Support Community of Mothers After Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Power is estimated to be out for weeks, and people have lost their jobs and homes. Many are unable to evacuate. Rebuilding and returning to normalcy will take time and the support of community.

I've advocated for youth and single mothers in New Orleans, as well as other parts of Louisiana, for several years. Many of these community members don't have the resources to evacuate so we are bringing them generators, gasoline, food, water and other goods for as long as these funds allow.

Funds will be applied towards the purchase and delivery of supplies, meals for families, and to support those that need to evacuate or return home safely. We are assessing the specific needs of each family.

Please donate, share, and reach out if there are other resources you can offer.

Love + Gratitude,

Jasmin

Venmo: JasminMara
Instagram: JasminMara


BACKGROUND:
I moved to New Orleans six years ago in my search to find home and family. I had been searching for a long time. I was welcomed and I belonged. What I also found was a stronger understanding of myself within community.

I was a reporter and radio producer back then so met many families through various assignments and media projects. The people of Louisiana spoke deeply to my heart and I eventually became a volunteer advocate for families and foster youth. Then, I met Jermaine. I was selling furniture that Jermaine wanted to purchase. I learned he was independently buying furniture and moving it for families in his community. Jermaine is a strong advocate for youth and single mothers, as am I, so it was a perfect collaboration. Since then, Jermaine and I have organized efforts to bring support to families and young people.

This is who we are hoping to support in the aftermath. 

BIO:
Jasmin Mara López is a journalist, audio producer, and filmmaker based in New Orleans, LA. Born in the U.S. with familial roots in Mexico, her childhood was affected by issues experienced on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. This instilled in her a strong passion for immigrant rights, youth empowerment, and social change. In 2007, López founded Project Luz, a project that teaches youth in Mexico to document stories within their communities. In 2015, she was awarded the Society of Professional Journalists’s Excellence in Journalism Award for her documentary Deadly Divide: Migrant Death on the Border. She has taught radio to youth and communities in Oakland, Nezahualcóyotl and Coxcatlán, Mexico. Most recently, her film Silent Beauty has garnered support from Chicken & Egg Pictures, Firelight Media, Sundance Institute, Black Public Media, Latino Public Broadcasting, and Creative Capital.