People's Hurricane Relief Fund- New Orleans based coalition seeks your help

Since Hurricane Katrina, Community Labor United - a New Orleans based coalition dedicated to creating spaces for grassroots organizations to dialogue, strategize, and build collective work-- has been facilitating the development of a Peoples' Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition. Due to the enormity of the task
ahead of us and the many different areas of work that need to be addressed, it has become clear that a national coalition must form to take on this project.

Many of you have read the initial demands of the
Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition.
The document here below attempts to further specify the
goals and objectives of this coalition effort, and to
communicate a basic framework for organizing the
massive body of work before us. We also outline here
a few of the many tasks we need folks to take
responsibility for.

Some of the work groups already have contact people so
if you are interested in these work groups, please
email the provided contact. They will be convening
conference call meetings in the near future to include
new volunteers. There will be a retreat at the end of
the month (September 30) and each work group should
send a representative to present a report of your work
and future work plans. The meeting space will be
announced shortly.

Some of the work groups do not yet have contact people.
If you are willing to be the contact, please email
Becky at bbelcore@hotmail.com. Also, if you are
interested in doing certain tasks not related to any
committee, please email Becky Belcore

==========

For a strong, reunited, Peoples' New Orleans,

Peoples' Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition

ACTION PLAN for a National Coalition with Local
Leadership --

OBJECTIVES OF THE COALITION

To build and maintain a coordinated network of
community leaders, organizers and community based
organizations with the capacity and organizational
infrastructure that can help to meet the needs of
people most impacted by Hurricane Katrina and
facilitate an organizing process that will demand
local, grassroots leadership in the relief, return and
reconstruction process in New Orleans.

GOALS OF THE COALITION

* Manage the People's Hurricane Relief Fund and
demand transparency from FEMA and other major
organizations raising funds and resources in the
people's name

* Help to coordinate and support grassroots relief
and organizing efforts and act as a clearinghouse
for information and volunteers

* Create and maintain an ongoing space for
networking and strategizing between organizers and
volunteers

* Facilitate return/rebuild process and ensure
local, grassroots leadership and participation in
every phase

ORGANIZING STRUCTURE

* Local oversight work group to coordinate all working groups and facilitate communication

* Establish 6 offices with a point person for each office in: New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Jackson, Lake Charles, Houston and support Common Ground's office in Algiers

* Establish "Survivors Councils" in cities across the country where evacuees have been taken/ have settled to ensure their participation, input and information distribution

* Establish work groups (see below)

ORGANIZING PLAN

Encourage everyone to join a work group. Designate a point person from each work group who can convene conference calls and email discussions for the work group and who can be in touch with the communications centers. Designate a point person for each communication center, even where no physical offices exist. Host regular larger conference calls to get report backs from work groups and communications centers.

WORK GROUPS AND IMMEDIATE TASKS

*Tasks that have been starred could be done by national volunteers

POLITICAL OVERSIGHT & RECONSTRUCTION immediate tasks:

** ensure local grassroots participation in all
aspects of the work

** find out about and make sure someone attends all
public meetings regarding reconstruction

** coordinate technicians who are assisting with
reconstruction efforts including construction brigades
and provide trade skills training

** organize political responses at a local and
national level based on the demands and analysis coming
out of the People's Committee*

** draw individuals and groups that are part of the
Black Liberation Movement and coordinate resources and
support*

** work with displaced evacuees to keep them informed
and ensure their input and participation*

** organize brigades of technicians for the
reconstruction work*

** help to monitor government plans for
return/reconstruction*

Contact: and Malcolm Suber (msuber4366@yahoo.com),
Angela Winfrey angelawinf@aol.com), Ray Eurquhart
(R.Eur@verizon.net )

ORGANIZING AND INTERNAL COMMUNICATION immediate tasks:

** Help establish offices and recruit organizers for
Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Houston, Jackson, Algiers
and New Orleans*

** Locate all CLU members and allies

** Skilled facilitators for meetings and conference
calls*

** Establish website, find volunteer to maintain and
update*

** Send out weekly updates of coalition work

Temporary Contact:
Becky Belcore (bbelcore@hotmail.com)
Website contact: Andy Allen (andylovesbikes@yahoo.com)

FUNDRAISING/FINANCE immediate tasks:

** establish decision-making protocol on how funds
will be used

** establish budgets for both the Vanguard Fund and
CLU

** put out public call for funds for organizing
specifically, and clarify how people can donate to
organizing and/or direct relief*

** set up accounting system, find volunteer
accountant*

Contact: John O'Neal (joneal2927@aol.com)

SUPPLIES immediate tasks:

** create list of the best places to distribute
donations of supplies*

** create list of people/organizations who can help
distribute supplies and sites where supplies can be
warehoused*

** coordinate supply distribution*

** designate point person to field requests for help
with distribution*

Contact:
Ishmael Muhammad (ishmaelmuhammad@yahoo.com)
Elaine Peacock (elainepeacock@yahoo.com )

HEALTH immediate tasks:

** assess/document medical conditions and needs*

** gather donations of medical supplies*

** build medical teams, establish free clinics*

Contact: Catherine Jones (cathjones_99@yahoo.com)

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH immediate tasks:

** independent testing of air, water and soil

** issue report about environmental conditions for the
community

** help publicize health information to help reduce
exposure to toxins

Temporary Contact: Melissa Burch
(melburch@mindspring.com)

MEDIA immediate tasks:

** determine whether or not to invite professional,
progressive media consultants to work with us

** appoint Media Coordinator who takes interview
requests, helps write articles, etc.

** designate someone to handle requests for speakers
and explore the possibility of speaking engagements as
fundraisers

** finalize official public statement for the press

** develop mechanism for updating press statement as
situation develops

** identify and train spokespersons

** agree upon talking points

** identify people to monitor media and collect clips
and issue daily short reports to the media, legal and
oversight committee

Contact: Cassandra Burrows (casbur@hotmail.com)

VOLUNTEER AND SOLIDARITY COORDINATION immediate tasks:

** appoint volunteer coordinator(s) with cell phone
willing to field calls from individuals and
organizations looking for ways to support/volunteer-
publicize this number and set up email account
specifically for this

** provide information to volunteers/organizations and
facilitate their participation in the project

** update inventory/database of the work organizations
and individuals are doing with contact info, and survey
folks about how others like them can join in their
efforts-send out to whole group

Contact for individuals: Jean Vegas (
jeanvegas_nola@yahoo.com)

Contact for organizations: Beth Simpson
(elizacorps@yahoo.com)

LEGAL & CRIMINAL JUSTICE immediate tasks:

** conduct interviews with people who were at OPP*

** explore possibilities for lawsuits*

** conduct ongoing research, create weekly reports to
inform the local work*

** legal advisory role for relief fund*

** publicize DOC and OYD hotlines*

Temporary Contact: Jennifer Lai (yeujeng@gmail.com)

EDUCATION

** set up Freedom Schools and after school programs for
children*

** set up adult literacy classes*

** evaluate other educational resources needed for
community members*

Temporary Contact: Lisa Delpit (delpitl@fiu.edu)

STORY COLLECTION

** collect stories from displaced New Orleanians on
their experiences during and since the storm, as well
as their ideas about what they would like to see in a
reconstructed New Orleans*

** publish and otherwise make available the findings of
this research for use in activism and influencing
reconstruction policy*

Contact: Rachel Breunlin, Neighborhood Storybook
Project (rbreunlin@yahoo.com)

POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL WORK GROUPS IF SOMEONE VOLUNTEERS
TO BE CONTACT PERSON

COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY

** gather reports of abuse that occurred as a result of
the hurricane, particularly crimes against women and
children

** develop a process by which abuse can be addressed
and justice is served

research and provide resources for victims

FAMILY REUNIFICATION

** visit or otherwise reach all shelters with hotlines
and names of missing folks

** Reunification for people displaced with limited
resources- work to demand FEMA assistance in relocating
families together

SOCIAL SERVICE

** coordinate volunteers to provide FEMA assistance
across the country (also as means to collect names and
addresses of displaced folks)

** set up 1-800 number for evacuees to call for
assistance (also helps track people)

** assess needs of local evacuees in terms of basic
needs (ie housing, health care, education, etc)- direct
organizing work for building of the People's Committee

ARTS & CULTURE

- develop means to emphasize that the people of New
Orleans are the culture of New Orleans

** work to support and include artists in
reconstruction conversations

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[Moderator's Note: If you want to donate you can send a
check to The Vangard Foundation at the address below

Tax-deductible donations should be earmarked for the
People's Hurricane Relief Fund and checks made out to:

Vanguard Public Foundation
383 Rhode Island St., Ste 301
San Francisco, CA 94103

You can donate electronically at www.truemajority.org.

Soon you will be able to donate electronically through
The Headwaters Foundation.]