We have a remarkable group of people in our office, and last week it was these young women – 20 years old, 23 years old, and 25 – who did what the Louisiana Bucket Brigade does best: strategize with people whose homes are threatened by industry, then march into the jaws of power and challenge our state’s plan to relentlessly industrialize our home.

It is my honor to introduce this group: Firdaous, Sadie, Carmen, Mia, Laurette, and another Sadie (who is actually a teenager – in high school!). In the last week this dynamic group has:

• Testified before the Louisiana bond commission to explain why it should reject massive lines of credit for abusive industrial projects in Ascension Parish
• Pursued genealogical research – a steady dedication to discover and honor the enslaved people buried along the Mississippi River
• Strategized with people whose homes in Livingston Parish are targeted by a carbon dioxide pipeline (used for carbon capture and storage)
• Taken the reins at the Louisiana Bucket Brigade. Mia Lowy is now our Operations and Volunteer Coordinator. She is capable, thorough, and enthusiastic. Our office is in great hands.

It’s not just that Mia, Sadie, Carmen, Firdaous, Laurette, and Sadie are doing the work. It is HOW they are doing it: with courage, confidence, dedication, and insight on how to care for and collaborate with people whose lives and homes are on the line.

It is an exciting time at the Louisiana Bucket Brigade.

Thank you for standing with this remarkable group,

Anne Rolfes
Director

P.S. Please donate to make our door-to-door work possible in August. Your donation gets us – including the 20-somethings – to the communities and pays for fact sheets and fliers.

[Photo: Sadie working with our Air Monitoring Coordinator and community members in Modeste.]