The New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund, a grass roots 501c(3), was founded after Katrina by and for displaced musicians, and has provided housing, transportation, instruments and grants.
The charity pays no office rent or consultants to help each donor dollar go further. This summer, NOMRF was able to pass along more donated instruments to the children of musicians, as Chris Rose of the New Orleans Times Picayune described here, and our friends REM sent down some merchandise to encourage the young musicians.
Dr. John told Entertaiment Weekly he was very grateful to the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund. "It's small organizations - they've done more than these big organizations with a lot of money."
ReDefine 8/29 Furnishing Our Neighbors
Furnishing Our Neighbors has joined the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund's ReDefine 8/29 Campaign with luxury hotel-donated $8 and $29 furniture for returning residents. Celebrate the third year of turning surviving into thriving by checking out the warehouse from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays at 731 S. Solomon (behind Rock and Bowl). FON founder Mandi Thompson has also provided an excellent location for instrument distribution as donations come in.
Outreach is still crucial. On Mardi Gras Day, we gathered at the Circle Bar with relief workers and musicians including Abby Travis, Mike Mills and sousaphone god Kirk Joseph. The Saving NOLA Store in Jax Brewery helped post a banner promoting the Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village, Global Green, New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund and Make it Right. This weekend, we'll be taking the Rock and Roll Summer Camp Counselors to all of the above, as well as the Furnishing Our Neighbors warehouse, for an overview of how New Orleans ReDefines 8/29.
Founder's Piano
REM featured NOMRF Founder's Jeff Beninato's Family Piano Print (HERE)in their Entertainment Weekly video along with New Orleans Instrumental No. 1: (WATCH HERE). The piano print in support of our programs is available (HERE).
Our ReDefine 8/29 auction kicks off soon and will feature items including Jimmy Descant rocketship artwork, REM's signed lyrics to Everybody Hurts, a Curtis Knapp book print, Bangles merch and a strat signed by Little Steven in solidarity with New Orleans musicians. For our download, bands including the Subdudes, Ian Hunter, the Kaiser Chiefs and Dr. John have donated tracks to(REDEFINE 8/29 DOWNLOADS).NOMRF also now offers benefit Sax On The Web tracks and Lieson i-tunes by Abby Travis and the Bangles.
Gear and Badge
Merchandise available (HERE) includes Dennis Procopio's ReDefine 8/29 tee (right).
The Impact Channel, PayPal and MySpace have chosen the New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund to benefit from a new fund-raising badge, and "Lies" by Abby Travis and the Bangles is now available on i-tunes. NOMRF was honored to be a finalist twice in the MySpace Community Building Impact Awards.
Badge contributions start with $5, because every dollar still counts - click on the badge to visit our MySpace page.
