We are looking for a million friends to declare their support for New Orleans and surrounding parishes.Friends of New Orleans is a private, non-profit, non-partisan, membership organization for people in the U.S. and abroad who care about the region. Our mission is to advocate for New Orleans and its surrounding parishes, inform people of those key issues that are shaping the national debate and decision making of the rebuilding effort, link individuals who want to help with the communities in the devastated areas and motivate people to take part in the rebuilding effort.
FONO Hosts Nonpartisan Benefit Events at National Party Conventions
As the third anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita nears, Friends of New Orleans will host benefit events at the Democratic and Republican national party conventions. Its convention events will showcase the best of Louisiana food and music, while calling attention to the ongoing rebuilding effort and the immediate need to prevent further loss of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.
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Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans Receives ‘Hero of the Storm’ Award
June 27 – FONO today announced that Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, a local group responsible for many successful regional reforms post hurricanes Katrina and Rita will receive FONO’s ‘Hero of the Storm’ award.
Formed shortly after the storms in November 2005, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans is a voice for change and renewal for Greater New Orleans and Louisiana. The group serves as a platform and resource for citizens to take action to rebuild Greater New Orleans. Its founders, a group of citizens who were enraged after the state legislature failed to pass levee board reforms after the storms, have brought about positive regional change.
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Briefing on Efforts to Save Louisiana’s Coast
On June 17, 2008, FONO teamed up with Environmental Defense Fund for a day of activities on Capitol Hill to bring attention to the urgent need to restore Louisiana's disappearing coastline. The series of events included a briefing in the Senate Russell Building on the status of coastal Louisiana wetlands restoration, and efforts to restore the damage caused by the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO).Continue reading "Briefing on Efforts to Save Louisiana’s Coast"
Statement by Friends of New Orleans Concerning 6/5/08 Denver Post Article, “Host Committee Slashes DNC Party Venues”
June 6: Correction in the Denver Post regarding FONO participation at the DNC
The Denver Post article "Host Committee Slashes DNC Party Venues," inaccurately portrays Friends of New Orleans (FONO) as being a financial sponsor of the Delegate Party planned for the Democratic National Convention. Friends of New Orleans, a private, non-profit, non-partisan, membership organization for people in the U.S. and abroad who care about the region, is not now and never was a financial sponsor of the event. The event, which is being held at the Colorado Convention Center on Sunday, August 24 in Denver, Colorado, is being sponsored by the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee. Acknowledging the inaccuracy, The Denver Post updated its article at 12:31 p.m. MDT. In addition, the Democratic National Convention Committee issued a statement clarifying its financial commitment for the event.
Since its inception in 2006, FONO has been instrumental in keeping the focus on rebuilding New Orleans and its surrounding parishes. To keep New Orleans and its issues post-hurricanes top-of-mind in an election year, FONO has planned benefit events at each of the two national conventions in Denver and St. Paul on August 24 and September 1 respectively. The purpose of these events is to highlight the local organizations working tirelessly to rebuild their homes and communities.
St. Bernard Project Receives Hero Award
On Saturday, May 3, at a construction site for local nonprofit St. Bernard Project, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) presented the organization with a Hero of the Storm award for its efforts to help the residents of St. Bernard parish rebuild and move back to their homes post hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The St. Bernard Project has been chosen as the fourth recipient of the award by Friends of New Orleans (FONO), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that advocates for New Orleans and its surrounding parishes.
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What you still don't know about Katrina
Click here to read the updated article by John Barry, FONO Board Member, author of "Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America", and member of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
DC Briefing on New Orleans' Cultural Recovery
Experts and leaders from community groups driving the effort to preserve the distinctive architecture, arts, music and cuisine of Louisiana shared their perspectives on the state of the region’s cultural recovery in a Washington, DC briefing organized by FONO on February 12. The briefing took place one week after Mardi Gras, after visitors from all over the world traveled to New Orleans to take part in the celebration, and enjoy the traditional food, music and art found only in this region.Continue reading "DC Briefing on New Orleans' Cultural Recovery"
FONO 'Heroes of the Storm' Campaign
Do you know of a Louisiana nonprofit organization that has made a significant contribution to the recovery effort? Numerous local groups have stepped up to drive the rebuilding of the region in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and we believe it's time they were recognized for their work. FONO has partnered with Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) and Unified Nonprofits to highlight the work of these remarkable organizations by announcing a new nonprofit 'Hero of the Storm' each month, with the first one to be announced in late February. If you would like to nonminate an organization, send an email to heroes@friendsofneworleans.org to request a nomination form.
For more information on the program, click here.
The Clock Is Ticking for the Wetlands
In his article The Clock Is Ticking for the Wetlands, Times Picayune reporter Bob Marshall outlines what Governor-elect Bobby Jindal should do to immediately address the issue:-- He should lead an effort to give the CRPA quick-take authority over private property so projects that have been -- and will be -- delayed for years can move forward quickly enough to make a difference.
-- He should quickly move forward a plan to sell bonds on the future offshore revenue so the state will have money on hand to move forward projects without waiting for federal funding.
-- He should move aggressively to tap even more sources of revenue from energy industries that transport their riches through our state.
-- He should quickly increase the budgets and staff on the state agencies that research land titles, as well as those that will have a hand in planning and building projects.
-- He must quickly lead our congressional delegation in a national effort to have Louisiana's coastal projects taken out of the Water Resources Development Act and moved through Congress as a separate piece of legislation.
