With everything we do, we want to help build a stronger support system and safety net for the culture-bearers that make New Orleans such a special place to live and visit. The culture is our greatest treasure! We're working to preserve, appreciate, and celebrate the culture of New Orleans. Whether it's supporting local businesses, creating jobs, giving artists a platform, or simply telling our unique stories, our aim is to contribute to a stronger, resilient, more equitable and sustainable New Orleans.
Buying groceries for elder-culture-bearers + employing musicians and younger culture-bearers with gig-work opportunities. To date, this effort has created over $300,000 worth of job opportunities and purchased over $168,000 worth of groceries for the most vulnerable and valuable asset in New Orleans, the people who make our culture.
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An initiative to put Mardi Gras artists who, due to the pandemic, were un- or under-employed back to work creating “house floats” for Carnival 2021. Launched on Dec 4th, 2020, this 6-week initiative raised $330,000 and created work for 48 people, including 32 Mardi gras artists and created 23 “house floats.”
Learn morehelp the 9th ward Black Hatchet Tribe cover the cost of feathers!
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When 2021 Jazz Fest was cancelled, we created Fest Fest to hire musicians to perform backyard concerts... this has raised nearly $100,000 for New Orleans musicians when their gigs were cancelled.
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Beginning with $60 and an idea to feed health care workers, when COVID hit our city we created the largest Feed the Front Line operation in America. In six weeks, we raised over $1,000,000.
During that time, we arranged for 90,000 meals and 10,000 cookie and coffee orders for every single ER and ICU in New Orleans... twice a day. We created $100,000 worth of jobs for musicians, supported 49 restaurants and coffee shops, and uplifted thousands of frontline heroes.
Then we created Feed the Second Line a standalone non-profit that seeks to create gig-work opportunities and a safety-net for New Orleans culture. To date, FTSL has raised over $600,000 and supported hundreds of culture-bearers.
When 2021 Mardi Gras parades were cancelled, we created Hire A Mardi Gras Artist which took house-floats to the next level. We crowd-funded the creation of 24 house-floats, creating work for 35 Mardi Gras Artists and 10 musicians. This effort raised $330,000 and helped save Carnival 2021.
When bars were shut down, we created Bean Coin which has been able to support 14 neighborhood bars with $50,000 in "bean coin" sales.... half of this money has been "fronted" to the neighborhood bars, helping stabilize their businesses as they fight through a tough year. (The other half is saved for when people spend their bean coins)
When Jazz Fest was cancelled, we created Fest Fest to hire musicians to perform backyard concerts... this has raised nearly $100,000 for New Orleans musicians. ..
and finally.....
In the aftermath of Hurricane IDA, Feed the Second Line stepped up to tarp over 150 houses of culture-bearers, created jobs for 50+ musicians (hired to bring supplies to Chauvin, and Montegut, LA) and delivered ICE and Food around New Orleans during the 10 days with no power.
