CNN Hero of the Year: 'If you join us, we'll be unstoppable'

[depakid]

Source: CNN


Liz McCartney, who is helping residents rebuild their homes after Katrina, is the 2008 CNN Hero of the Year.
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McCartney, of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, received the honor at Saturday night's taping of "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The telecast airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Thanksgiving on the global networks of CNN.

McCartney, who will receive $100,000 to continue her work just outside New Orleans, was selected from among the top 10 CNN Heroes after six weeks of online voting at CNN.com. More than 1 million votes were cast.

"To the country and the world, I ask you to please join us," McCartney said. "Together we can continue to rebuild families' homes and lives. ... If you join us, we'll be unstoppable."

<snip>

"In this time of economic turmoil, it is such a relief to know that there are people like these heroes, people who care more for others than they do for themselves," Cooper said.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/11/22/heroes.show/

[nolabear]

1. Lest we forget...

Congratualtions to Liz, and thanks to CNN for not forgetting New Orleans. I'm a N.O. and Gulf Coast expat and let me tell you, the suffering goes on in a way that most people in the rest of the US can't imagine. The tax base is decimated to the point where there's no money for repairs. Whole neighborhoods are being reclaimed by the tropical climate because only one in ten can afford to come back. As stated in another article here, the children are the least healthy in the country as a result of poverty, trauma and living in FEMA trailers that were/are toxic. People still become frightened when it storms, the opportunists are preying on the helpless (and many, many were not citizens before the storm, though admittedly many were). It is not fixed, it is not okay, it is not someone else's problem. These are our people, and they continue to need us.

[roguevalley]

4. its horrendous isn't it. Anderson Cooper tries to keep a light on it.

I am sick for the plight of people here.

[intheflow]

5. nolabear

You don't say if it was Katrina that made you an ex-pat, but whether it was Katrina or you moved before the storm, I'm so sorry for your loss of your home town. :hug: You surely do know what it's like to miss New Orleans.

I did recovery work in Biloxi for two years after the storm, and I know it's still such a struggle down there. And really, except for the occasional mention on the news, no one hears about it anymore. Hell, I remember when I left to go for the second time (first time I was down there over Thanksgiving '05 with the Red Cross) in January '06, I talked with a guy here in Denver who couldn't understand why I was returning to the Coast, especialy why I'd return to Mississippi, because he believed Barbour's hype about how wonder the Mississippi recovery was going. :puke:

But at least most folks could return to their homes within a couple weeks in Mississippi, whereas NOLA residents were not only evacuated all over the country (too far to get back to rebuild in many cases--not that rebuilding money was quickly forthcoming from anywhere), but the place was under water for a month, so you couldn't even physically get to the place where your house once was. :(

And the poor folks around Galveston--looks like Ike scoured their coastline like Katrina did LA and MS. but the country barely registered that storm, in the midst of the election and the financial problems. At least Katrina still gets reported at times. Ike? No one even seems to remember that storm at all, but no doubt those children will be just as messed up as the Katrina kids. :(

[Suich]

2. Great! I voted for her!

St. Bernard project deserves all the help it can get! Liz and Zach are doing a terrific job!

http://www.stbernardproject.org/

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

edited to add link.

[TNOE]

3. Good News of the Day

:kick:

[specimenfred1984]

6. Citigroup is much more important in Fascist USA

Citigroup and YouTube kitty and puppy videos.