The Common Ground Collective has called for a National Caravan to bring some 300 volunteers to in New Orleans, arriving on November 20th and working over the week of Thanksgiving until November 27th. Common Ground says that rebuilding the 9th Ward is both relief work and a political act.
A meeting on Saturday, November 5th at 11:00am was the place for people interested in participating, in any way, in the Bay Area Caravan to help rebuild/repair/clean-up the 9th Ward in Louisiana. The meeting covered: background on Common Ground and the 9th Ward; what the Roadtrip and the on-the-ground work will look like; what volunteers needed to know; making goals and action plans for raising money and supplies; matching riders with drivers and gettting leads on vehicles; a communication plan for Bay Area volunteers; and determining the location, date, and time of the send-off gathering. A meeting was held on November 2nd, and Saturday's meeting was scheduled to accomodate people who were not able to attend on Wednesday. On Sunday, November 13th from 4:00pm-8:30pm, an anti-racist training, especially for white folks, will be held. Organizers are asking that people who plan to attend RSVP.

The Roadtrip for Relief volunteers will bring donated funds, and building and cleaning supplies to New Orleans. Volunteers will work on a particular section of the 9th Ward, picking up yard debris, cleaning streets, tarping rooftops, etc. For nearly a month, Common Ground has been organizing and meeting folks in the neighborhood as they return. A community center was just established which will soon be the site of another Common Ground distribution center of needed goods.

Read more about the Roadtrip, its plans, how to donate, and the work of the Common Ground Collective | Common Ground's Roadtrip Page