THIS is wonderful. Check out CraigsList New Orleans.

[im10ashus]

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/hhh/

People are offering places to stay for free. This is becoming another grass-roots movement. Who the hell needs our government when the people come together like this. It's so heartwarming to read.

Bless all their hearts.

[Jacobin]

1. This is extremely practical and important

Please everyone, keep this kicked.

It is obvious that the government is now simply irrelevent. This site will help people find a place to live until things can be figured out.

Nominated

[im10ashus]

3. We need to get these people the hell out of there.

I have such a renewed faith in the generosity of people.

[yodermon]

30. you are right about the government, BUT:

we cannot let it pass. The government is irrelevant because the neocons have rendered it irrelevant, on purpose. This is part and parcel of their plan. FEMA was de-funded on purpose, and this is the result.

You are witnessing the drowning of the government in the bathtub, per Grover Norquist. It is to be taken over by private enterprise.

[Booster]

2. A kick for the good people, and a kick in the ass to our government.

[im10ashus]

4. I think this should be FRONT page on every newspaper.

People are displaced and there is a LOT of people willing to help them. I wish I had space in my tiny NYC apartment.

[halobeam]

5. They should make a section like "adopt a guest" or something

to that nature. Paying traveling expenses for the "adopted" to get them to your house. Wonder if that would help.

[im10ashus]

9. That's a good idea. n/t

[cyberpj]

6. So is Moveon org - I just got an email. nt.

[im10ashus]

36. I just got that too.

CNN has a story on the fact that people are donating their extra rooms and they mention this NEEDS media coverage to get the word out.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/01/Katrina.SpareRooms.ap/index.html

Every night since Hurricane Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast, Fredia Rainey has been glued to the tragic TV reports on the rising death toll and the thousands of people left homeless by the storm.

Finally, the worsening situation gave her an idea of how to help. The least she could do, she figured, is make available a spare bedroom in her west Georgia home.

"I have space and people need help. That's just it," said Rainey, who is offering the bedroom for $1. "I can't just keep crying when I can reach out and help people." (See the video of thousands stranded on the New Orleans riverfront -- 2:54)

Across the nation, people like Rainey are offering up their homes as temporary shelters to the storm's refugees. On the Web site craigslist.org, hundreds of people -- some from as far as Oregon and New Hampshire -- are eagerly offering free or extremely cheap room and board for victims, even knowing those strangers may stay for months.

cont'd.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/01/Katrina.SpareRooms.ap/index.html

[scarlett1]

50. from the moveon e-mail

This morning, we've launched an emergency national housing drive to connect your empty beds with hurricane victims who desperately need a place to wait out the storm. You can post your offer of housing (a spare room, extra bed, even a decent couch) and search for available housing online at:

http://www.hurricanehousing.org

Housing is most urgently needed within reasonable driving distance (about 300 miles) of the affected areas in the Southeast, especially New Orleans.

[Beaverhausen]

7. Oh my god. that is amazing

:loveya:

[Bouncy Ball]

8. People don't have helicopters, though.

People don't have amphibious aircraft. As wonderful as that is (and it IS), the government is irresponsible and immoral when they let its citizens just flap in the wind like this.

[girl gone mad]

10. Nominated. n/t

[im10ashus]

37. Thanks. n/t

:hi:

[bribri16]

11. How do we post on the list. We will be in Houston on Sat. and want

to pick up a family of four who needs transportation to anywhere in the east coast.

[im10ashus]

12. Go to the list and click "post" on the upper right hand side.

That's wonderful you are doing this.

:hug:

:patriot:

[gorekerrydreamticket]

13. This is great however...

these people need transportation, clothes, money, jobs, all sorts of things to really get their lives going again.

[Beaverhausen]

16. Craigslist is huge...there are a lot of categories of people offering help

http://neworleans.craigslist.org/act/

[im10ashus]

18. Well, this is a great start in that direction.

We can't just wait for our government to do something. Apparently they are too scared.

By the way, welcome do DU!

:hi:

Hope you can stay with us.

[RandomKoolzip]

20. Yeah, plus....

Who the hell has internet access in New Orleans right now? There's no power, dial-up is gone, etc.

[im10ashus]

21. Blackberry's, cell phones.

Word-of-mouth. Let's not be so damned negative ALL the time.

[im10ashus]

28. Don't forget.

Over 300,000 left BEFORE the hurricane hit and they now won't have anywhere to go when they run out of money for hotels and the such. Focus on the good, not the bad. Thank you.

[Pacifist Patriot]

33. This is bigger than inside New Orleans right now.

There are hundreds of thousands of refugees throughout the south who cannot return home. Let's not forget about them. Not everyone who escaped has means and a family support network.

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jacobin]

25. craigs list is totally cool

You can believe it

[faithfulcitizen]

26. yeah, but isn't the term "queer" derogatory? nt

[im10ashus]

27. Not from one queer to another.

I am queer. Does that make me derogatory to myself? Please let's not turn this thread into that, please. Let's focus on the original intent. Getting a place for these people to stay.

[Autonomy]

14. Holy crap! I was expecting to see a few dozen helpful posts...

I got tired of clicking 'Next 100' after about 10 screens!

Good to see craigslist on the job again. I loved that site in the 90s when it was just in the Bay Area.

[mzmolly]

15. Thanks for the bit of good news.

Much needed.

[Used and Abused]

17. how will they see the ads?

I'm guessing most of the homeless do not have internet access.

[im10ashus]

19. When they get to locations like Houston they will have access.

You'd be surprised how resourceful they will be. Word of mouth is a good start. People have blackberry's which have internet access. Cell phones are all equipped to browse the internet. Craig's List is HUGELY popular.

[Beaverhausen]

23. Relief agencies chould check this and send people in shelters...

to the homes offered?

[Pacifist Patriot]

34. No, but there are volunteers working shelters who are

monitoring the internet for information and using it to coordinate donations and other relief efforts.

[im10ashus]

35. Another good point.

We are seeing the generosity of strangers. It's a relief to know people are this kind.

[sandnsea]

22. That's what they want, government NOT necessary

Private enterprise, churches and the people can handle it all. We don't need no stinking government. This is exactly why the FEMA response is so bad, they're trying to prove their Republican politics will work and government isn't necessary.

[ReadTomPaine]

48. This is true. We pay taxes for a reason...

and shouldn't have to replace the government's proper role in these responses. While I applaud and encourage the heroic efforts of those nearby helping out, let's not absolve the many criminally negligent govt. entities responsible for this deadly chaos in the first place.

As I mentioned elsewhere - welcome to the brave new world of disaster relief, trickle down, profit center style.

[kma3346]

29. This is great!

It's so nice to see some good news for a change. How will people find out about this though when they have no homes or electricity--let alone Internet access?

This is where the newscasters who are already there could do some real good. They should be contacted and encouraged to organize some locations in the heart of the devastation, where people can learn about these places to stay so that they can take advantage of this wonderful and generous outpouring of kindness. Here are some email addresses to send messages to, encouraging them to get involved with helping people find housing via CraigsList:

MSNBC (you can cut and paste all of these and put them in the TO: portion of your message):

[e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]

CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form1.html?39

FOX (I know, but it's worth a try...)

[e-mail]

Maybe if we innundate them with messages, they'll help--or at least cover it on the news.

[im10ashus]

31. I've already done that to most of the majors.

Welcome to DU!

:hi:

Hope you stay with us!

[kma3346]

32. Thanks!

Thanks for the welcome! I'm a long-time lurker, but just started posting recently. I can guarantee I'll be here for a LONG time. It's the only thing keeping me sane these days!

[Im_Your_Huckleberry]

38. i wept as i scrolled.

[AZBlue]

39. WOW

That is amazing - once again we see the citizens of this great country outshine the "leaders" at the White House.

[lildreamer316]

40. Just posted mine. n/t

[ProdigalJunkMail]

41. thanks for making me cry at work...

it is wonderful to know that some people in the world still have charity in their hearts...

subjectProdigal

[iNViSiGOD]

42. I just hope.......

that nobody gets taken advantage of in light of the kindness being offered by our fellow americans. It would be terrible and severely demoralizing to read about someone who offered shelter to Katrina victims was shot, robbed or raped.

[ScreamingMeemie]

43. This one made me sob...

:cry:

Looking for Sheila Dixon

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: [e-mail]
Date: 2005-09-01, 3:41PM CDT


Trying to reach Sheila Dixon to let her know I would like for her to come to Arizona with the baby and stay with me while she recovers from her loss. Sheila, please call me at 480-242-4077.

[im10ashus]

45. I know.

That one got me too. This is all so horrible to witness. But I love the offers coming from complete strangers.

:hug:

[MojoXN]

44. I encourage everyone that is able to open your home if need be.

Just imagine if YOU were one of the homeless thousands, with no place to go. Tell me you wouldn't want some stranger to offer you a place to stay, if only for a few days. It's a minor inconvenience for you that would mean a world of difference for them.

MojoXN

[President Kerry]

46. MSM, report on this!!!!!!

People in this country have great hearts.. God bless America

[progressivebydesign]

47. Wow..there are hundreds of offers from all over.

We DO live in a great country. I don't have room for anyone, but plan to correspond with some of the local offerers to see if they could use some things for whomever they host.

[Cats Against Frist]

49. I'm scared, but I'm doing it

I'm a very private person, and paranoid, to boot, but I have a three-bedroom house, in which no one is living, upstairs -- while I was waiting to refinish the hardwood floors. I figure if I have time to give a fuck about hardwood floors, I can move some people in there, temporarily.

Question, though -- being as paranoid as I am, is there any way that a normal person can run a criminal background check on someone? Not to be stingy -- I don't have any other criteria, except for number of people, but I have a young son, and I'm a little worried about that.

[im10ashus]

51. That's a beautiful thing.

I am not sure about running a background check on someone though.

[Talismom]

52. Yes, bless them all. But we pay taxes for exactly this and I want to

see these criminally negligent S.O.Bs tarred and feathered!