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Hurricane Gustav: Information and updates
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> Update On Remembrances and Anniversaries: Tears for the Gulf Coast & Immediate Concerns Hello comrades, friends, family, allies and strangers I am writing on this day of remembrance and tears, struggle and concerns of the disaster from Katrina in the Gulf Coast of three years ago in 2005. We cannot let history, as told by those who assume Power, forget. Forget today, forget 2005 or forget the 500 years of neglect, abandonment and indifference that lead to the slow disasters on communities like those in the Gulf or anywhere in our world. New Orleans today is still dichotomies on the ground; hope and sadness, emptiness and return--beauty and distress. Lives still need to be rebuilt but hope still resides in many areas. I had just been learning to sleep better again since 2005, but with Gustav approaching I—like many of you—have been watching and thinking of the past and of today. I still carry that time, and Gustav becomes the reminder of the fragility of it all. Some of you may be aware there is a hurricane named Gustav that is working its way into the Gulf Of Mexico as we speak. It has already left devastation in its wake upon small Caribbean countries whose people have suffered under Power and now natural disaster. It is predicted to become a category 3 by landfall in the u.s. It is also has indications of heading for the New Orleans area--at this point most likely Morgan City west of NOLA. Of course these are only predictions. But with predictions and memory come concerns. > What we do
Common Ground Relief's mission is to provide short term relief for victims of hurricane disasters in the gulf coast region, and long term support in rebuilding the communities affected in the New Orleans area. Common Ground Relief is a community-initiated volunteer organization offering assistance, mutual aid and support. The work gives hope to communities by working with them, providing for their immediate needs and emphasizes people working together to rebuild their lives in sustainable ways.
> History Seven days after Hurricane Katrina struck, Sharon Johnson, Malik Rahim, Brandon Darby and scott crow founded the Common Ground Collective. With a starting budget of $50, these four began a collective effort to rebuild the spirit of community in Southern Louisiana. Authoritarian military control and many incidents of racial violence dominated the mood of New Orleans during this time, flavoring post-Katrina New Orleans with a dark and hopeless atmosphere. After their call out, veterans, doctors, lawyers, human rights activists and others responded by traveling to New Orleans and collectively offered hope and solidarity. Meanwhile, mismanaged government programs and inadequate funding deepened the needs of historically neglected communities all around Southern Louisiana and Mississippi after the historic storms. While hundreds of thousands of people were stranded away from their homes, teams of corporate contractors and government officials came to New Orleans and laid out specific privatization and development plans for the future. In an attempt to counter the widespread suffering caused by these and other factors, Common Ground Relief worked to reconnect families displaced by the storms, clean and rebuild homes and community centers, measure levels of toxins in the soil and water, provide legal advocacy, feed people through our community kitchen and offer volunteer support to large, community-wide projects. Since this formative phase, Common Ground has sustained vibrant volunteer-led programs that have served tens of thousands of people. We continue to host a wide variety of volunteer run projects, which provide services ranging from free legal advice to mowing lawns, from construction assistance to wetlands restoration. We hope that you will join in efforts to ensure a more just and sustainable future for all of the communities of the Gulf Coast. Please consider donating time or funds to support these projects. These programs depend on contributions to continue. |
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