When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, television cameras scanned miles of destroyed homes and empty flooded streets. News reporters described power outages, toxic water, and a shortage of relief. Josh Neufeld started blogging.Years later, those blogs came together with numerous interviews to inspire A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge. "I'm a cartoonist and that's the way I tell stories," he said when I spoke to him last week about his newest graphic novel. "So it just made total sense to me."In 184 pages of illustrations, A.D. chronicles the experiences of seven survivors of the Hurricane--Denise, a sixth generation resident living in Mid-City; Leo and Michelle, twenty-something natives; Abbas, an Iranian-born convenience store owner and father of two; Darnell, Abbas' friend who sticks with him through the flood; Kwame, a senior in high school and son of a pastor; and Dr. Brobson, a "man-about-town" who's rarely fallen on hard times.
"These seven characters are really stand-ins for all the tens of thousands of people who have equally traumatic or horrifying or tragic stories about their experiences," Neufeld said.
Neufeld's images tap into a human element of the flooding that words alone cannot accomplish. His use of a monochromatic color scheme evokes palpable feelings from happiness to misery, hope to devastation. Yellows and oranges fill the pages of the chapter entitled "The City," creating a sense of the golden days before New Orleans was ravaged by 140 mph winds. The tones turn to a sickly green as Denise and her family arrive at the Convention Center to chaos, waste, oppressive heat, and human excrement. More
Santa's helpers are hard at work this year, particularly in Mendota, CA, where a postal worker found one young boy's letter to Santa asking that he and other impoverished children not be forgotten. A Fresno Bee article about kid's letters to St. Nick alerted readers to 12-year-old Cesar's endearing request and responded with a deluge of gifts and inquires about how they could help the boy and children like him.
"Por favor, Santa Claus a cuerdate mi como de otres ninos que necesitan" — Please Santa Claus remember me and the other children in need.
This heart-melting tale is especially bittersweet at a time when financial hardships are felt all over, and Cesar's hometown is no exception: More
I feel so lucky to know the some of the funniest people in the world. Really, who comes up with the idea of having Ray Romano sing holiday hits? Check out this hilarious video from my pals Pete Holmes and Oren Brimer.
Amazing!
Unfortunately the real Ray Romano is not in fact selling a Christmas album ( at least not that I know of) but he is supporting the charity Ante Up For Africa. Proceeds from this celebrity poker event go to charities that provide aid and assistance to the survivors of the crisis in Darfur, Sudan and support activism dedicated to resolving this crisis. takepart and learn more at http://www.anteupforafrica.org.
Looking to give something back this year, but overwhelmed by all of the wonderful charities out there? Well, Razoo.com has come to the rescue with a streamlined guide for all your charitable donations. The site allows you to find and thoroughly research organizations, donate, and manage all of your generous contributions. You can also connect with other givers and read their exclusive articles to learn about the best ways of getting involved with the issues that matter most to you. It's an incredibly handy resource for keeping track of your involvement, schedule donations, and a personalized portfolio helps you find other charities that might interest you.
In the mad, gift-buying chaos that precedes the holidays, it's important to keep in mind those who are less concerned about getting an iPhone, and more focused on staying warm and dry through these wintry days. And given the current economic chill and housing crisis, increasing numbers of people are finding themselves jobless and homeless. So, this holiday season, as you scurry around spreading cheer to friends and family, take a moment to share a bit of warmth with those in need. Here, in no particular order, are the top ten ways to help the homeless this holiday season:
You can drop off gently used clothing or other goods at places like Goodwill or The Salvation Army, and if you have a lot to give, some will even schedule a pick-up. Also, look for local charities that often have collection sites around this time of year, such as Big Brother/Big Sister. More
Everyone is feeling the pinch of our dismal economy. One sector that will be severely impacted by the economic woes of most Americans is non-profit organizations. Please consider a donation to one or some of those listed below. I’ve had the pleasure of working with them and have seen the successes of their courageous work. There are many more that aren’t included here; learn more about them and consider a donation to them as well.
1. More than 35 million Americans are “food insecure,” meaning they do not know where their next meal will come from. Your donation to Feeding America will help to bridge this gap. For every dollar you donate, you provide 16 bowls of food. With our serious economic decline, even more families are facing food shortages. Your critical support for this important program will help to close this gap and ensure that more people have meals this holiday season.
2. How does the gift of a goat, cow or natural resources management training translate into self-sufficiency for a family in Tanzania or a community in Nepal? Heifer International is building sustainable communities worldwide by investing directly in them with long-term solutions. Your gift will help the 60 year old organization continue its success in providing people with the tools for self-sufficiency, economic development and healthy well-being.
3. Give the gift of health. International Rescue Committee’s health basket contains medicine to prevent malaria and other diseases, materials for safe drinking water, baby delivery kits and training of local health workers. IRC asks you to be part of their journey “from harm to home” by pledging a donation this holiday season to provide much-needed health supplies for communities around the world. If your donation is in someone’s honor, they will receive a card explaining the gift.
What's on your wish list to Santa this year? How about asking for a Gift Collection from Justgive.org? A Gift Collection features four charities that support a specific cause like the environment, hunger issues or children's charities. Or if you're getting married, why not register at Justgive.org and encourage your guests to make charitable donations to their favorite cause in lieu of traditional gifts? takepart and visit http://www.justgive.org for more info.
For an art exhibit at the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, Oxfam, an international relief and development organization that fights poverty, hunger, and injustice, asked young people from developing countries to draw pictures showing the effect of climate change on their communities. This drawing by Rokaiya Sultans of Bangladesh looks at the effects of flooding.
I agree. I live in a small town as well. I have for several years now wanted to do something to make a difference with our food, children, animals, enviroment, etc. I just don't know where to turn. There has got to be someone or some organization out there to help and guide people like us to help our community. I would be willing to do the "work" if I had some backing. Maybe the right person will see our messages and help. People like us are wanted so bad out there and here we are sitting and waiting. BTW, FOOD, INC IS AWESOME!!!!
When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, television cameras scanned miles of destroyed homes and empty flooded streets. News reporters described power outages, toxic water, and a shortage of relief. Josh Neufeld started blogging.Years later, those blogs came together with numerous interviews to inspire A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge. "I'm a cartoonist and that's the way I tell stories," he said when I spoke to him last week about his newest graphic novel. "So it just made total sense to me."In 184 pages of illustrations, A.D. chronicles the experiences of seven survivors of the Hurricane--Denise, a sixth generation resident living in Mid-City; Leo and Michelle, twenty-something natives; Abbas, an Iranian-born convenience store owner and father of two; Darnell, Abbas' friend who sticks with him through the flood; Kwame, a senior in high school and son of a pastor; and Dr. Brobson, a "man-about-town" who's rarely fallen on hard times.
What's on your wish list to Santa this year? How about asking for a Gift Collection from 
For an art exhibit at the recent
