People's Hurricane Relief Fund & Oversight Coalition Calls
for Volunteers
September 20th 2005
Dear friends of the People's Hurricane Relief Fund,
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.
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
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
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
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)
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
