Laura,

Thanks you for giving our efforts in New Orleans attention on GritTV.
While the mainstream media ignores stories of self empowerment like ours, it is nice to know that GritTV has the stones to put our message on the air!

Indy Media activists like Mobile Broadcast News and progressive green businesses like Bio Liberty, LLC want people to know they can make a difference in the lives of victims of war and natural disaster. So that we will not be victims again.

In case of disaster, call a hippie or a vet because they will be the first to show up!

Great to hear from you!!!
We loved the segment — and the project — keep it up!!!
I was in New Orleans just weeks after the levees broke and you’re 100 % right about who showed up — hippies, vets and a whole lot of good activist folks….
Any many like yourselves, have stayed.
Keep the videos coming

L

Find more photos like this on BIO LIBERTY LLC New York Renaissance Charter School Volunteers in New Orleans. It was a great privilege to drive the students to and from their volunteers efforts in New Orleans for a week. They worked on clearing lots, canvasing neighborhoods to get information for grassroots organizations, visited levees and the New Orleans archives. They spent many heated hours under the June sun to help residents in the Lower Ninth Ward. These students have returned to New York with a better understanding of the issues still faced by hurricane survivors. While leaving for the airport I heard them say they wanted to return next year. It is important to note that these kids not only worked hard while they were here but also worked for several months to raise the money to make the trip, stay at Camp Hope, purchase tools that were then donated. Bravo! Renaissance Charter School Students! Hope to see you next year!
Renaissance Charter School, NYC, NY
Camp Hope St. Bernard
New York To New Orleans

More About “New York 2 New Orleans”
The New York 2 New Orleans Coalition (NY2NO) is a consensus-based, student-led organization, made to create a network of volunteers from across New York City to work together in solidarity with the people of New Orleans to help re-build their city, and help empower those most affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to take control of their lives. Through this work, we are continuing to help organize and mobilize the movement for social, racial, and economic equality across the United States.

On April 13th 2006, 48 students from the Beacon School in New York City, accompanied by teachers and parents, left for New Orleans on a trip that they would never forget. Those students went to New Orleans to help rebuild the city after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and by the criminal neglect of our government whose failure to help the city’s citizens in a meaningful way continues to this day. Those same students, however, left realizing that they had not gone down to simply help the people of New Orleans or to rebuild homes, but instead had joined a movement lead by the people of the devastated city to create local leadership and to bring everyone back home.

Since then, these students have partnered up with other students from all across New York City, as well as with a number of local grass roots organizations in both N.Y.C and N.O. to create this organization. Together, we have helped plan numerous trips that have enabled hundreds of New York City students to go down to help the rebuilding process hands on, as well as to bring their unique experiences home to continue to raise awareness and help with a number of similar issues that exist in our very own homes. This network of volunteers and local people has formed the New York 2 New Orleans Coalition.

New York To New Orleans

We are also helping to:
* collect donations of money and tools to send to New Orleans
* help plan and organize trips for individuals and groups to do relief work in New Orleans;
* Spread awareness and present our knowledge to as many people as possible, (whether it be to Churches, Community Centers, progressive activist groups, government officials, or students.)
* And help work with and mobilize homeless people, as well as victims of racism, classism, and gentrification in New York City

Over the past two years, we have gutted and helped re-build dozens of homes, raised thousands of dollars, helped to feed house and organize hundreds of local people, assisted in setting up Survivor’s Council Meetings in New Orleans (we are currently in the process of setting up Survivor’s Council’s in NYC as well), helped to re-locate numerous survivors who have been displaced to New York, worked with homeless people, and spread awareness to countless people across NYC. But that is not enough. This movement is sadly going to NEED to continue for many more years and there is so much more work to be done! So, we are asking YOU to please help in any way you can.

http://www.NY2NO.org

Ooops! I meant http://www.ny2no.com