SoPA Student Spearheads Hospitality Relief Efforts

When Sarah Manowitz, PA ’22, the general manager of OZ New Orleans on Bourbon Street—the largest LGBTQ+ nightclub and show bar in the Gulf South—was forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she knew her fellow service industry and gig economy workers would need financial help. She quickly spearheaded the creation of an online “virtual tip jar,” allowing regular patrons to make cash contributions directly to their favorite servers, bartenders, and other hospitality workers. As the impact of the stay at home order rippled through the city, creating an unprecedented wave of joblessness, Manowitz and fellow Tulane alumnus Reed Wendorf, LA ’11, began a meal assistance program on April 4, 2020.  

“The meal assistance program is providing over 28,000 meals per week to 900 members of the LGBTQ+, service industry and gig economy communities affected by food insecurity issues as a result of COVID-19 through pickup and delivery six days per week,” said Manowitz. Her experience in these fields include partnering with the Mayor's Neighborhood Engagement Office, New Orleans District C Councilmember Kristen Palmer and At Large Councilmember Jason Rogers Williams, Gate Gourmet Group, SBP, and the Auction House Market. She has also worked with World Central Kitchen, The Barman's Fund, USBG NOLA, Seven Three Distilling, Nola Tree Project, and Betty's Bar and Bistro. Manowitz draws on her Tulane School of Professional Advancement education as she works to help others.

“Two SoPA classes stand out in my mind as being particularly relevant to my current community work,” said Manowitz. “Professor Julie Cressy made a lifelong impact on me when I took Persuasive Public Speaking my first semester at the university. The skills that I obtained in her class have been an invaluable asset in my ability to advocate for others in the media as well as group settings. The second class is New Media and Internet Studies, taught by Professor Michael Griffith. I could never have imagined how relevant his class would be at the beginning of the [spring] semester. Beyond our website, we utilize many forms of new technology such as mass text apps and mapping software to communicate and streamline our delivery systems,” she said.

The Launch of Her Next Project: Legal Volunteer

In addition to her food and income assistance efforts, Manowitz—a commissioned civil notary in Louisiana—is recruiting fellow notaries and attorneys to volunteer as poll commissioners for the state’s fall elections. Many of Louisiana’s poll workers are over 65 and will likely be unable to work the upcoming elections due to health risks. In conjunction with Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, she launched the website Legal Volunteer, an online portal to recruit qualified legal-sector volunteers to act as poll commissioners.

For her many volunteer efforts and her academic merit, Manowitz was selected to receive the 2020 Elmo and Margaret Allen Waltzer Scholarship. Her plans for the future include completing her degree in general legal studies and attending law school. If you're looking to become a future leader and take courses designed to enhance your career, the Tulane School of Professional Advancement provides a rich catalog of programs and resources for professionals. Follow our career development events page for more information.