Homeless in New Orleans Finding Courage and Support

The loss of jobs and the loss of houses has deepened the poverty and struggles for many residents in New Orleans.

Organizers of a recent protest explain that although the city is recovering in small pockets all around, the New Orleans homeless issue continues to grow, with some groups estimating the homeless population has tripled in Katrina's aftermath. They say that the closing of thousands of inhabitable units of public housing combined with a near doubling of rental rates serve as a gateway to homelessness for many of the working poor in the city.

Two of the city's largest developments - St. Bernard and Lafitte - remain closed by HUD which operates the Housing Authority of New Orleans. Although the units reportedly received little damage initially in the storm, the brick structures have been sitting with little or no maintenance in the years since. Some say that the homelessness problem is also compounded by landlords who have been allowed to continuously raise rents and to only repair storm-damaged properties to minimal living standards.

Blogger, Matt Robinson, of Blogging New Orleans, tells us, "Since the Fourth of July, homeless people and their advocates have occupied the pavilion at Duncan Plaza, across the street from City Hall, to spur city government into action. Every night, dozens of men, women, and young people sleep on carboard mats or blankets beneath the pavilion roof, providing security and solidarity for each other and forcing a visible reminder of the struggles many people face finding housing in post-catastrophe New Orleans. Organizers of the encampment are demanding the opening of more public housing units to alleviate the low- and fixed-income housing needs of returning New Orleanians."

Leftist Marching Band Making Noise in Kennebunkport

The Leftist Marching Band from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, wooed two thousand march-goers on July 1st, 2007, in Kennebunkport, Maine, before, during, and after an impeachment protest there. The protesters gathered to protest during the meeting of George Bush and Vladimir Putin. The protest began with a rally and a series of speakers. Members of Code Pink chanted a rhythmic cheer, "Occupation is a crime / Bush and China should do time." The band picked up the tune and played an impromptu musical accompaniment.

The march wound its way through downtown Kennebunkport to the barricade which stood in the way to the Bush family retreat. As the march pulled up, the chief of Kennebunk police made an announcement that the protest permit did not include their passing this point, and that crossing the barricade would earn them an arrest for criminal trespassing. Even though some of the protesters were arrested, the group as a whole remained in good spirits.

Armed with brass, percussion, and a healthy sense of humor, the Leftist Marching Band played on and on, keeping spirits up. A particular crowd favorite was Bella Ciao, the song of the Italian resistance movement against Mussolini and fascism during World War II. Its lyrics were written as a farewell to the female loved ones left behind when partisans went to the Italian hills to fight the guerrilla war against fascism.

What is the Leftist Marching Band? They say, "The Leftist Marching Band supports political issues that some folks would call liberal. We prefer to call them the good causes. Basically, we want to use the marching band genre to have fun, make music and create a unified, progressive voice in the community. It's about humanity, not political conflict. We want to combat fear with hope and humor."

By the way, if anybody plans on being in Kennebunkport in August, maybe you'd like to hear the band yourself at this upcoming event. Their other upcoming events are listed here.

Evangelical Students Protesting the War

Insisting that "real Christians don't choose war," two evangelical college students began a protest in February 2007. Their protest involves walking from Denver, Colorado, to Washington, DC. Currently in the Midwest, moving east of Illinois, the students, Brother Raymond and Brother Elliott, call it the "Walk for the Truth."

Raymond explains, "The truth of the poor testimony of the Evangelical church in America who when surveyed was listed as the number one supporter of the war in Iraq and illegal practices and policies of the Bush administration without debate, reservation or caution.

"Not only has the church failed to be the voice of truth and reason but has sent its sons and daughters to be soldiers of this secular battle rather than supporting the widow and orphan... Evangelicals should be ashamed of their leader's war cries."

High School & College Students Growing Food Together

A volunteer garden project was started at Renaissance High School when U.C. of Santa Cruz college students responded to a call for help from the high school students about the lack of nutrition they were receiving at school.

The high school students said that they felt unhealthy. A program at U.C.S.C. called Education for Sustainable Living Program came to the rescue.

The college students took soil, compost, seeds and work material to a field at the high school. Local people and businesses donated supplies. U.C.S.C students were awarded a grant of $10,000 from the Donald A. Strauss Foundation to construct a garden and provide nutritional and health education centered around the project. Since April 2007, the high students have been staying after school to help in the garden and do projects connecting to the garden.

Trisha Casillas says, "I want to help our school succeed in our garden project in any way I can, even if that means staying after school." Jessica Vargas, another high school student, tells us how the project helped her to improve her eating habits.

"Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country." President Franklin D. Roosevelt