Create Postcards of Hope for Jena

On September 20th, Postcards from Katrina expresses hope for children and families impacted by fierce climate in Jena, LA. The mobilization of students today reflects the energy in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In the U.S. communities will continue to need the energy and skillset of young people to lead the change that the communities have desparately needed.

On this day students around the country are galvanized for change. For example, Howard University students have taken a bus to Jena to participate in activities with organizations such as National Black Law Student Association and Color of Change.

In Washington, DC, Postcards from Katrina creator, Tambra Stevenson, will celebrate her birthday with supporters by making postcards of hope for Jena and send them to government and media officials in Louisiana. Sponsored by Creative Cause, the event will be held at Duke's City Restaurant and Lounge off 12th and U Street, NW Washington, DC at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today. So join the cause and create a postcard of hope while meeting other socially conscious young professionals and enjoy drink specials.

PfK Signs the Petition to Bring Candidates to NOLA

Join Postcards from Katrina and Friends of New Orleans in signing the petition to bring the Presidential Debate to New Orleans. Visit www.friendsofneworleans.org

WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN. In memory of the 2nd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and in support of our local partner, Women of the Storm, Friends of New Orleans is launching an online letter campaign to Congress and Governors across the United States. We ask you to join us in urging all of them to encourage the Commission on Presidential Debates to select New Orleans to host one of the final three Presidential debates of 2008.

Upgrade New Orleans with Postcards from Katrina

On September 1, 2007, tell your friends to attend the Upgrade New Orleans Conference with keynote speaker, Jeff Johnson of BET. Also that day, Postcards from Katrina, a Creative Cause project, will host a healing arts workshop at the conference at Xavier University in New Orleans.

At the workshop, participants will make postcards of hope and speak about life after Katrina and how art helps to express where they are and want to be for a new New Orleans. Upgrade New Orleans Initiative is a unique, youth-led civic engagement project started by New Orleans native Yasmin Gabriel,, who is Howard Law student and producer of "Picking Up the Pieces: College Life After Katrina," which features Postcards from Katrina.

Postcards from Katrina, Creative Cause, Next Wave of Change Coalition and NOLA YURP supports Upgrade New Orleans and hope you will do the same and be that next wave of change. On Sunday, Sept. 2 at 6pm, come out to the first-ever NOLA Facebook Meet Up at Mimi's in the Marigny at 2601 Royal at Franklin in New Orleans. We have invited Percy Marchand and State Representative Juan LaFonta to share remarks.

Also come and creative postcards of hope for the 2010 x 2010 goal of Postcards from Katrina.You have a chance to win an official Plant Hope t-shirt as well. Because we need more hope for the city to have a future.

SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 20

At Duke's City Restaurant and Lounge (upper floor) in Washington, DC, Creative Cause will kick off it's first Fall event at 630pm, 'Causmos and Convos,' an opportunity for the communications and creative community and friends to come together, meet and discuss social issues and how to use their creativity to create awareness and action.

On that day, many people will be headed to Jena, LA to fight for justice about the unfair treatment of youth in the city. For those unable to travel to Jena, the founder of Creative Cause, Tambra Stevenson, will celebrate her birthday with a purpose: Justice in Jena.

So if you have a spoken word, artwork, poetry, and any other artistic form to express bring it to the event and share your creativity for the cause. So bring a friend and join CC's community at http://www.creativecause.collectivex.com/. If you are a nonprofit that wish to team up with Creative Cause to promote your cause at a future event, email info@creativecause.org.

And let's use our creativity for good!

Create Postcards of Hope for Katrina Survivors

Planting Hope in the Hearts and Minds of Hurricane Katrina Survivors

Postcards from Katrina encourages you to come to GWU's Kogan Plaza and send a message of hope to those impacted by Hurricane Katrina by creating Sketches of Inspiration for the PfK 2010 x 2010 initiative, a national initiative to generate 2010 postcards filled with poems and sketches for survivors by the year 2010, which is the fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to create an America of hope and healing.

Bring your friends and family to sketch a message of hope for this outreach project, which uses art as a way to express our feelings about all that has happened and to let all those impacted by the storm know that they have not been forgotten.

In partnership with the George Washington University's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Influence PR, Creative Cause creates campaigns that make a social impact and want you to be a part of the next wave. Plant Hope t-shirts will be available along with raffle prizes. Postcards from Katrina and Plant Hope are educational initiatives of Creative Cause.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

2:00pm - 4:00pm

George Washington University/Kogan Plaza

H Street NW between 21st and 22nd Streets

Washington, DC

Metro: Foggy Bottom (orange/blue)

On Facebook? Spread the word: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=2322776355&ref=mf
For more information, email info@postcardsfromkatrina.com

Planting Hope in Our Communities from the Gulf to Blacksburg, VA

We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on. We are embracing our mourning. We are Virginia Tech ... - Nikki Giovanni, VA Tech University Distinguished Professor, poet, activist


Everyone at some point in their lives will experience a mini-Katrina. I know since I lost my father on Psalm Sunday unexpectedly. The question is what do you do after the storm? This week that raging storm hit the quaint collegial community of Blacksburg, VA – home to Virginia Tech. Our focus should be on healing, supporting and reflecting how do we plant seeds of hope to prevent violence. The storm was building overtime within the young man who committed this violent act and expanded into other peoples worlds.


Following Hurricane Katrina, the Plant Hope project was created with the focus on how do we help and give hope to other people everyday such as the quiet person. With the recent passing of my father, a retired Corporal of the Oklahoma City Fire Department for 26 years and was commended for his volunteerism while off-duty during the Oklahoma City Bombing, I rededicated the project in his honor.


So this Saturday, April 21st, we kick off the Plant Hope initiative at McKinley Tech High School in Washington, DC for National and Global Service Day, which youth and adults to come plant hope in the community and the Gulf. That day youth will create postcards and poetry of hope for VA Tech and the Gulf showing the value of art for healing and public service.


Also the community can join in the are encouraged to plant hope on April 29th at the Kogan Plaza on the campus of George Washington University from 2-4pm with Creative Cause, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Chapter of GWU, Influence PR (Public Relations Student Society of America Chapter). The community will have a chance to make postcards of hope for VA Tech and the Gulf.

In a society that’s always on the go, sometimes we need to step back and take time to plant hope from what we say to people in the morning. Give a smile, a hug, or a thank you will do to your neighbor, child, parent, teacher or co-worker. That’s on an individual level. An on a societal /policy/media level, we can plant hope by strengthening youth programs in our communities giving youth creative outlets and mentorship to give them a sense of purpose.

Also we plant hope with images in ad campaigns and media with positive personal stories to inform and inspire all people to feel like they can make a difference in the world and starting within their life. We each can do our part in building a better community together and that involves planting hope. First we all should start with ourselves because we cannot give what we do not have. And this young man did not see hope. And when there is no hope there is no future.
Why do I know you need to plant hope? Because I had no feeling of a future as a child while growing up in Oklahoma City living through the OKC bombing and formerly worked on youth trauma programs in mental health; and now my future is full of hope because my community and I planted hope in me.

–Tambra Stevenson, Creator of Postcards from Katrina, a program of Creative Cause

Let me know how you planted hope today! Email me at tambra at planthope dot org.

Youth Plant Hope for National Youth Service Day

The clock is ticking for 19th National & Global Youth Service Day (NGYSD) and Earth Day in the District of Columbia! National & Global Youth Service Day, the largest service event in the world, will take place on April 20-22, 2007.

In partnership with Yayah's, Inc., Creative Cause brings to the community its pilot program, 'Plant Hope in the City.' The initiative presents a healthy challenge to our nation's capitol on how we all--young professionals, community members, parents, educators, and students-- can plant hope in our community.

On April 21st, we invite youth to take the Plant Hope Challenge at McKinley Tech High School(151 T St, NE) in Washington, DC. Starting at 9am, the PlantHope in the City event is part of a national effort to mobilize over 9,000 youth volunteers in 80 community service projects through a large coalition of local organizations. Space is limited; so register online today! Refreshments and limited on site registration begin at 8-9am!

That day, youth volunteers from middle school to college age will have fun participating in taking the plant hope challenge, developing postcards for the Postcards from Katrina project, and winning hot prizes while meeting other students and young professionals who care about making a difference.

Also youth will develop ways they can ‘plant hope’ in the city through plant hope challenge –a great team building activity. The goal is to engage youth in a creative community service project and kick off the Plant Hope pilot initiative.

We also want to increase the number of youth service opportunities in the District to counter youth violence and promote civic engagement. It’s great opportunity to meet the Plant Hope youth ambassador, learn about how you can play

The postcards created by youth will be incorporated into the 2010 goal of displaying postcards of hope for the community by the community for the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

In support of the promote walk DC initiative and Earth Day, that afternoon youth walk to the neighborhood park to beautify Crispus Attucks Park located in the Bloomingdale area NW DC from 1-4pm with college students and community volunteers. BBQ will be served afterwards.

Creative Cause gives special thanks to the Freddie Mac Foundation, Youth Service America, Capital One and Serve DC for their support. Free parking is available. Closest metro is Rhode Island Avenue (red line) or take the metrobus G8 or 80 to McKinley Tech High. Breakfast, snacks, and lunch will be provided. For questions about this day, email info@postcardsfromkatrina.com.

Promoting service-learning through the arts, Postcards from Katrina is a refreshing public service arts project developed by Creative Cause, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit social enterprise connecting creativity to bring awareness and action around public health and social causes.

Father of Postcards from Katrina Died Psalm Sunday

OKLAHOMA CITY--On April 1st, my father, Calvin Coolidge Hill, Jr. would have celebrated his 53rd birthday this April 4th just two days before my older brother's birthday. On Palm Sunday morning my father, a retired Oklahoma City firefighter, was in a head on collision while riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle and died on impact just a mile from his Oklahoma City home.

So I am focusing my energies on a project in his honor called Plant HOPE. He was a humanitarian, always giving and helping others. So HOPE stands for helping other people everyday...which he did at the Oklahoma Election Board, OKC firefighter and a community activist. He has given me a new meaning of hope that he embodied and now lives through me...which is helping other people everyday. Learn more at planthope.org and link to www.myspace.com/planthope and you can email me at tambra@planthope.org.

Music Legend Brings New Orleans to DC

WASHINGTON, DC--This Spring weekend in Georgetown, producer/songwriter and pianist Allen Touissant will join forces with Marva Wright, New Orleans' Queen of the Blues to perform at Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, with shows from March 22-25 at 8pm and 10pm for $45. Drawing his inspiration from New Orleans, Touissant relocted to the Big Apple after Hurricane Katrina while having his home rebuilt. "I consider myself a visitor in New York," he said. "Idefinitely think that New York is the best place for me to be at this time, for just for business reasons. But whereever I am, I'm always on my way back to New Orleans."

And for singer Wright, she has relocated to Bel Air, Maryland in the wake of the Hurricane. They both participated in the IMAX Theatre Film, "Hurricane on the Bayou." Touissant hopes to move back to New Orleans in two months and remains optimistic that the city will return to its full glory in about ten years. "Whenever I go back, I ride all over town. Htere are still miles and miles of houses that are totally gutted," he said. "But there are many trailers with people constantly working on their own houses and getting things in order. So there's progress going on constantly." For more information on the show, call 202-337-4141.

Support Women Making Movies: Watch "Run Cody"

WASHINGTON, DC--Got plans on March 10? If so reschedule to check out Run Cody this weekend at Busboys and Poets in DC! Like the Postcarsd from Katrina project, this documentary places a human element after storm. Looking through the eyes of 13-year old Cody, the documentary addresses the continued struggle of one teen who hopes to lives his dreams. Written & directed by filmmaker Amy Flannery, Run Cody is a 30 minute fiction focusing on Cody who escaped hurricane Katrina, but can he survive life in Washington, DC with his drunken father?

"To me, the movie calls on the question of empathy in humanity," said Tambra Stevenson, creator of Postcards from Katrina. "Though much attention is focused on the Gulf region and rightfully so, many people displaced from the storm are in our communities. So how do we plant seeds of hope for them and existing children to have hope for a better tomorrow? We never know what our neighbor has gone through. Maybe they are Katrina survivors? The point is to create and be the change we wish to see in the world!"

Also that evening at Busboys, the documentary, Home, 25 Minutes, will be shown. Produced by Advancement Project, most of the New Orleans’ public housing withstood the hurricane with little or no damage, yet thousands of families are still shut out of their homes and remain displaced across the country.

WHEN: March 10, 10 p.m. (doors open at 9 p.m.)

WHERE: DONATION: * $3.00 entrance fee. Larger donations welcome. All proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity to benefit Hurricane Katrina/Rita victims.

PfK Creator Showcases Art and Poetry for Women's History Month

WASHINGTON, DC--For Women's History Month, creator of Postcards from Katrina, Tambra Stevenson, captures the challenges for the quest of equity in humanity through her art and poetry with other female artists in. On March 3, 2007 in Baltimore, MD participating in the Art with Joes Series, Stevenson will present Katrina-inspired original art and poetry in the 2nd Annual Women's History Month Exhibition, which is co-sponsored by ThickArt Collective and Authentic Art Consulting. The theme is "Making Herstory: A Feminine Perspective in Art and Words." Artwork will be available for purchase.

"I am pleased to participate in the exhibition," said Stevenson. "It's a great opportunity to bring awareness of the struggle and successes of women and art is a special way to convey their story."

Postcards from Katrina began an initiative called 'Sisters Sharing Stories of Hope and Help,' which includes ten concept ads. The ads convey the different stages of women in their lives and their hope to find meaning in the eye of the storm. Recognizing in life we will always experience crisis, but our ability to overcome the struggle and find hope is critically important in inspiring our children. Stevenson's artwork and poetry will be capture that meaning at the exhibition.

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 3, 2007, 3 pm – 7 pm

Peace and A Cup of Joe Café
713 West Pratt Street

Baltimore, MD. 21201

Phone: (410) 244-8858

Celebrate National Year of the Woman Artist during this special exhibition at Peace and A Cup of Joe. Women artists from Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia will be featured in this special exhibition as well as poets and spoken word artists!

Check back to see highlights and information on the following artists that will be featured in this exhibition:

Prudence Bonds
Sharon J. Burton
Karen Buster
Ann Chisley
Kimberly Gaines
Sandra Getlein
Rukiya Hawthrone
Kristen Hayes
Jennifer Judelsohn
Keely Kernar
Elizabeth Linares
Heather Levy
Robin McDougal
Janie McGee
Michelle d. Parrish
Alison Poland
Marina Reiter
Healther Schmaedeke
Amanda Scott Campanella
Patricia Steck
Desiree Sterbini
Tambra Stevenson**
Schonda Sweeney
Cynthia Widmer
Tanekeya Word