Imagine Water Works

What if we had the space to imagine

The Storm Zine Project: Queer/Trans Guide to Storms

989 1280 Imagine Water Works

In preparation for hurricane season, we wrote (and drew, painted, recorded, cooked, photographed) “love notes” to this place and to our LGBTQ community. “A Queer/Trans Guide to Storms” is a new take on disaster preparedness for those who are often left behind.

read more

FINAL REPORT: July Supply 2023

2048 1536 Imagine Water Works

FINAL REPORT: In partnership with Culture Aid NOLA, we organized 4 events that served 5,248 individuals and 1,422 families with 28,470 pounds of food and a variety of hurricane preparedness and relief supplies and information.

read more

Chenier “Klie” Kliebert of New Orleans, LA – Imagine Water Works Announced as New Obama Foundation United States Leader

764 298 Imagine Water Works

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Orleans – Today, Imagine Water Works announced that Chenier “Klie” Kliebert is among the first cohort of 100 emerging changemakers selected to participate in the Obama Foundation’s Leaders USA program.

read more

Lista para la Temporada de Huracanes 2023

1640 924 Imagine Water Works

Esta Lista debería ayudarle a cubrir lo más básico para la Temporada de Huracanes.

read more

2023 Hurricane Season Guide

1640 924 Imagine Water Works

2023 EDITION: The 2023 Hurricane Season Guide contains a Quick Checklist, as well as expanded sections on packing, taking care of your home, how to make evacuation decisions, and additional resources. The guide also contains special considerations for our LGBTQ community.

read more

Hurricane Season Checklist

1640 924 Imagine Water Works

Introducing our 2023 update of the Hurricane Season Checklist: A quick and easy way to prepare for hurricane season – both now and when there’s a storm headed your way.

read more

July Supply

2048 1536 Imagine Water Works

We’re proud to announce our partnership for this year’s July Supply between Culture Aid NOLA and Imagine Water Works to distribute barrier-free groceries, storm preparedness supplies, and important resources to New Orleans families each Wednesday this month.

read more

New Orleans Community Resource Guide

1992 1536 Imagine Water Works

MAY 2023 EDITION: An extensive list of free or low-cost services in the New Orleans area, including: basic needs assistance, health care and prescription assistance, reproductive health, food access, shelters and housing, employment, addiction services, disability access, legal aid, disaster relief, and more. The guide also contains resources specifically for transgender and formerly incarcerated people.

read more

Storm Zine Project: Open Call for Submissions

1080 1080 Imagine Water Works

APPLY BY 6/6: Calling all Queer/Trans artists, healers, writers, and creators in Southeast Louisiana! Submit your work to our “Queer/Trans Guide to Storms”. Paid opportunity.

read more
Community farm table refresh! Today we have more satsumas, a few more filled 5-gallon water jugs, boxes of Damprid, and canned water (all free and yes it’s for you). There are lots of potholes around us — we recommend stopping by in the day time.

If you scoop the last of something, please DM to let us know! 

We will also be distributing DampRid to a few Little Libraries today, those will be in our stories as the drops happen. We know DampRid is pricey and most of us are struggling — if your car flooded this weekend, please drop by #TheImaginationFarm or a Little Library to grab some for you and your neighbors. 

2718 Painters Street
PODCAST: If you’ve been to New Orleans, you’ve no doubt been asked “How ya doin’” by nearly everyone in the neighborhood. Part culture, part survival tactic — we know we’re stronger together, especially when a storm comes. 

IWW’s Co-Founder and Executive Director Chenier “Klie” Kliebert joined Climate One Podcast with Tanya Gulliver Garcia (@funds4disaster), Amee Raval (@apen4ej), Justin Hollander (@tuftsuniversity), and Reverend Vernon K. Walker (@cleanh2oaction) to discuss the value of knowing your neighbors during a crisis.

The episode is now available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and will be broadcast on NPR stations across the country.

Episode Summary:
Disasters caused by burning fossil fuels are becoming more frequent, and in the aftermath of hurricanes, floods and wildfires, federal and state responses are often slow or insufficient. There is a growing body of research showing that neighborhood ties can be the difference between life and death: Socially connected neighbors are less likely to die from excessive heat or other extreme weather events. Community-based action, like mutual aid, can bring resources to people overlooked by overburdened governments. What tools can a community use to prepare for fossil fueled disasters? 

Link in bio: https://www.climateone.org/audio/community-resilience-knowing-your-neighbor-could-save-your-life
SALTWATER WEDGE OF UNCERTAINTY INFO: Hello again! This week's update has brought more good news. Here is what we know... The saltwater wedge has actually retreated by about 5 miles. You may see folks talking about a "toe" now, too, so we want to explain what that is.

First, the reason the saltwater wedge is called a "wedge" is because salt is heavy and sinks to the bottom of the river – this creates a wedge shape that looks kind of like a door stopper that you'd use to, well, keep a regular door open. The "toe" is the part at the very bottom – the pointy part of the door stopper. On these predictions, the dates listed are the timelines for the *toe* to reach a location... but the intakes for our water supply are actually closer to the top of the water, nowhere near the toe. So the water supply isn't necessarily impacted when the toe gets there – the salt still has to travel several more miles for the top of that wedge/door stopper of salt to hit the higher-up intakes for our water supply.

The timeline is extended for several reasons. One, river science. There is a large depression in the river that has been filling up with salt (remember it sinks!), keeping it from moving forward. This was not accounted for in the original projections. Two, the sill you've heard folks talking about has also slowed it down. And three, weather! Meaning, the river is higher/flowing more than meteorologists predicted a month ago. It is very normal for weather forecasts to update over time, especially when they are trying to predict a month in advance.

At this time, we are recommending folks to consider some of the fears that you have had for Orleans Parish (who will see no or very low impacts) and redirect those as support for our neighbors down in Plaquemines.

As Imagine Water Works, we are continuing to strategize with others who are offering support downriver.

Take care everyone ❤️💧
Thank you WDSU! We received our first batch of 5-gallon jugs today and will be distributing them beginning next week to organizations and individuals who have partnered with us to lead their own distributions, as well as to those who will be most impacted by the saltwater wedge.

*Please note updated predictions with the East Bank of New Orleans being considerably less likely to face impacts, while the West Bank may need support, as well as Plaquemines needing ongoing support. We are coordinating with folks from all of these areas.
INFO, MUTUAL AID, AND CALL FOR SPONSORS: Hi friends, we have been keeping an eye on the saltwater wedge. And as always, we promise to share resources and reliable, relevant information as we receive it. As you all know, currently not much of it is reliable. We will remain honest about what we do know and what we don’t know.

We don’t know how long the wedge will last. We don’t know how much trust can be placed in some of the preventative measures being proposed. We don’t know what resources will exist until we are able to see them for ourselves.

We do know that it can be scary to not know what exactly is happening! We do know that we have built communities of support over years and generations. We are New Orleanians. We'll respond. We'll get creative. We'll help each other. Mutual aid never ends.

We know some other things, too. The water is as fine as it ever is for us in Orleans Parish right now. This is not a nationwide shortage like COVID toilet paper – it’s local. Stores have been informed and are increasing their water stock. In the meantime, please consider not panic buying bottled water, which creates a shortage for those who actually need it. We’ll be sharing more info in the days to come.

To SUPPORT our neighbors right now, we’re ordering 5-gallon reusable jugs for people to fill ahead of the wedge and again later as needed. They come with a spigot, are cubes so they're stackable, and are BPA free and food grade. We hope folks use them to help get through the wedge and reduce plastic, but also keep them for hurricane prep in the future.

Our REQUEST is for sponsors and partners. If your organization or business would like to sponsor however many jugs you can and send us your logo, we will put your logo on them and handle distribution.

Our OFFER is if you're affiliated with a group or organization that would like to join our bulk order to cut costs and save time, and then reimburse us and distribute or use the jugs on your own autonomously, let us know! We are not interested in "owning" the effort. We want as many people to get support as possible.

To sponsor, ask questions, or get more details, email klie@imaginewaterworks.org. 

One day at a time!
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS (8/12): We're excited to be partnering with @operationrestorationtheor this Saturday on a Storm Prep event in Vacherie (St. James Parish). We'll be distributing tarps, battery packs, DampRid, preparedness information, and more. These are substantial Hurricane Prep Kits, intentionally built for a household. Folks in and around Vacherie can RSVP to reserve a kit at bit.ly/prepvacherie.

We also need volunteers!
Please DM us if you can sign up for a shift or two:
🔸Volunteer Shift 1 – At the IWW Farm (New Orleans) from 11:30-2pm: We need several people who can lift things and help load the truck.
🔸Volunteer Shift 2 – At the church (Vacherie) from 3:30 to 5:30pm: We need folks who can lift things to unload the Uhaul and assemble kits.
🔸Volunteer Shift 3 – At the church (Vacherie) from 5:30 to 8:00pm: Volunteers needed to welcome folks at the door, sign them in, pass out kits, and generally bring good vibes.

For folks in New Orleans, this is a unique opportunity to help our neighbors in the River Parishes *before* a storm hits. And if you volunteer for Shift 1, you also get to come see #TheImaginationFarm in action!
Tomorrow! Barrier-free groceries, hurricane prep checklists, and a July Supply surprise as we kick off our partnership with @cultureaidnola to distribute fresh food and storm prep items and information every Wednesday this month. No ID required. See you there!
Want to be inspired? How about an evening of uplifting stories, food and entertainment during this year’s @essencefest? One ticket will get you all this, PLUS you’ll hear inspiring stories from Black Women who are fighting for communities living in and around “Cancer Alley'' (where residents live near 200 polluting petrochemical plants and refineries). 

The main stage features:

* @dr._bev is Founder and Executive Director of @dscejnola and member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council

* @wawa_gatheru is the Founder and Executive Director of @blackgirlenvironmentalist

* @roishetta_ozane is an accomplished Environmental Justice Champion and the Founder of @vessel.project

* @shamyra_elizabeth is an executive assistant at @risestjames

* Dr. Joy and Jo Banner are Founders of @thedescendantsproject

Register today by visiting: https://bit.ly/BlackWomenInEnvironmentalJustice

This event is proudly presented by @peoplexplastic, @earthjustice, @350org and @patoisfilmfest

Artwork by: @marvelgd

 #PeopleOverPlastic #CancerAlleyRisesUp 

_______

Shared at the request of People Over Plastic, and in solidarity with our neighbors throughout the River Parishes. Thank you for the important work that you do.
Artist: M.T. (they/them)

M.T. is an 11-year-old comic artist in New Orleans. Their work reflects their own experience with their family's sudden evacuation from Hurricane Ida. 

M.T. is proud to be a part of the LBGTQIA community, but that isn’t the only thing that defines them. They are skilled in many other subjects as well.

M.T. is a future astronomer — they are always looking at the stars whenever they can. Marz enjoys reading, writing, and drawing. Their favorite color is green.

Marz is very excited to enter this zine project and hopes that their art is admired. They send thanks for letting them join!

#StormZineProject
#QueerTransGuideToStorms
We are very excited to begin sharing pieces from our “Queer/Trans Guide to Storms”, the first edition of the Storm Zine Project, to be released in its entirety in August 2023. Each artist featured identifies as an LGBTQ person in Southeast Louisiana who has prepared for a local flood or storm. This zine is by us, for us. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️💕

___________

Artist: Déja M. Jones (she/they)

Déja M. Jones is an artist and community organizer native to New Orleans, La. They began their career through the intersection of advocacy and art. In 2017 Jones showcased their first interactive installation at the @neworleansartcenter. Jones created the installation as a love letter to southern Black communities’ advocacy during the Civil Rights Era. Their love for their community led them to more community-focused projects. In 2019 Jones partnered with Imagine Water Works, where they’re now the Director of Programs, for the “Art of Science / Science of Art: Working With Water in a Changing World” symposium in NYC. In 2020 Jones completed their fellowship with @neworleansyouthalliance where they continue to work on youth policy reform and organize community engagement initiatives that integrate art and healing while addressing community needs. On the path of art and advocacy, Jones joined the @studiomuseum 2021 Professional Development cohort that prompted Jones back into exploring museum and gallery spaces. Earlier this year Jones joined @thefrontnola, an artist-led collective in New Orleans, where they debuted their first exhibition, “Fu*$ You, The Kids are Alright.”

Contact:
@creating.dejamojo 
dejamjones.com

#StormZineProject
#QueerTransGuideToStorms