Smokin' Jo's Helping the Homeless

A friend and I fed two groups of homeless people under the Claiborne/Canal bridge this weekend. My friend Joanna (in pics) owns a restaurant, Smokin' Jo's, and does small catering jobs. She had food left over this weekend from a job and we set up shop along Claiborne to hand out chili dogs, hamburgers, beans and salad. Some guy pulled over to hand out bags of clothes to people because I guess he thought we were some social service agency. We were Smokin' Jo's meals on wheels. We headed over to Duncan Plaza to set up our free hot dog stand, but there were too many ppl to serve and we didn't have enough for everyone, so we donated the last of it to a shelter.

In an earlier post I highlighted Duncan Plaza where there has been a growing homeless encampment across the street from City Hall. That same area and surrounding streets have now been completely overtaken by homeless in tents and sleeping on mattresses around public buildings. A group called Homeless Pride are the organizers at the center of the protest.

The State is set to tear down two buildings in Duncan Plaza and are planning to displace the Homeless Pride encampment any day now. There have been some social service agencies on the ground registering people for shelters we think. Councilwoman Stacy Head has tried to stall the demo project due to finding adequate shelters for the homeless, but the State has not moved the their Dec. 21st start date for the project.

Housing Armageddon

If you've heard any news about New Orleans lately, it would probably be concerning the eminent war that is brewing around housing issues.

In an earlier post, I referenced the closure of several major public housing developments. Well... we've found out that HUD doesn't intend to open them. Public Housing developments at: Lafitte, B.W. Cooper, St. Bernard, and C.J. Peete will soon be bulldozed to make way for private development that will include mixed-use, market-rate units and a fraction of "affordable" units. See article:http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-25/1197268043214040.xml&coll=1

HUD hasn't responded with any alternative living situation for former residents, who are among the cities poorest, and who are largely the folks who are still displaced. These families are still able to live around the country by using FEMA $$ to pay their rent and living expenses--this will all end in 2009! Most residents here are bracing themselves for thousands of New Orleanians returning to the City and not having a place to live in 2009. Remember there is no Road Home $$ for renters. Renters will be at the mercy of their landlords who have in some cases tripled rents.

People here are calling this the next major humanitarian crises in New Orleans. One protest group has resorted to threats of burning new condo developments that rise in the place of public housing units. The fact is public housing has been a crutch for some families for generations. There has been a lot of dependence on a variety of assistance from the Federal gov't. for poor families across the country. Of course there are populations who genuinely need assistance, i.e. the elderly and disabled. However, to try to change the "hand- out" mentality of able-bodied individuals and prepare families for true independence you have to prepare a long-term plan. It may take another generation or two; this mentality certainly wasn't created overnight. It dates back to slaves and slave owners. Some in the South still carry that, "Master will take care of me," mind set; however meager the crumbs, some people made a living off of them and had no other legit plan.

There needs to be education and skills development, financial and emotional counseling for families, childcare assistance and so much more in place before you simply cut everyone off. Pray for New Orleans, again.

The Saints

I organized my first tailgate party with a friend for the Saints home game on Dec. 2. It's such a popular thing to keep up with the Saints. You could strike up a convo with anyone on the streets about the team. Football is the biggest thing in town right now. The City nearly shuts down every time the Saints play. There have been huge disappointments with the Saints this season. Last year they were a game away from the Superbowl and I heard the City was going nuts for weeks. This year they may barely make the playoffs. I'm not a sports fan and especially not a football fan, but you can't help but get involved because of the local attention paid to the team. The team represents a sense of solidarity and pride for New Orleanians. The Saints winning season last year gave everyone something to rally around and feel good about a year after most of their lives were changed forever.

What I need to get the bottom of is why they are referred to locally as "Who Dat?" I know that it is derivative of New Orlean's Cajun slang meaning "who is that", but that doesn't explain how it became associated with the Saints. I've heard two confusing and different stories about the nickname. Neither satisfied me.

Either way Geaux Saints!! That's local French vernacular for Go Saints!!