committed to work with Together Louisiana leaders to resolve this issue. Leaders are calling for the appointment of an administrator that would use the $250,000 emergency fund to replace the most egregious pipe, passage of HB83 to recognize secondary water quality standards of the EPA, and increased prioritization of the $7 Million state fund appropriation so that the town's pipes and filtration system can be replaced, and release of those funds once an administrator has been appointed.

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In collaboration with the Baton Rouge Catholic Diocese, Jesuit Social Research Institute and Catholic Charities, Together Baton Rouge kicked off a 4-part series on the 'Joy of the Gospel' by Pope Francis. With over 70 participants in attendance, representing 25 different parishes, Fr. Fred Kammer (Executive Director of the Jesuit Social Research Institute) taught the first section on the "Joy of the Good News." This is part of a larger strategy to broaden the institutional base of the organization.