For many years, Paula Arceneaux has been a community leader through her church - St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church, a member of PICO affiliate MICAH Project in New Orleans.   Early in her involvement in PICO, she was active in an effort to reduce crime rates in the city.

"Crime was very high in New Orleans. Through being involved in PICO, we were able to hold our elected officials accountable to build strategies to make policing more effective," reflects Paula.  "We instituted community policing in New Orleans - where officers could actually develop relationships with the people in the neighborhood. We also dealt a lot with the blighted housing that was leading to crime."

Through her involvement in addressing local issues, Paula began seeing a bigger picture and became more involved in PICO's state and national efforts.

"The PICO network helps us research issues on a state and federal level that influence what's happening locally.  Without the state and national efforts, our growth and the respect we get locally would be limited," says Paula.  "I like to say ‘Think locally and unite nationally.'  What we've learned is that issues happening at home are connected to what's happening at the state and federal level."

Reflecting about what motivates her in this work, Paula has no doubt: relationships.

"I think what motivates me - and the larger PICO network - are the relationships between people. That's key. Without the relationship, we cannot grow.  We cannot run from a problem, we have to work together, and learn from each other."

In the weeks and months immediately after Hurricane Katrina, the power of these relationships helped Paula and other PICO leaders rebuild the city.

"After Katrina, people from PICO poured into our state to help out and the network helped us come to Washington, DC two weeks after the hurricane.  The power of the PICO network helped us get the funds we needed to rebuild New Orleans. It was very powerful."

"I've become...let me see...a more tenacious person in terms of not giving up, of continuing to fight and learning that if we wait for somebody else to do it, it will never happen," says Paula.

"Faith without action is dead."