Resilient New Orleans

September 4, 2015 by Charlie London

resilientGuided by 100 Resilient Cities—Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, Resilient New Orleans combines local expertise with global best practices to confront our most urgent threats and seek ways to redress our legacy of inequity and risk.  Bold, yet pragmatic actions are proposed to adapt New Orleans to the changing natural environment,   invest in equity, create flexible and reliable systems, and prepare for future shocks.

Resilient New Orleans’ approach is organized into three sections, each with a vision for the future of New Orleans.

ADAPT TO THRIVE  |  CONNECT TO OPPORTUNITY  |  TRANSFORM CITY SYSTEMS

To read the complete prospectus, please visit the link below:

http://resilientnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Resilient_New_Orleans_Strategy.pdf

The actions we take today will shape our future city for the coming generation. What must we do now to make the next generation more equitable, more adaptable, and more prosperous? How can we make their New Orleans a dynamic urban landscape – aligned with its natural environment? What leadership is needed – from individuals, communities, the public and private sectors – to realize the city we envision?

RESILIENT NEW ORLEANS addresses these questions and sets forth aspirations to guide their work and specific actions to tackle these challenges.
resilient1

Filed Under: HISTORY Tagged With: bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, faubourg st john, future, New Orleans, plan, progress, resilient

STAY STEADY BUT BE READY

October 4, 2013 by Charlie London

karen-4pm-2013oct4-facebook

 

Oct 04, 2013 | 4 pm update

tropical-storm-karenCouncilmember Guidry says, “The Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicles have been activated and remain on stand-by at safe locations in anticipation of post-storm relief efforts. Dozens of trailers filled with cots, blankets, comfort kits and kitchen supplies are spread across the Gulf region.”

Make a Plan
The reality of a disaster situation is that you will likely not have access to everyday conveniences. To plan in advance, think through the details of your everyday life.
Develop a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations.
Consider a plan where each family member calls, or e-mails, the same friend or relative in the event of an emergency. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members. Depending on your circumstances and the nature of the attack, the first important decision is whether you stay put or get away. You should understand and plan for both possibilities.
Watch television and listen to the radio for official instructions as they become available.

 

Create a Personal Support Network: If you anticipate needing assistance during a disaster, ask family, friends and others to be part of your plan. Share each aspect of your emergency plan with everyone in your group, including a friend or relative in another area who would not be impacted by the same emergency who can help if necessary. Include the names and numbers of everyone in your personal support network, as well as your medical providers in your emergency supply kit. Make sure that someone in your personal support network has an extra key to your home and knows where you keep your emergency supplies. If you use a wheelchair or other medical equipment, show friends how to use these devices so they can move you if necessary and teach them how to use any lifesaving equipment or administer medicine in case of an emergency. Practice your plan with those who have agreed to be part of your personal support network. Inform your employer and co-workers about your disability and let them know specifically what assistance you will need in an emergency. Talk about communication difficulties, physical limitations, equipment instructions and medication procedures. Always participate in trainings and emergency drills offered by your employer.

Consider Your Service Animal or Pets: Whether you decide to stay put or evacuate, you will need to make plans in advance for your service animal and pets. Keep in mind that what’s best for you is typically what’s best for your animals. If you must evacuate, take your pets with you, if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, make sure that they allow pets. Some only allow service animals. Fire Safety: Plan two ways out of every room in case of fire. Check for items such as bookcases, hanging pictures or overhead lights that could fall and block an escape path.

Create a Plan to Shelter-in-Place: There are circumstances when staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as sheltering-in-place and sealing the room can be a matter of survival. If you see large amounts of debris in the air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated, you may want to shelter-in-place and seal the room. Consider precutting plastic sheeting to seal windows, doors and air vents. Each piece should be several inches larger than the space you want to cover so that you can duct tape it flat against the wall. Label each piece with the location of where it fits. Immediately turn off air conditioning, forced air heating systems, exhaust fans and clothes dryers. Take your emergency supplies and go into the room you have designated. Seal all windows, doors and vents. Understand that sealing the room is a temporary measure to create a barrier between you and contaminated air. Listen to the radio for instructions from local emergency management officials.

Create a Plan to Get Away: Plan in advance how you will assemble your family and anticipate where you will go. Choose several destinations in different directions so you have options in an emergency. Become familiar with alternate routes as well as other means of transportation out of your area. If you do not have a car, plan how you will leave if you have to. If you typically rely on elevators, have a back-up plan in case they are not working. Talk to your neighbors about how you can work together.

You may want to consider evacuating with help of Evacuteer.org. This is a new resource designed to help New Orleans residents safely evacuate. As travel around the city, you will notice the addition of 14-foot sculptures in your neighborhoods. These art pieces resembling waving figures are the culmination of art and functionality. These are designated evacuation pickup points (EvacuSpots) across the city. In the event of an evacuation, these EvacuSpots will be run by Evacuteers who will register and assist evacuees with luggage and pets at each of the locations.

The EvacuSpots are located at the:

  • Arthur Mondy Center (West Bank)
  • Kingsley House (Lower Garden District)
  • Central City Senior Center (Central City)
  • Mater Dolorosa (Carrollton)
  • Smith Library Bus Stop (Lakeview)
  • Palmer Park (Carrollton)
  • McMain High School (Broadmoor)
  • Lyons Community Center (Irish Channel)
  • Dryades YMCA (Central City)
  • Warren Easton High School (Mid City)
  • Municipal Auditorium (Treme)
  • O. Perry Walker High School (West Bank)
  • Stallings Community Center (Bywater)
  • Sanchez Center (Lower 9th Ward)
  • Gentilly Mall Parking Lot (Gentilly)
  • New Orleans East Library
  • Mary Queen of Vietnam Church (New Orleans East)

Get WATER | BATTERIES | MEDICINE

  • And, even if you have done it already, CLEAN THAT CATCH BASIN near your home. It gets re-clogged after every rain event. The pumps can’t pump what they can’t get.***In the midst of hurricane preparations it’s easy to forget the simple stuff. If your trash pickup days are Monday and Thursday, don’t forget to put out the can. If the hurricane arrives, it might be a while before trash pickup resumes.***With any calamity anywhere there are always opportunists. Bring in anything that could be transformed into a missle or be of value to an opportunist.

Neighbor Conrad Abadie says, “If you have an icemaker in your refrigerator, you might want to empty it into a small ice chest. It should come in handy when you lose power and will keep you from having to open the refrigerator.”

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Neighbor Bill Dalton sent in this interesting link to the Google Crisis Map for the United States —> http://google.org/crisismap/

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Neighbor Eileen Duke made this suggestion on the Yahoo group:

“For those that are staying, let’s please watch out for people casing our neighborhood… I’m not suggesting that anyone confront trespassers on properties other than their own, but we could at least sound a car alarm if we see someone entering someone’s backyard, etc. That could be a signal of sorts.”

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Neighbor Vince Booth sent in this link for traffic information:

http://i10highway.com/i-10-traffic/new_orleans.html

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And, one of the things you should be doing on a regular basis is cleaning that catch basin near your home. Check out the link below for more information:

https://fsjna.org/2012/05/free-protection/

The pumps can’t pump what the pumps can’t get. Clean that catch basin today.

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Hurricane Hunters on TWITTER —> https://twitter.com/NOAA_HurrHunter

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Call 1-800-9-OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) for downed power lines or gas leaks.

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Louisiana contraflow lane reversals start 30 hours before the onset of tropical winds. A local software team has created a Google Maps mashup to make the state’s contraflow evacuation routes easier to understand.

Visit contraflowmaps.com to plan your route.

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Please visit www.getagameplan.org and www.gohsep.la.gov to get detailed information on building a family emergency plan, emergency supplies, and evacuation information. Ready.gov is available with FEMA preparedness information. The city’s 311 system will be up and active during this storm. Please report any non-emergency issues to 311 including downed trees, signs and traffic light outages.

Whether it’s a boil water advisory or hurricane alerts, you need to be ready… NOLA READY! Learn more by visiting the links below.

nola-ready

 

On the Web – http://new.nola.gov/ready/

 

Via Email – http://new.nola.gov/ready/emergency-alerts/

 

On Twitter – https://twitter.com/nolaready

 

On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/NOHSEP

 

Readiness starts with you

Whether manmade or natural, every emergency situation is different, and requires both citizen and City to be prepared. From the Final Four to the Super Bowl, all-hazards alerts to hurricane evacuations, 24/7, 365 days a year, agencies across the City of New Orleans work to keep you safe and our city prepared for any event or emergency.

For our City to be ready, our citizens must be ready.

We must take all take important steps to prepare for an emergency. At NOLA Ready, we provide all the information residents need to travel their own road to being ready, including how to:

  • Get Informed
  • Make A Plan
  • Gather Supplies
  • Leaving Town
  • Coming Home
  • Get Involved
  • Sign The Pledge

City-Assisted Evacuation

City-Assisted Evacuation assists Orleans Parish residents and/or tourists who cannot self-evacuate during a mandatory City-wide evacuation by providing transportation from designated City evacuation pick-up points to the Union Pacific Terminal bus station, for outbound transportation to State and Federal shelters. Learn more here.

Sign the NOLA Ready pledge

Join Mayor Mitch Landrieu and make a commitment to the City committed to you. Make a Plan. Mark Your Name.

Because I love New Orleans, I know how I will leave New Orleans. I am New Orleanian. I am NOLA Ready.

Sign the Pledge


Get notified: Emergency Alerts

Accurate, immediate information, straight from the City of New Orleans to you via text, call, or email. NOLA Ready is the CIty of New Orleans’ emergency alert system and official source of information about every emergency situation, from power electrical outages to hurricane evacuations. What you need to know, when you need to know it, wherever you need to know it. Sign up here.

 

  • NOLA Ready
    • Get Emergency Alerts. Get NOLA Ready
    • Get Informed
    • Make a Plan
      • City-Assisted Evacuation Application
    • Gather Supplies
    • Leaving Town
    • Coming Home
    • Seniors & Medical Needs
    • Pets
    • Businesses
    • Get Involved
    • Sign The Pledge
    • Partners in Preparedness
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Feedback

 

 

A CHECKLIST OF ITEMS FOR HURRICANE PREPARATION

 

  • Prescription medication for a month
  • Aspirin and non-prescription medicine
  • FIRST AID KIT
  • Antibiotic ointment
  • CASH
  • Drinking water (2 gallons per day per person)
  • Containers for storing water
  • Non-perishable food
  • Eating utensils, paper plates and towels
  • Baby supplies (up to 3 weeks)
  • Non-electric can opener
  • Battery powered TV or radio
  • TOILET PAPER
  • Boards for your windows
  • Matches
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • Lantern with extra fuel
  • Fuel for your generator or saw
  • Aluminum foil
  • INSECT REPELLENT
  • Month’s supply of pet food
  • Cat litter
  • Tools and shovel
  • Latex and regular work gloves
  • SIGNAL LIGHT
  • AX IN ATTIC
  • Rope or heavy cord
  • DISINFECTANT
  • Toiletries and feminine supplies
  • Soap and liquid detergent
  • Household bleach without lemon
  • GARBAGE BAGS
  • Sturdy work shoes or work boots
  • RAIN GEAR AND A CHANGE OF CLOTHES
  • Have a plan of action for your pets. Many shelters will not take them. Call the SPCA for more information to help you prepare for evacuating your pets… (504) 368-5191.
  • http://www.la-spca.org
  • MAYOR LANDRIEU DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
    AS CITY PREPARES FOR TROPICAL STORM KAREN
    Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu outlined storm preparation for Tropical Storm Karen, which according to the National Weather Service is expected to make landfall Saturday as a Tropical Storm.

    Mayor Landrieu has declared a state of emergency and mobilized City departments and partner agencies to prepare for a severe weather. New Orleans is currently under a Tropical Storm Watch.

    “We have a plan in place to secure the city and we are taking all necessary precautions to prepare for Tropical Storm Karen,” Mayor Landrieu said. “Now is the time to prepare for whatever may come our way. As we all have learned, these storms can be unpredictable so we must continue to stay alert and ready to adjust as the situation develops.”

    In advance of the weather, the City is asking residents to take the following precautions:

    • Prepare to shelter in place with food, water, and medications needed in the event of loss of water and/ or power.
    • Clean or clear gutters and catch basins near your home.
    • Bring in or secure any loose objects outside.
    • Check on your neighbors and the elderly to make sure they are prepared.
    • Regular trash pickup will occur Saturday. Once trash is picked up, residents should secure trash cans.
    • Board up your windows or hatch down shutters.

    Mayor Landrieu strongly encouraged residents who live outside the city’s levee protection system or in low-lying areas – including Venetian Isles, Fort Pike, Irish Bayou, and Lake Catherine – to be prepared for elevated tidal surge and impassable roadways.

    Watch video from Mayor Landrieu’s Press Conference

    NOLA 311
    NOLA 311 will be operating extended hours throughout the event. NOLA 311 will remain operational until Friday midnight and resume operations at 6:00 a.m. Saturday, October 5 and remain operating 24 hours a day until further notice.
    Residents are encouraged to call NOLA 311 for general information and to report non-life threatening emergencies such as:

    • Storm preparation information
    • Sidewalk and road problems
    • Debris

    Residents should call 911 ONLY for life-threatening emergencies.

    NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT
    The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) has activated its hurricane preparedness plan, and is fully ready to protect people and property across the city.
    The NOPD will ticket motorists who drive faster than 5 mph on streets with standing water. Barricades will be positioned and will be deployed in flooded areas.
    A list of streets prone to significant flooding during severe weather is available at ready.nola.gov.

    NEW ORLEANS FIRE DEPARTMENT
    The New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) is fully staffed and prepared to respond to emergencies involving fire, water or hazardous materials. Additionally, the NOFD Urban Search and Rescue team is on standby in the event that it is needed. NOFD encourages residents to practice generator safety by operating them only in well-ventilated areas, away from doors, windows and vent openings. The NOFD also urges residents to use candles and kerosene lamps safely and never leave them unattended.

    HOMELESS SHELTERS

    The following shelters will be available for homeless persons on Friday, October 5:

    • New Orleans Mission, 1130 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd, (adults only: ages 18 and over) 504-270-4967.
    • Ozanam Inn, 843 Camp St., (males only) 504-523-1184.
    • Covenant House, 611 N. Rampart St., (males and females ages 16-21 and females of any age with children) 504-523-1111.
    • Bethel Community Ministries, 4114 Old Gentilly Rd, (women with children) 504-943-0456.

    REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY (RTA)
    At this time, RTA will continue to provide regular transit services to its riders. Streetcar service will be replaced with buses once sustained winds reach 25 mph.

    SANITATION

    Regular trash pickups will occur on Saturday. Once trash is picked up on Saturday, residents should secure all trash bins. Sanitation trucks will not traverse down streets with standing water.

    SEWERAGE & WATER BOARD

    All 24 sewerage and water board drainage pump stations are 100% operational. Backup generators at the Sewerage and Water Board facilities are on site and available as needed.

    PARKING

    The City is allowing residents to secure their vehicles on the neutral ground throughout the weather event. Residents should not park under trees, on tree roots, on levees, or on street car tracks. Any vehicles parked on the levees or streetcar lines will be towed.

    ENTERGY

    According to Entergy, it has activated its emergency response center, pre-staged all equipment and activated mutual assistance agreements with other agencies. Customers are encouraged to go to http://www.entergy.com/ to sign up for text messages. Residents may call 1-800-9OUTAGE to report outages or downed power lines.

    PUBLIC WORKS & CAPITAL PROJECTS

    The Department of Public Works has contractors and staff on standby for road repair and debris removal. Catch basin trucks are out cleaning catch basins. City project construction sites are being secured in preparation for severe weather.

    LIBRARIES

    New Orleans Public Library locations will be open Saturday, October 5.

    NORDC

    NORDC recreation centers will be closed on Saturday, October 5.

    NORDC tennis centers and aquatics facilities will be closed on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6.

    NORDC Movies in the Park event scheduled for Friday, October 4 at Stallings Playground is cancelled.

    NORDC little league football games scheduled for Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5 are cancelled.

    NOLA FOR LIFE Midnight Basketball scheduled for Saturday, October 5 at Tremé Center is cancelled.

    NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

    The New Orleans International Airport is completely operational at this time and is in constant communication with airlines. Travelers are encouraged to check individual airlines websites for latest information on delays and cancelations.

    VISITOR ATTRACTIONS

    New Orleans hotels remain open. City officials are in contact with hotels and conventions in town in order to ensure safety of New Orleans visitors as well as New Orleans residents. The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau provide hospitality industry updates on their webpage at http://www.facebook.com/NewOrleansCVB.

    EMERGENCY SUPPLY KITS

    According to Emergency Preparedness officials, families should build an emergency supply kit at home that includes:

    • Water (one gallon per person, per day for at least 3 days)
    • Non-perishable food (three-day supply for evacuation)
    • Non-electric can opener for food
    • Radio (battery-powered or hand crank)
    • Flashlights
    • Batteries
    • First aid kit (medications and medical supplies, seven-day supply)
    • Whistle
    • Dust masks
    • Sanitation items
    • Personal hygiene items
    • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
    • Maps
    • Important family documents

    READY.NOLA.GOV
    Citizens are encouraged to sign up for email and text message alerts by going to ready.nola.gov. This service allows City officials to contact citizens during emergencies, which includes life-threatening weather events, evacuation or shelter in place information, and other pertinent emergency information. In addition to the website, the City operates a Twitter handle: @nolaready.

    IMPORTANT NUMBERS TO KNOW

    • For life threatening emergencies, call 911
    • To report a non-life threatening problem or to get information, call 311
    • Report standing water in streets or downed traffic signals, call 504-821-2222
    • Sewerage and Water Boards 24/7 line, call 504-529-2837
    • To report power outages, call 1-800-968-8243 (1-800-9OUTAGE)
    • Report levee issues on the East Bank to Orleans Levee District Police at 504-283-9800 and on the West Bank call the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority West at 504-340-0318
  • Stay informed by downloading the Entergy App on your smartphone entergy.com/app, or register to receive text message updates by sending the message REG to 368374 from your cellphone.

    Call 1-800-9-OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243) to report a power outage.

    You can also download the American Red Cross Hurricane App here, and review their Hurricane Checklist here.

    Residents should call 911 ONLY for life-threatening emergencies.

    The City is allowing residents to secure their vehicles on the neutral ground throughout the weather event. Residents should not park under trees, on tree roots, on levees, or on street car tracks. Any vehicles parked on the levees or streetcar lines will be towed.

    • For life threatening emergencies, call 911
    • To report a non-life threatening problem or to get information, call 311
    • Report standing water in streets or downed traffic signals, call 504-821-2222
    • Sewerage and Water Boards 24/7 line, call 504-529-2837
    • To report power outages, call 1-800-968-8243 (1-800-9OUTAGE)
    • Report levee issues on the East Bank to Orleans Levee District Police at 504-283-9800 and on the West Bank call the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority West at 504-340-0318

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: evacuate, evacuteer, hurricane, neighborhood, New Orleans, plan, prep, preparedness, readiness, ready, storm, tips

Neighborhood Participation Plan

July 17, 2012 by Charlie London

The City Planning Commission has developed a Draft Neighborhood Participation Program (NPP) for Land Use Actions.

The draft document can be seen in the link below:
https://fsjna.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/NPP-2012.pdf

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NPP1

Click here for a presentation from the City of New Orleans about the Neighborhood Participation Plan released June 1, 2013.


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The public hearing will take place on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1E07. The NPP public hearing will start at 3:00 pm (no earlier). Each speaker will be limited to two minutes.

Interested citizens are encouraged to contact the office of the City Planning Commission for more information. The office of the City Planning Commission may be reached via telephone at (504) 658-7033, via email at [email protected], or via U.S. mail or in person at 1340 Poydras Street, Suite 900, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70112. To view the Draft NPP, or for other additional information, go to cpc.nola.gov. The deadline for written public comments has closed.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: activist, advocacy, bayou, bayou st john, faubourg, faubourg st john, fsjna, neighborhood, neighborhood participation plan, participation, plan

Build a Bike and Make a Difference

December 21, 2011 by Charlie London

RESTORE | RENEW | RECYCLE


The New Orleans Community Bike Project exists to promote the use of bicycles and other human-powered transportation; to assist all bicyclists in learning to maintain their vehicles; to provide a space for sharing community resources and fostering community education; and to promote the reuse of materials that might otherwise be thrown away.

Plan B is a community-run bike project that functions as an open workspace for bicycle building and repair. The workspace makes an array of professional bike tools available for use to the public for free while volunteers offer free help and instruction in bike repair. The bike project makes donated parts available at low cost. Additionally, complete used bikes are also available at reasonable, fair-market prices. All of the proceeds from sales are used to keep the project running and allow us to offer free stand time, tool library use, and bike education programs to the general public.

Shop: 1024 Elysian Fields | New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone: 504-272-PBNO (7266)
Email: [email protected]

Click on the bike to learn more.

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2239 Piety St in the Upper 9th Ward | New Orleans
(at the corner of Piety and N Tonti)

RUBARB is an all volunteer run space, which means no bosses, no workers and no pay. We all participate in making the space, tools and parts organized and accessible, and any money that is received goes toward tools and parts and all other basic needs of the shop. Our primary goal is to provide adequate tools and competent help to meet the needs of those who desire to build and repair bikes. RUBARB is an educational space where we all can share and learn from each other’s skills and experiences.

To meet these goals we currently offer:

Ways to build or get your own bike – start with a bike that needs a little repairing and a donation for all the needed parts and a person can finish the bike and make it their own. Work trades are also a welcomed way to get a bike and contribute to the shop. We also have a few bikes ready to ride, which we ask a $40 – $80 contribution for.

the EARN-A-BIKE program – after completing a series of 4 steps, which include learning basic maintenance and bike building skills, youth earn bikes that they take home with them.

step #1: fixing a flat. this is a basic skill that every bike owner should be able to do! kids learn to patch a punctured tube and should then be able to fix their own if experiencing a flat on their bikes.

step #2: overhauling a wheel. this step requires the earn-a-biker to take apart a wheel, regrease it, and put it back together. not only does overhauling a wheel make it ride smoother and last longer, but kids get a chance to see what’s inside a hub, how it works, and how it goes together.

step #3: overhauling a bike. this is the time when kids pick out a bike to earn and begin working on it. some of our bikes are in various states of disrepair, so s/he may not only be overhauling the bottom bracket and wheels, but adjusting the headsets and brakes and piecing together parts such as handlebars and seats.

step #4: help beautify RUBARB. in this final step, the earn-a-bike participant does something to help brighten, organize, or simply make the shop a more enjoyable space. so far kids have made t-shirts, painted a mural, created a sculpture out of bike parts, organized our tubes, and painted ornaments for our tree made out of rims.

download the earn-a-bike flyer here

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: b, bike, bikes, earn, free, help a kid, New Orleans, overhaul, plan, project, recycle, renew, reuse, rhubarb

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