Meg Perry 1979 - 2005
click here for HAWC - the hurricane action worker's collective - a group created by meg's friends in her memory to continue her work in the gulf
On December 10th, 2005, Common Ground volunteer, Meg Perry, 26, was fatally injured in a tragic accident in New Orleans. She is survived by parents Rosalie and Robin Perry, one sister, Jennifer and hundreds of friends. Meg was a dedicated organizer who drove the Frida bus from Maine to support residents of the Gulf Coast region after Hurricanes Katrina. Eight others survived the accident without serious injury.
Common Ground Collective's hearts and minds are with Meg's parents and family during this time of grief. We too are grieving the loss of a great friend and a committed activist. Meg poured her heart and soul into her work; at Common Ground Collective, at Save Our Selves and with the People's Free Space in her home town of Portland, Maine. Here in the Gulf Coast, she was working to improve the lives and living conditions of New Orleans's residents.
Meg Perry was an energetic, passionate, kind and dedicated person. She filled her days working for justice, building community and bringing love and joy into people's lives. She was always ready with a warm smile or to lend a hand. She came down to the Gulf Coast soon after Hurricane Katrina, and only left in October to recruit more volunteers to come down. A Maine newspaper quoted her in September saying, "Get enough people and you can move a mountain."
Meg lived every day her philosophy of progressive change and mutual aid. While working with CGC, Meg did roof repairs, youth mentoring and coordinated a community garden. The Frida Bus, a vegetable powered mobile community space, has been used for the last two and a half years to bring people together, share resources, and provide information about alternatives to fossil fuels. Meg logged many hours designing, renovating and decorating the bus in an effort to create a beautiful, safe, educational space for her community. For her it was truly a labor of love.
In Portland, Maine, Meg was a coordinator with the People's Free Space, a community group fighting social, ecological and political injustices. After Meg's initial trip to the Gulf Coast to work with both SOS and CGC, she returned to Maine, recruited volunteers, and came back to support the same projects. Meg believed we must change the ways we interact with each other and the world around us to address fundamental injustices. Small actions can have a big impact. Meg demonstrated that statement through her daily actions. She dramatically affected many lives while in the Gulf Coast while doing relief work.
Meg and other volunteers that traveled to the Gulf Coast were deeply moved by the tragedy that people in the region suffered this hurricane season. They came in the spirit of volunteerism and mutual aid. The survivors have vowed to return to continue her legacy, by building Common Ground's Meg Perry Community Garden Project, at St. Denis St. and Havana Place. This community encourages people from across the US to come to the Gulf Coast to continue this crucial work.
The "Meg Perry Memorial Fund" has been established to provide an alternative to sending flowers in rememberance of Meg. This fund will be used to support educational programs for hurricane survivors and to sustain the humanitarian efforts to which Megan dedicated her life. Contributions may be mailed to the Meg Perry Memorial Fund, c/o Key Bank, 172 Maine St., Brunswick, ME 04011