Voices from New Orleans

In September of 2007, UUSC held its annual Leadership Conference for UUSC Local Representatives (LR), Regional Coordinators (RC), and National Co-Chairs. These leaders, who are integral to the work that UUSC does here and abroad, met with UUSC program partners on the ground to better understand the work that UUSC is undertaking in the rebuilding process. Below are some highlights from the conference.

Aesha Rasheed of the New Orleans Network speaks on the state of public schools in the city. New Orleans Network is one of UUSC's program partners in the area.

Rosina, a community member of Grand Bayou, talks about the importance of land to the community. UUSC helped Grand Bayou members rebuild some of their boats.

Watch a photo slideshow on Grand Bayou.
The community of Grand Bayou is one of the many places hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. Located in Lower Plaquemines Parish, Grand Bayou is a community of Native American shrimp fishers that lost both houses and boats after the storm. With help from UUSC, Grand Bayou was able to fix three of their most damaged boats before the Spring 2007 shrimping season began. Reconstructing their livelihoods will help the families of Grand Bayou begin rebuilding their lives post-Katrina.

Watch a slideshow narrated by Nguyen Weeks, UUSC's program associate for youth, on a JustWorks camp in New Orleans. JustWorks camps are short-term projects that help volunteers examine and understand the causes and damaging effects of injustice. Participants work directly with people in the communities they serve, experiencing social justice struggles firsthand.

Michael and Deidre Schwartz, regional coordinators for Central Midwest, speak about seeing New Orleans first-hand. They are members of North Shore Unitarian Church in Deerfield, Ill.

Housing is one of the critical issues facing former residents of the city. Here, Endashi Jukali, a member of "Survival Village" talks about this. "Survival Village" is working to get low-income residents housing in New Orleans.