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 Four Year Report
Since Katrina hit the coast of Louisiana and the levees broke, Friends of New Orleans has helped the city and its surrounding parishes by:
1. Advocating for the Region and Informing Policymakers
Every year FONO hosts educational briefings and panel discussions for policymakers, congressional staff and decision makers, to discuss the progress made by New Orleans and surrounding parishes, post-Katrina, and the challenges that still lie ahead.
2. Linking Local Leaders and Organizations with Donors that Care and Creating Opportunities for Action
FONO provides opportunities for neighborhood leaders and local organizations from New Orleans to meet donors and discuss what is working in the recovery efforts, as well as the continued needs of the communities. FONO organizes and hosts educational donor events all across the country.
3. Putting a National Spotlight on the City and Giving Local Leaders a Voice
FONO events highlight key issues for the region's recovery - such as better levees and coastal restoration, good schools and adequate healthcare, safe and vibrant neighborhoods - that generate national media attention. FONO makes it possible for local leaders to tell their stories of how they are making New Orleans a better place to live, and the challenges they face on the road to recovery.
What We've Been Up To: Four Years of FONO
Learn about all of FONO's efforts towards New Orleans' Rebirth by clicking this link:
FONO 4 Year Report
FONO Aspen CO event on August 12, 2009 features key New Orleans leaders in housing, education and health
This special event will help to highlight the complex issues that the Greater New Orleans region still faces on the road to recovery, in addition to celebrating the progress that local NOLA leaders and residents have accomplished. Distinguished panelists include: Dr. Benjamin Sachs (head of Tulane Medical School)
Dr. Jim Doty (Stanford University Professor of Neurosurgery, on boards of Tulane University and FONO), Dr. Albert Ruesga (President/CEO, Greater New Orleans Foundation), Drs. Howard and Joy Osofsky, (Chair, LSU Dept of Psychiatry and directors of the St. Bernard Mental Health clinic), Harry Shearer (comedian, actor, musician, New Orleans resident and celebrity blogger), Tony Recasner (Chairman of the Board of New Schools New Orleans, and Vice Chair of the Greater New Orleans Foundation), Kristin Palmer (Executive Director of Rebuilding Together New Orleans), and Karen Gadbois (Carrollton Neighborhood Leader and Watchdog Blogger). The event will be moderated by Walter Isaacson, President/CEO of The Aspen Insitute and FONO Founder, and the MC for the evening will be Stephen DeBerry (CIO at Kapor Enterprises and FONO Board Chair).
"Housing, Education and Health in New Orleans Today" will take place at the Aspen Institute, Aspen, CO, from 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM and it is open to the public. This will be followed by private VIP reception at a FONO donor's home in Aspen. For more information on this event and how you can support FONO please click the following link.
Friends of New Orleans Benefit Email Auction
Framed Acrylic Painting by Aspen Artist, Gino Hollander
Name of the painting is Friends, it measures 30x47 inches and it is valued at over $17,000. The email bidding will start at $4,000. If interested, please send your email bid to prdenise@aol.com
For more information on the artist please click here or go to www.hollanderart.com.
Continue reading "Friends of New Orleans Benefit Email Auction"
DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano queried by FONO on the future of South Louisiana - June 3, 2009
On June 3rd Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, spoke at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC. The talk "Homeland Security Today: Progress Made; Challenges Remain", was moderated by Clark Kent Ervin, a former FONO board member and current Director of the Aspen Institute Homeland Security Program. Before attending the event, FONO Acting Executive Director Denise Byrne solicited ideas for appropriate questions/comments from several Louisiana leaders working on coastal rebuilding and levee protection, and got suggestions from Ann Milling (founder, Women of the Storm) and John Barry (author, Rising Tide and FONO board member). Based on their feedback, Denise asked the following questions to the DHS Secretary: "Is keeping the New Orleans and surrounding parish residents safe a priority for you? Why hasn't the current administration shown that rebuilding New Orleans is important? The president has not visited New Orleans since he was elected. And right now there are $6-$8 billion in protection and rebuilding projects in the state, within 2 years of turning shovel, yet the administration has only committed $25 million for this specific purpose." Secretary Napolitano answered by describing her last trip to New Orleans with the HUD secretary, and she spoke about removing bottle necks to the federal dollars, the monies being put into housing and getting people out of trailers, etc. Unfortunately, not much was said about coastal restoration, levees or the Corps.
FONO surveys key New Orleans neighborhood and nonprofit leaders on the focus of their work and their needs moving forward - April 6-12, 2009
From April 6-12, 2009 FONO board members reached out to and met with leaders from 7 neighborhood groups representing various parts of New Orleans and surrounding parishes (Mid City, Lakeview, Plaquemines Parish, East New Orleans, St. Bernard, Holy Cross/Lower 9th, Broadmoor and Gentilly) and 13 local organizations working on education, rebuilding, coastal restoration and levee protection, economic development, green initiatives and more (New Schools New Orleans, Beacon of Hope, New Orleans Institute, Women of the Storm, Americas Wetland, Neighborhood Partnerships Network, Levees.org, Idea Village, New Orleans Creative Arts Institute, St. Bernard Project, Global Green, Operation Comeback/PRC, Rebuilding Together New Orleans). Information gathered from these meetings will help shape FONO's work and advocacy message moving forward.In a letter to the FONO Board of Directors, Acting Executive Director, Denise Byrne stated the following observations: "There is a lot of excitement and energy throughout. In the words of Tim Williamson, President of Idea Village, the city of New Orleans is an incredible laboratory for social innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. All of these neighborhoods and nonprofits have been able to accomplish amazing things, under incredible stress and with scarce resources and a lack of capacity. Many have developed cutting edge models for how to do things right and they want to share it with others around the world. Whether we are talking disaster recovery, citizenry engagement and leadership, economic development, public school reform, green building, arts and science education, or the power of volunteerism, New Orleans is setting the trend for the rest of the nation to follow."
FONO Hosts Nonpartisan Benefit Events at National Party Conventions - August and September 2008
During the week of the third anniversary of hurricane Katrina, Friends of New Orleans hosted benefit events at both the Democratic and Republican national party conventions to 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.For more information on the events, click here.
Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans Receives 'Hero of the Storm' Award - June 27, 2008
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.
Briefing on Efforts to Save Louisiana's Coast - 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 - June 17, 2008"
St. Bernard Project Receives Hero Award - May 3, 2008
Today, 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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DC Briefing on New Orleans' Cultural Recovery - February 12, 2008
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, 2008. 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 - February 12, 2008"
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.
