Blog2008 Democratic National Convention Delegate Event To Recognize The Spirit Of New Orleans
June 05, 2008
Event to Commemorate Heroes of Gulf Region Recovery, Rebuilding As Convention Marks Three Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
DENVER - In an effort to drive national recognition of the ongoing, important work to rebuild the Gulf Coast region in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) announced today a special event for delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in recognition of the Friends of New Orleans (FONO), Oxfam America and other organizations affiliated with the Gulf Coast recovery and rebuilding effort.
The event will take place on Sunday, August 24, 2008 and will include delegates from all 56 state and territorial delegations attending the Convention. The event will bring international media attention to the important work still taking place in the Gulf Coast region while marking the three year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the most destructive natural disaster in U.S. history.
"This anniversary is too important to pass by unnoticed. We are one country, and we stand together in good times and bad," said Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Governor Howard Dean. "Nearly three years after Katrina, we want the nation to know that rebuilding New Orleans and the Gulf Region is not just a local issue but a national one. The voices of those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina have not gone silent, and it is critical to make sure those who live there and those who were displaced are not forgotten."
Convention organizers have been in discussions for several months on ways to bring attention to this important anniversary and raise the profile of organizations committed to this effort. FONO and Oxfam America, since the first days after Katrina, have supported the efforts of local groups to promote the recovery and rebuilding in the region while raising the voice of those most affected by the storm. As part of the event, delegates and other Convention guests will be encouraged to make donations to FONO and their affiliates.
"I couldn't imagine a more meaningful way to kick off this historic week," said Mark Brewer, President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs. "By bringing all of the state, district and territorial delegations together for one event, we are demonstrating the solidarity that is needed in our country. All of our state parties are excited to participate - because it's a good cause and because it will be a fabulous, fun event - in the grand New Orleans tradition."
The delegate event, financially supported by the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee, will be a preview of the 'New Orleans All-Star Jam-Balaya,' a musical and culinary benefit to be held later that evening generating further support for Gulf Coast region recovery and rebuilding efforts. Both events will pair well known jazz musicians and world famous Louisiana cuisine with the festive ambiance of the Rocky Mountain West and will generate financial support for charities and organizations that have been working to rebuild communities in the Gulf Coast region.
"The spirit of the many unsung 'Heroes of the Storm,' people who have unselfishly given of themselves to help others, is something for our entire nation to recognize and celebrate," said Donna Brazile, Board Member of FONO. "There could not be a better time than the Democratic National Convention to showcase the unity of our country and power of our collective efforts for such a great cause."
FONO is a private, non-profit, non-partisan, membership organization for people in the U.S. and abroad who care about the region.
Oxfam America is a non-profit, non-partisan international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger and injustice. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 120 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty and fights for social justice.
The Democratic National Convention, held from August 25-28, 2008, is expected to pump an estimated $160 million into the Denver area's economy and draw up to 50,000 visitors to the region.
Since the announcement of this special delegates event, a number of additional organizations have signed on in support of the event and the message it shares during Convention week.
To view a list of these organizations, click here.*
ACORN
Advocates for Environmental Human Rights
Afterschool Partnership
African American Leadership Project
Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, Inc.
Alabama Arise
All Congregations Together/ACT/New Orleans
Americans for Gulf Coast Recovery
Arc Greater New Orleans
Back Bay Mission
Bay Area Women Coalition
Bayou Grace Community Services
BBBS of Southeast Louisiana
Beacon of Hope Resource Center
Biloxi NAACP
Boat People SOS
Broadmoor Development Corporation (BDC)
Cafe Reconcile
Center for Fair Housing of Mobile
Children's Defense Fund-Louisiana
Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans
City-Works
Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities
Coastal Women for Change
Committee for a Better New Orleans/ Metropolitan Area Committee
(CBNO/MAC)
Common Ground Relief
Community Center of St. Bernard
Dillard University
El Pueblo, Hispanic and Latino Ministries of the United Methodist Church
Emerging ChangeMakers Network
Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
Enterprise Corporation of the Delta Hope Community Credit Union
Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University
Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, Office of Disaster Response
Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi
Equity and Inclusion Campaign
Every Child Matters in Louisiana Education Fund
Everywhere and Now Public Housing Residents Organizing Nationally
Finish the Job
Foundation for the Mid South
Friends of New Orleans
Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center
Gulf Coast Allied Funders
Gulf Coast Civic Works Project
Gulf Coast Fair Housing Center
Gulf Restoration Network
Greater New Orleans Foundation
Hands on Gulf Coast
HipHop Caucus
Hispanic Latino Ministries of the United Methodist Church
Holy Cross Neighborhood Association
Hope Coordination Center
Idea VIllage
Interfaith Disaster Task Force
Interfaith Sponsoring Committee- Bayou Interfaith Shared Community
Organizing (BISCO)
In This Together, Inc.
KID smART
LANO NOLA Neighborhood Initiative
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation: Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's
People
Louisiana Housing Alliance
Louisiana Justice Institute
Louisiana Women's Network
Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi
Mary Reynolds Babcock
Mississippi Center for Justice
Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA)
Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative
Mississippi NAACP
Mississippi Worker's Center for Human Rights
Moore Community House
Moore Community House Women in Construction Program
Moving Forward Gulf Coast, Inc.
MQVC Community Development Corporation
National Economic and Social Rights Initiative (NESRI)
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH)
Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans, Inc.
Neighborhood Partnership Network (NPN)
New Orleans Dream Center
New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival
New Orleans Jazz and Heritiage Foundation
New Orleans Outreach
New Orleans Young Urban Rebuilding Professionals Initiative (NOLA YURP)
New Schools New Orleans
New Voices National Fellowship Program
North Gulfport Community Land Trust
Operation Katrina Home Care
Oxfam America
PolicyLink
Public Policy Center of Mississippi
Rebuilding Together New Orleans (RTNO)
Seashore Mission
Sierra Club
South Bay Communities Alliance
St. Bernard Project
Steps Coalition
Terrebonne Readiness Assistance Coalition (TRAC)
Texas Low Income Housing Information Services
The Alliance for Affordable Energy
The Broadmoor Improvement Association (BIA)
The International School of Louisiana
The KatrinaRitaVille Express
The National Housing Law Project (NHLP)
The Pro Bono Project
The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights
The Quest for Social Justice, Inc.
The Unified Nonprofits of Greater New Orleans
Tipitina's Foundation
Total Community Action, Inc. (TCA)
Turkey Creek Community Initiatives
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
Women Donors Network
Women Of The Storm
Woodlands Trail and Park
Youth Service Bureau of St. Tammany
*Organizations identified by Friends of New Orleans and Oxfam America as organizations working towards Gulf Coast recovery.
