Renew New Orleans Foundation Makes Its First Cash Donations to
Local New Orleans Organizations

NEW ORLEANS, November 23, 2005 – The Renew New Orleans Foundation (www.RenewNOLA.org), a registered nonprofit formed the week after Hurricane Katrina, has announced that it has made its first cash donations to three local New Orleans organizations.

The three local organizations are:

• Boys Hope Girls Hope of New Orleans, founded in 1980, is the local chapter of Boys Hope Girls Hope (www.boyshopegirlshope.org), a national organization dedicated to providing a stable home environment and a strong academic emphasis for disadvantaged but capable children.
• The Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans (www.prcno.org) was founded in 1974 to promote the preservation of New Orleans’ historic architecture. Currently they are active in educating New Orleans citizens on proper mold removal techniques.
• WRBH 88.3 FM (www.wrbh.org) was founded in 1975 by a local blind mathematician as the first reading station in the country to operate on the FM dial. Today, WRBH is one of only four FM “reading radios” in the world, and the only such station in the U.S. Its mission is to turn the printed word into the spoken word so the blind and print handicapped can enjoy the same ease of access to current information as their sighted peers.

“Of behalf of the hundreds of people who have donated to the Renew New Orleans Foundation, we are truly privileged to make our initial investments totaling $10,000 in New Orleans’ future,” said Mike Latino, President of the Foundation, which donates 100 percent of its net profits to greater New Orleans charities.

“The foundation’s ongoing efforts, combined with the collected efforts of similar groups dedicated to the goal of a ‘new’ New Orleans, are starting to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those working on the ground in the city. And this is just the beginning.”

The Renew New Orleans Foundation is the brainchild of a small group of native New Orleanians who decided to play a proactive role in the massive rebuilding effort in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The foundation primarily generates its funds through its Renew New Orleans fundraising campaign centered on the distribution of its Mardi Gras colored silicone bracelets. For every $5 contribution, donators get a unique purple, green and gold bracelet emblazoned with the familiar New Orleans fleur-de-lis symbol and the phrase “Renew New Orleans.” To date, the average donation is $30.00. Most of its donations come primarily through the foundation’s www.RenewNOLA.org website and all of its proceeds, excluding shipping and the cost to manufacture the bracelets, go directly to greater New Orleans non-profit organizations.

The grassroots charitable effort, which started with a single e-mail on September 14, 2005, has grown into a global phenomenon with more than 800 donations coming in via the internet from 42 U.S. states, Italy, Canada, Germany and Holland.

“The people who are making a donation and sporting a Renew New Orleans bracelet – they are the people who are really responsible for what we’re trying to do, which is to make a difference in the lives of the citizens of the greater New Orleans area. We’re off to a very strong start considering we’re raising funds $5 at a time,” Latino said.

The Renew New Orleans Foundation (www.RenewNOLA.org) is a registered IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to raise funds needed to enhance the quality of life for citizens in the greater New Orleans area adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina. One hundred percent of the Renew New Orleans Foundations’ net profits are donated to local charities. The foundation’s core principle is that local New Orleans charities are best suited to assist in the long-term rebuilding efforts of the city. Donations to the Renew New Orleans Foundation are tax deductible and can be made at www.RenewNOLA.org.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 214-673-3000 or info@renewNOLA.org

Hurricane Katrina Wristbands