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Katrina Help and Donation Information

Volume CV, No. 10October, 2005

DONATE INSTRUMENTS TO FELLOW NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS!
The Moonshine Project, a non-profit entertainment company in NYC, has partnered with The Tipitina’s Foundation in New Orleans, LA to put instruments back into the hands of musicians who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. The drive was kicked off on October 4, when artists including Wyclef Jean, Visible from Space, Susan Sarandon & Tim Robbins joined together in this very worthy cause: bringing the joy of music back to “the birthplace of American music.” Local 802 has joined the drive and will be collecting instruments at their offices until October 31. Bring your instruments (they are in greatest need of woodwind & brass), and we will put them in the hands of fellow musicians in New Orleans! For more information log on www.moonshineproject.org

IF YOU NEED HELP…

Here are tips and suggestions if you are a displaced New Orleans musician:

  1. If you are a member of AFM Local 174-496 (New Orleans), the office manager Kim Foreman urgently requests that you send him an e-mail letting him know your new contact information. There may be benefit programs in the future, including financial help and donations of instruments, and he needs to know your new info so that you can apply. You can e-mail Kim Foreman at Office@NewOrleansMusicians.org. The full contact information is: Kim Foreman, office manager, AFM Local 174-496, 2305 Robley Drive, Lafayette, LA 70503; (337) 984-4624 (home); (337) 781-5055 (cell); www.NewOrleansMusicians.org.
  2. Go to www.FEMA.gov or call (800) 621-FEMA and begin the process of applying for emergency funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
  3. Call the Red Cross at (800) 975-7585 and apply for funds or support.
  4. There is a comprehensive list of resources at www.SaveNolaMusic.org. Click on “Resources for Musicians.”
  5. Try calling the local AFM office in the city you are in right now. Tell them you are a displaced New Orleans musician and ask what assistance may be available. You can find your local AFM office by going to www.afm.org and clicking on “Find a Local.” Or call the AFM headquarters in New York City at (212) 869-1330 and tell them you need to know the phone number of the AFM local in the city you are in.
  6. The AFM has created the Gulf Coast Relief Fund to help members who have been impacted by Katrina. The AFM will match every dollar contributed, up to $100,000. The AFM is working with Local 174-196 to figure out how musicians can apply for this fund, so make sure you follow step #1 (above) and e-mail Kim Foreman with your current contact info. The contact at the AFM is Sahid Fawaz, assistant to the president. He can be reached at Sfawaz@afm.org or (212) 869-1330, ext. 229. Also check out this Web page: www.afm.org/public/press/090805.php.
  7. Displaced New Orleans musicians who find themselves in New York City may contact Local 802’s Musicians’ Assistance Program at MAP@local802afm.org or (212) 245-4802, ext. 180.
  8. The Jazz Foundation of America is collecting instruments to donate to New Orleans musicians. The foundation is going to work with Local 174-496 and the New Orleans Musicians Clinic to give away instruments. For more information, see www.JazzFoundation.org or send an e-mail to Joyce@JazzFoundation.org.
  9. The Actors’ Fund helps all those in the entertainment industry, including musicians. Musicians in need should call the fund at (800) 221-7303, say where you are calling from, and ask to have an intake worker paged. Those who get voicemail should transfer to extension 119.
  10. Web page for the Houston jazz community reaching out to displaced New Orleans musicians: www.Noahleans.com. It also has a growing list of musicians who have been located in Houston.
  11. The New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC) is relocating to Lafayette, LA, where it will continue to provide services for musicians. See www.SaveNolaMusic.org and click on “News from the NOMC” for contact information. The NOMC will eventually be giving out donated instruments to musicians, working with the Jazz Foundation.
  12. Tipitina’s Foundation at www.TipsEvents.com/foundation.
  13. Musicares at www.grammy.com/musicares.
  14. Preservations Hall’s New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund at www.NOMHRF.org.

IF YOU WANT TO DONATE…

  1. Donations can be made directly to Local 174-496 (New Orleans). Money will go directly to New Orleans musicians, under the guidelines of the local. Make checks payable to Local 174-496 and mail to Kim Foreman, office manager, AFM Local 174-496, 2305 Robley Drive, Lafayette, LA 70503. For more information, you can reach Kim at (337) 984-4624 (home), (337) 781-5055 (cell) or Office@NewOrleansMusicians.org. See www.NewOrleansMusicians.org.
  2. Donations can also be made to the AFM’s Gulf Coast Relief Fund. See www.afm.org and click on “Gulf Coast Relief Fund.”
  3. There is a comprehensive list of places to donate at www.SaveNolaMusic.org. Click on “How you can help.”
  4. Donations of cash or instruments can be made to the Jazz Foundation. See www.JazzFoundation.org and click on “Help New Orleans musicians Now.”
  5. The Actors’ Fund is accepting donations. See www.ActorsFund.org and click on “Assistance for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.”
  6. The AFL-CIO has established a special Hurricane Relief Fund as part of its Union Community Fund. It has already raised nearly $300,000. The money will go directly to working families and communities in the Gulf Coast region. The AFL-CIO will be working with the labor federations in the affected states and with relief organizations to target help to working brothers and sisters who need it most. See www.aflcio.org and click on “Help hurricane survivors.”
  7. Buy a T-shirt from www.JusticeClothing.com. The proceeds will benefit displaced New Orleans musicians. This is a joint project with Musicians Against Sweatshops.
  8. Donate to Musicares at www.grammy.com/musicares.
  9. Donate to Preservations Hall’s New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund at www.NOMHRF.org.