And On Day 8, I Donate: Remembering the Survivors of Katrina

[Plaid Adder]

I'm under the weather today, so instead of writing up another organization, I decided to go through and donate to some of the ones I've already written about. I have a certain amount of cash dedicated for this purpose each week, and today it went to:

Common Ground Collective (Day 1)
Hope Shall Bloom UCC Recovery Fund (Day 5)
Back Bay Mission (also Day 5)

I encourage all y'all who are working or giving to post about what y'all have done lately, so as to keep the thread afloat and inspire others.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[catmandu57]

1. I made a contribution

to habitat via randi rhodes last week.

[annabanana]

2. Chicken Soup, PA,... and get

some sleep!

[intheflow]

3. Back Bay Mission rocks!

No one is more deserving of your contribution, PA. Although, as we've discussed, many orgs are equally deserving.

Feel better, Friend! :hug:

[egadsbrain]

4. One for the critters...

and feel better plaid adder!

http://www.animalrescueneworleans.com/


:dem:

[intheflow]

5. So here's what I've been doing in Mississippi:

I came down on my own, found lodging with a church group first. Started working with an interfaith task force that's organizing the 3 counties on the Mississippi Coast to figure out how to build low-income/affordable rental properties and homes before the sharks swoop in, buy it up, and over develop the hell out it, displacing poor and working-class people. I mostly plan conferences for them and coordinate advocacy and outreach between churches and secular organizations working on issues in addition to affordable housing, such as child welfare, health and mental health, and immigration rights.

Then I hooked up with another group, Hands On Network, which is doing home repairs in Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, and setting up a new location in New Orleans now. They specialize in mold removal, smashing interiors, putting up sheet rocking, and roofing. They also do some community outreach like tutoring in the public schools, hanging with kids and youth at the Boys and Girls Club, walking dogs for the Humane Society and clearing paths on nature trails. The church group was very nice, but they were way to Christian for me. (I'm a Unitarian Universalist minister, more spiritually- than religiously-motivated). So I moved in with Hands On, which is kind of like a Grateful Dead community without the hard drugs. I fit in much better here! LOL! So I do some office work for them, and handle the crazy homeless people that sometimes wander in off the street. (Don't know how I got that honor, just lucky, I guess!) I'm also their staff photographer & sometimes go walk the big dogs at the Humane Society.

So now I work with both groups, three days a week each. I'm trying to get a program organized to bring social work masters students down to the Coast for a year at a time--a combo advanced field ed/exchange program (akin to studying abroad for a year but the third world country you'd be visiting is in the US) t do some case work management. I'm also trying to orgnize seminary students to come down for 10 weeks during the summer to do pastoral outreach. If successful, both could be an ongoing programs for 10 years out, and also establish models that could be used in other areas (like NOLA) and with other advanced degree programs (law, nursing, and disaster management, for example).

[Kurovski]

8. Wow.

You must have a hell of a lot of energy, and you sure know how to put it to good use!

Absolutely beautiful.

[Kurovski]

6. K&R. I gave to Christus Victor, and have some more to give,

I've been waiting to see what else you've got for us. :-)

Not to sound biased, but I'm wondering if there is a gay organisation you'll be telling us about?

Feel better soon! :loveya:

[IndyOp]

7. I donated enough to send a college student to work on a Habitat House

for 4 days during Spring Break through John Edwards' One America & Opportunity Rocks

< http://www.opportunityrocks.org/ >

I figure it is a good bang for the buck: A friend I don't know yet gets a house, Habitat gets free labor, and a college student gets a chance to demonstrate that they care -- and will be more likely to help in future.

[mopinko]

9. i'm still looking for a 501 to donate instruments.

i am in the middle of the primary fight in the illinois 6th, so this is simmering on the back burner, but i have collected several horns, and some other stuff. they are not the most marvelous, and i still need to take care of some repairs. but some are decent, and i have things like oil, reeds, etc. i talked to someone at the chicago musicians union, and they are in contact with the nola local. they are ready to store and distribute. chicago folks have some stuff to send, but are trying to figure out how to get a truck or train car.
i could mooch some instruments, and probably some transport, but i need to be able to give people tax exempt receipts. need to be able to do that for my own investments, also.
i did send a nice old horn that i had, through the jazz institute in new york, and it went to a guy who had been blown over to alabama. sure there are plenty in mississippi.
please drop me a pm if you have any suggestions.

[egadsbrain]

10. Helping Gulf Coast musicians-

What a great idea. There are lots of organizations and contacts to help musicians here mopinko:
http://www.savenolamusic.com/help.php

Found the link on Katrina Underground's site:
http://www.katrinaunderground.com

:thumbsup:

[mopinko]

11. i have sent several e-mails, and tried to hook up online

not really getting anywhere. lots of websites, no humans that i can find. like i said, it is on the back burner till after the illinois primary, mar 21. and until i get the needed repairs finished. but i have been softening up my musician friends to get on the bandwagon.
having fun on ebay, though.

[egadsbrain]

12. When you're ready:

The Jazz Foundation of America, write or call:

Wendy Atlas Oxenhorn
c/o Jazz Foundation of America
3rd Floor
322 West 48th Street
New York, NY 10036

Telephone: [phone]

http://www.jazzfoundation.org

BTW: Got the PDA/William Rivers Pitt email about the Illinois election yesterday AND a plea for money from the DNC. Told the DNC I will choose my own candidates to support, thank you very much, and when I get paid this week I intend to send donation to Christine Cegelis!

:patriot:

[mopinko]

13. i believe i talked to wendy

to be honest, i did not have a really great experience with them. not terrible, but i was hoping to get something together a little more locally. i got the vague impression that they had a big party for this, squeezed the big boys, delivered some stuff, and were kinda done. do you know if this is true?
but i did intend to call them back if i wasn't able to accomplish this locally. there are a ton of local jazz 501's. i just need to find the time to make the phone calls.
a lot of these are student quality, and mostly ugly. but they are something.

[HeeBGBz]

20. Arlo Guthrie was doing something to bring equipment for the music scene

I wonder if he has anything set up. I'll see what I can find out.

[mopinko]

21. he was also on my list.

he did a tour, chicago to new orleans, on the city of new orleans, doing concerts at the stops, and used the money to buy instruments, and sound equipment. got amtrak, lots of other sponsors. don't know what the is ongoing.
did send an email, no reply. but they did post a phone number, which so many on the ground are not able to do.
arlo has one of my buttons. or at least, a friend of mine who met him gave him one. love arlo.

[Midlodemocrat]

14. Mopinko, try this one.

http://www.mustcreate.org/global/global6_1.shtml

[mopinko]

15. am i missing a katrina link?

i only see CA schools.

[Midlodemocrat]

16. No, you're not.

I didn't read your post carefully enough. I didn't realize you wanted to donate in the hurricane ravaged area.

I will run another search in my database and see what I can find. Sorry bout that.

[mopinko]

18. 's okay. thanks for trying.

also, there are more people here that are already collecting, and donating, but need help transporting. and i can get people to cough up if it is not just me personally asking.

[Midlodemocrat]

17. MIT is trying to obtain some instruments to donate

here is the information.

Donate musical instruments

Ginny Siggia is organizing a drive for musical instruments, scores, stands, and concert clothing. She is working with a music teacher from Pass Christian, Mississippi, a town that was 90% destroyed by Hurricane Katrina; the music teacher is trying to somehow rescue his school district's music program. If you can donate instruments or other requested items in good working condition, or if you can donate funds to assist with shipping and insurance, please contact Ginny Siggia at or Sally Susnowitz at , 617-258-7344

[mopinko]

22. is there a 501c in there somewhere?

not that i care about the money so much as i care about starving the war machine, even if it is only of a few dollars.

[Kurovski]

19. Kick (nt)