New Orleans Nonprofit · Est. 2017

Together we can.

From the hardest moment to a hopeful road forward — we walk alongside youth, adults and families changing the course of their lives.

Change your thoughts, change your course

Become a Mentor Our Programs
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Seven ways we walk alongside our community

Youth MentoringReentry SupportMental HealthAddiction RecoveryCrime PreventionHolistic ServicesHIV / AIDS Education
2017
Founded in New Orleans
0
Core Programs
1
Shared Mission
∞
Second Chances
Who We Are

Welcome to On The Right Path

A New Orleans nonprofit geared toward mentoring youth and working alongside their families.

We help people — particularly youth and adults affected by the criminal justice system, whether facing adjudication or reentering society after incarceration — change their lives in a positive, lasting way.

Our hope is simple: change that results in positive outcomes for the individual, their family, and ultimately the communities we all share. We take our convictions and turn them into action.

AM
Artemus McFarlandFounder · On The Right Path, 2017
On The Right Path Change your thoughts, change your course
A beacon for New Orleans
The Journey

The path to lasting change

Every person we serve moves along the same road — from a hard place to a hopeful future. Here's how we walk it together.

Reach
Mentor
Equip
Restore
Thrive
1 Reach — meet people in crisis 2 Mentor — pair with a guide 3 Equip — life & job skills 4 Restore — heal & recover 5 Thrive — a productive life
What We Do

Programs that meet people where they are

Seven core programs working together to build life skills, restore dignity, and open the door to a productive future.

Youth mentoring

Youth Mentoring

A structured relationship between a young person and a caring adult or older peer — a role model who supports them academically, socially and personally.

Guidance & Role Models →
Social skills development

Social Skills Development

Training in healthy interpersonal interaction — reducing aggression and conflict so individuals, and the wider community, all benefit.

Conflict & Connection →
Holistic services and job training

Holistic Services

Educational enhancement, life skills and job training — equipping people to provide for themselves and their families as contributing members of society.

Education & Work →
Substance abuse support

Substance Abuse Support

Education and intervention for those overcoming substance abuse — a culturally sensitive approach that treats the whole person, not just the habit.

Recovery & Healing →
HIV / AIDS education and referral

HIV / AIDS Education

Trusted information and referral — a resource bank of local and national treatment options so people can make the best-informed decisions for their health.

Awareness & Referral →
Crime and violence prevention

Crime & Violence Prevention

Trauma intervention and de-escalation skills that help people settle conflict before it escalates — curbing the cycle of violence.

Trauma & Safety →
Mental health services

Mental Health

Therapeutic services and intervention for people facing mental health needs and co-occurring challenges — meeting each person with care and dignity.

Care & Wellbeing →

There's a place for you

Volunteer, partner, or refer someone who needs support.

Join Us
How It Holds Together

Seven pillars of support

No single program changes a life on its own. Each one reinforces the next — mentoring opens the door, skills build the future, recovery and care keep it standing. Together they hold a person up.

Every pillar is active and open to the community today.

Pillars of support · always on
Youth Mentoring
Social Skills
Holistic Services
Substance Abuse
HIV / AIDS Ed.
Crime Prevention
Mental Health
We Need You

Become a mentor.
Change a life.

Our work runs on people who show up. A mentor is simply a steady, caring adult who walks beside a young person or returning citizen — listening, encouraging, and helping them believe a different future is possible. You don't need to be perfect. You just need to be present.

  • A few hours a month makes a lasting difference
  • Full guidance and support from our team — no experience required
  • Be the role model you wish you'd had
Sign Up to Mentor Ask a Question

What a mentor does

Simple, human, life-changing.

Listen & encourageBe a consistent, trusted voice
Share what you knowSchool, work, life — pass it on
Show up consistentlyPresence is the whole gift
Our Story

Built on conviction, driven by community

/ 01 — TEAM

Our Team

An amazing team of regulars and part-time volunteers committed to helping others — turning conviction into action, every single day.

01
/ 02 — HISTORY

Our History

Founded in 2017 by Artemus McFarland, born from a desire to help youth and adults affected by the justice system find a way forward.

02
/ 03 — MISSION

Our Mission

To help individuals and families change their lives in a positive way — enabling a more productive life, free from criminal activity.

03
Rooted in the City

Proudly part of New Orleans

From the Central City stoops to the streetcar line, we're woven into the fabric of NOLA — serving our neighbors block by block.

Why It Matters

Don't give up. You are not alone. You matter.

Every person who walks through our doors carries a story worth changing. With mentoring, support and a community that believes in second chances, a new course is always possible.

Stand With Us
DignityAccountabilitySecond ChancesCommunity
Give NOLA Day

One day. One city. One big push.

Give NOLA Day is the Greater New Orleans Foundation's annual 24-hour online giving event — when the whole community rallies behind local nonprofits. Every gift, large or small, lifts someone on their path forward.

Give where you live. Want a reminder when our campaign goes live?

Pledge Your Support About Give NOLA Day
Get Involved

Let's bring our passions together

A nonprofit is as strong as the community that holds it up. Reach out to mentor, volunteer, fundraise, or refer someone who needs support.

Visit Us

2220 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70113

(Located in Dryades YMCA)

Hours

Monday – Friday · 9:00am – 5:00pm

Get involved!

Tell us how you'd like to help — mentoring, volunteering, or partnering.

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