Project:
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2007
For further information please contact:
Steve Friedman, 301 294-2211
steve@traveltelevision.org
Non-profit Launches TV Series to Tell Volunteer Stories of Post-Katrina Recovery
On August 29, 2007, TravelTelevision.org, a Montgomery County, Maryland-based nonprofit corporation
will commemorate the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with the launch of a television series
and a website, ProjectKatrinaVolunteers.net. The television series, which will air on the Dish Network
and public access channels around the country will share the stories of volunteers who have devoted
so much time and strength to rebuilding the disaster region. The website will provide a unique forum in
which volunteers can share their stories and encourage others to spend time rebuilding the Gulf Coast
region through discussions, videos and photographs, and blogs written by volunteers.
After the sirens were quiet, and the insurance adjusters and news crews left the area, the devastation
remained throughout the city of New Orleans and vicinity. Many people across the United States asked
themselves what they could do to help, and the answer came in the way of a decision to volunteer their
vacation time and provide hands-on help wherever and however they were needed. This patchwork quilt
of individuals and organizations has no central location or vehicle for debriefing, planning, and sharing
their stories. Despite the lack of one centralized organization, groups, such as Habitat for Humanity,
Common Ground, and KaBoom, have successfully drawn 600,000 volunteers to the Gulf Coast in the
last two years. However, volunteer efforts are diminishing, but the need has not; volunteers will be
needed to help rebuild for at least another decade. The goal of TravelTelevision.org’s website and
television series is to use the stories of those who have volunteered to encourage others to plan their
vacations accordingly.
“We thought that there would be a need to discuss the experiences volunteers had in the Gulf Coast,”
explained project director Steve Friedman, “but we did not expect the range of emotion and passion that
volunteers brought back from their trips.” Sensing their wish to describe their experiences and call
upon their fellow citizens to volunteer similarly, the website and television program were designed to
meet the needs and objectives of the former and continuing volunteers, who have ranged from private
citizens, faith and school groups, international tourists, and corporate officers. “The loudest message
we’ve heard from the returning volunteers is that there is room for everyone, and everyone is welcome.”
# 30 #
August 23, 2007
For further information please contact:
Steve Friedman, 301 294-2211
steve@traveltelevision.org
Non-profit Launches TV Series to Tell Volunteer Stories of Post-Katrina Recovery
On August 29, 2007, TravelTelevision.org, a Montgomery County, Maryland-based nonprofit corporation
will commemorate the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with the launch of a television series
and a website, ProjectKatrinaVolunteers.net. The television series, which will air on the Dish Network
and public access channels around the country will share the stories of volunteers who have devoted
so much time and strength to rebuilding the disaster region. The website will provide a unique forum in
which volunteers can share their stories and encourage others to spend time rebuilding the Gulf Coast
region through discussions, videos and photographs, and blogs written by volunteers.
After the sirens were quiet, and the insurance adjusters and news crews left the area, the devastation
remained throughout the city of New Orleans and vicinity. Many people across the United States asked
themselves what they could do to help, and the answer came in the way of a decision to volunteer their
vacation time and provide hands-on help wherever and however they were needed. This patchwork quilt
of individuals and organizations has no central location or vehicle for debriefing, planning, and sharing
their stories. Despite the lack of one centralized organization, groups, such as Habitat for Humanity,
Common Ground, and KaBoom, have successfully drawn 600,000 volunteers to the Gulf Coast in the
last two years. However, volunteer efforts are diminishing, but the need has not; volunteers will be
needed to help rebuild for at least another decade. The goal of TravelTelevision.org’s website and
television series is to use the stories of those who have volunteered to encourage others to plan their
vacations accordingly.
“We thought that there would be a need to discuss the experiences volunteers had in the Gulf Coast,”
explained project director Steve Friedman, “but we did not expect the range of emotion and passion that
volunteers brought back from their trips.” Sensing their wish to describe their experiences and call
upon their fellow citizens to volunteer similarly, the website and television program were designed to
meet the needs and objectives of the former and continuing volunteers, who have ranged from private
citizens, faith and school groups, international tourists, and corporate officers. “The loudest message
we’ve heard from the returning volunteers is that there is room for everyone, and everyone is welcome.”
# 30 #
| This website is made possible through the generous donation of time and resources by: |
http://www.chinmusicpress.com/books/doyouknow/voices/news/2007/09/
WaPo: Highlighting the volunteers
Source: Washington Post September 06, 2007Source: Washington Post
This is a cool idea:
"Travel Television," the first half-hour show aired on Access Montgomery Channel 21 on Aug. 29, the
second anniversary of the storm hitting Louisiana, and featured interviews with five local volunteers of
organizations such as the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center and Common Cause.
Randy Bacon, the director of Behrend Builders, a volunteer group that repairs shelters, low-income
homes and community centers in the District, appeared on the premiere. Video footage of the
volunteers attempting to clear dilapidated homes with mold-blackened walls and rooms cluttered with
debris and tattered furniture was shown.
"When we were working in our first house, we were still taking their belongings out of the house," Bacon
said. "Their refrigerators hadn't been emptied and they had no electricity for that time so everything was
stagnant. The smell on the streets was pretty horrible."
So far, six shows are in production, with two additional shows coming each month. The series is
currently airing in Montgomery, Fairfax and Howard counties on public access channels as well as on
the Dish Network. Future guests will include Peter Greenberg, the travel editor of NBC's "Today Show,"
Tim Zagat, the co-founder of Zagat Survey, and Eric Anderson, the co-founder of Space Adventures Ltd.
"We know, after all, that viewers may have a hard time tuning in on just a group of stories on Katrina
volunteers, so we have to hook them with something," said Friedman, a member of the Montgomery
Community Television board of directors.
The group has a website to keep track of upcoming projects.
WaPo: Highlighting the volunteers
Source: Washington Post September 06, 2007Source: Washington Post
This is a cool idea:
"Travel Television," the first half-hour show aired on Access Montgomery Channel 21 on Aug. 29, the
second anniversary of the storm hitting Louisiana, and featured interviews with five local volunteers of
organizations such as the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center and Common Cause.
Randy Bacon, the director of Behrend Builders, a volunteer group that repairs shelters, low-income
homes and community centers in the District, appeared on the premiere. Video footage of the
volunteers attempting to clear dilapidated homes with mold-blackened walls and rooms cluttered with
debris and tattered furniture was shown.
"When we were working in our first house, we were still taking their belongings out of the house," Bacon
said. "Their refrigerators hadn't been emptied and they had no electricity for that time so everything was
stagnant. The smell on the streets was pretty horrible."
So far, six shows are in production, with two additional shows coming each month. The series is
currently airing in Montgomery, Fairfax and Howard counties on public access channels as well as on
the Dish Network. Future guests will include Peter Greenberg, the travel editor of NBC's "Today Show,"
Tim Zagat, the co-founder of Zagat Survey, and Eric Anderson, the co-founder of Space Adventures Ltd.
"We know, after all, that viewers may have a hard time tuning in on just a group of stories on Katrina
volunteers, so we have to hook them with something," said Friedman, a member of the Montgomery
Community Television board of directors.
The group has a website to keep track of upcoming projects.
WTOP NEWS Broadcast Saturday, September 01, 2007
KATRINA HELP 1 ahe
As the 2 year anniversary of Katrina nears, the Gulf region is STILL recovering...But it HAS regained a lot
from some very giving people.....
If you'd like to help go to WTOPNEWS.COM http://wtopnews.com/>
keyword Katrina Volunteers
-------------------------------------------------
In the face of massive destruction, the hurricane brought out the best in lots of people. More than a
million volunteered.....
Now you can hear the stories of some local do-gooders....
Steve Friedman heads Travel Television a Montgomery County non-profit.
He launched a web site ProjectKatrinaVolunteers.Net and a T-V show to be aired on Channel 21 on
August 29. He says these volunteers didn't only change the lives of the storm victims...
"Everyone has said this is a life changing experience and that they could not imagine how horrible the
destruction down in the Gulf Coast was."
And the long-haul building effort continues .... Friedman says volunteers are dwindling and more are
needed now than ever...
Amy Held WTOP RADIO
*****************************************************************************************************
KATRINA HELP 2 ahe
It was nearly two years ago Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf region....
But some good-hearted people are helping put it back together.....
----------------------------------
More than a million in fact...And a lot of them from our area.
You can tune in to Channel 21 on August 29 to hear their stories or log onto
ProjectKatrinaVolunteers.Net. Steve Friedman of Montgomery County's Travel Television is heading the
projects.
He was struck by the people who dropped everything to get down there and re-build schools, hand out
food and just give their time...
But portions of the region have a long way to go....
"there's still so many neighborhoods that are untouched so there is no place for people to move back to."
Although on-site volunteers are needed - you don't have to be there to help ....
You can volunteer at or donate to any number of charities from here....
Amy Held WTOP RADIO
KATRINA HELP 1 ahe
As the 2 year anniversary of Katrina nears, the Gulf region is STILL recovering...But it HAS regained a lot
from some very giving people.....
If you'd like to help go to WTOPNEWS.COM http://wtopnews.com/>
keyword Katrina Volunteers
-------------------------------------------------
In the face of massive destruction, the hurricane brought out the best in lots of people. More than a
million volunteered.....
Now you can hear the stories of some local do-gooders....
Steve Friedman heads Travel Television a Montgomery County non-profit.
He launched a web site ProjectKatrinaVolunteers.Net and a T-V show to be aired on Channel 21 on
August 29. He says these volunteers didn't only change the lives of the storm victims...
"Everyone has said this is a life changing experience and that they could not imagine how horrible the
destruction down in the Gulf Coast was."
And the long-haul building effort continues .... Friedman says volunteers are dwindling and more are
needed now than ever...
Amy Held WTOP RADIO
*****************************************************************************************************
KATRINA HELP 2 ahe
It was nearly two years ago Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf region....
But some good-hearted people are helping put it back together.....
----------------------------------
More than a million in fact...And a lot of them from our area.
You can tune in to Channel 21 on August 29 to hear their stories or log onto
ProjectKatrinaVolunteers.Net. Steve Friedman of Montgomery County's Travel Television is heading the
projects.
He was struck by the people who dropped everything to get down there and re-build schools, hand out
food and just give their time...
But portions of the region have a long way to go....
"there's still so many neighborhoods that are untouched so there is no place for people to move back to."
Although on-site volunteers are needed - you don't have to be there to help ....
You can volunteer at or donate to any number of charities from here....
Amy Held WTOP RADIO
LISTEN HERE:
KATRINA HELP 1 (MP3)
KATRINA HELP 2 (MP3)
KATRINA HELP 1 (MP3)
KATRINA HELP 2 (MP3)
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=87099&paper=70&cat=104
The Connection Newspapers
Spreading the Word
Churchill students get first-hand experience building Web sites, learning about life in the Gulf Coast
after Hurricane Katrina.
By Aaron Stern/The Almanac
September 12, 2007
Steve Friedman of North Potomac wants people to remember the devastation that Hurricane Katrina
wrought on the Gulf Coast two years ago. He wants them to continue to be conscious of it throughout the
year, not just during the news cycle that surrounds each anniversary.
“As soon as you go out of the French Quarter — the French Quarter and the Garden District were two
areas that were not really affected — when you get out a mile or two outside of the downtown, that’s the
area that is still massively hit,” Friedman said of New Orleans. “Those are the areas that were under
water. They are going to need a lot of work for years to come.”
While New Orleans was the area most notoriously devastated by the hurricane two years ago, the rest of
the Gulf Coast suffered catastrophic damage as well, and Friedman is intent on keeping the public
aware of that.
To that end he recently created a new public television program called “Travel Television” to broadcast a
series of documentaries about volunteer efforts going on in the region. He also created a Web site for
Project Katrina Volunteers, which provides volunteers a forum to share their experiences with each other
and with the world.
“It allows people who have been down there to come and tell their stories. People who are thinking
about going down there can come and see the stories,” said Friedman.
He spent the past summer building the Web site with a team of Winston Churchill High School
students. For Friedman, who works for the Voice Of America radio network, it was a chance to work with
students eager to learn new skills — Web development, public relations, and project management —
as well as to expose them to the importance and benefits of volunteerism, both in those areas hit by
Hurricane Katrina, and more generally.
“Hopefully people will see the stuff and be moved by it and say, ‘You know, I want to do something,’”
Friedman said.
FOR THE NINE students who spent one day a week this summer working with him, it was a chance to
expand their skills. The students came from three of Churchill’s Signature Academies: the Mathematics,
Technology, and Science Academy, the Creative and Performing Arts Academy, and the International
Studies Academy.
Junior Alex Roca searched the Web for blogs and links to videos.
“I actually haven’t done anything like this before, it was a new experience, and I kind of enjoyed it,” Roca
said. “I’m really interested in computers and so I figured that designing Web pages would be a pretty
interesting start to that.”
Some students worked on the technical and visual aspects of the site, while others started MySpace
and Facebook group pages to link to the Web site. Other students some spent hours calling and e-
mailing television stations across the country and webmasters of other sites to generate interest in their
site and to find more carriers for “Travel Television” and the Project Katrina Volunteers Web site.
Junior Ardalon Sabet said that his first taste of the world of public relations and promotion was “pretty
tedious. It was difficult — people don’t get back to you.”
Sophomore Aditya Kolhekar worked the phones with Sabet, and just recently found a television station in
Tennessee who is interested in airing “Travel Television.”
Small successes such as finally getting a return call are nice, but even greater is having something
more concrete like a fully functioning, informative Web site to point to, said senior Elise Toplin, who
wrote press releases and blogs for the site.
“It’s exciting because you can go onto the Internet and be like, ‘I designed that page or I wrote that or
something like that,’” said Toplin.
FRIEDMAN SAID that while his “Travel Television,” which debuted on Aug. 29, will focus on volunteer
efforts in the Gulf Coast and throughout the country, it will also have more broadly related travel features.
Some segments of the magazine-formatted show will be interviews with travel writers or features
focusing on topics such as airport security, travel tips for those journeying to far-flung locales, for
instance. Friedman hopes that those segments will draw a wider audience that will also be drawn to the
volunteer-related stories.
“That’s really what the real guts of the show is,” said Friedman.
Exposing the students to the world of volunteerism was rewarding for Friedman, as was helping them to
see a project through from start to finish.
“The kids have been instrumental this summer in creating all of those different platforms,” said
Friedman. “Now that we’re up and running, we’re going to get the word out to all the volunteers.
Essentially they’ve laid the groundwork for this citizens media project. And really there’s no one else,
there’s no one collecting the stories, and that’s really what this project is all about.”
Apart from learning what it takes to work in a team environment to create such a multifaceted project, the
students came away with a greater appreciation of what is happening — and in many cases not
happening, in the storm-ravaged areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
“There still is a lot of stuff that hasn’t been touched since the storm and you really don’t get much of a
sense of that through the normal media,” said Roca.
“Eleven of the twelve months of the year you wouldn’t even know that there had been a hurricane and
then in August all this news starts to pop up,” Toplin said. “Now, after doing this project, you can kind of
sense more the need that exists down there and how crazy it still is.”
The Connection Newspapers
Spreading the Word
Churchill students get first-hand experience building Web sites, learning about life in the Gulf Coast
after Hurricane Katrina.
By Aaron Stern/The Almanac
September 12, 2007
Steve Friedman of North Potomac wants people to remember the devastation that Hurricane Katrina
wrought on the Gulf Coast two years ago. He wants them to continue to be conscious of it throughout the
year, not just during the news cycle that surrounds each anniversary.
“As soon as you go out of the French Quarter — the French Quarter and the Garden District were two
areas that were not really affected — when you get out a mile or two outside of the downtown, that’s the
area that is still massively hit,” Friedman said of New Orleans. “Those are the areas that were under
water. They are going to need a lot of work for years to come.”
While New Orleans was the area most notoriously devastated by the hurricane two years ago, the rest of
the Gulf Coast suffered catastrophic damage as well, and Friedman is intent on keeping the public
aware of that.
To that end he recently created a new public television program called “Travel Television” to broadcast a
series of documentaries about volunteer efforts going on in the region. He also created a Web site for
Project Katrina Volunteers, which provides volunteers a forum to share their experiences with each other
and with the world.
“It allows people who have been down there to come and tell their stories. People who are thinking
about going down there can come and see the stories,” said Friedman.
He spent the past summer building the Web site with a team of Winston Churchill High School
students. For Friedman, who works for the Voice Of America radio network, it was a chance to work with
students eager to learn new skills — Web development, public relations, and project management —
as well as to expose them to the importance and benefits of volunteerism, both in those areas hit by
Hurricane Katrina, and more generally.
“Hopefully people will see the stuff and be moved by it and say, ‘You know, I want to do something,’”
Friedman said.
FOR THE NINE students who spent one day a week this summer working with him, it was a chance to
expand their skills. The students came from three of Churchill’s Signature Academies: the Mathematics,
Technology, and Science Academy, the Creative and Performing Arts Academy, and the International
Studies Academy.
Junior Alex Roca searched the Web for blogs and links to videos.
“I actually haven’t done anything like this before, it was a new experience, and I kind of enjoyed it,” Roca
said. “I’m really interested in computers and so I figured that designing Web pages would be a pretty
interesting start to that.”
Some students worked on the technical and visual aspects of the site, while others started MySpace
and Facebook group pages to link to the Web site. Other students some spent hours calling and e-
mailing television stations across the country and webmasters of other sites to generate interest in their
site and to find more carriers for “Travel Television” and the Project Katrina Volunteers Web site.
Junior Ardalon Sabet said that his first taste of the world of public relations and promotion was “pretty
tedious. It was difficult — people don’t get back to you.”
Sophomore Aditya Kolhekar worked the phones with Sabet, and just recently found a television station in
Tennessee who is interested in airing “Travel Television.”
Small successes such as finally getting a return call are nice, but even greater is having something
more concrete like a fully functioning, informative Web site to point to, said senior Elise Toplin, who
wrote press releases and blogs for the site.
“It’s exciting because you can go onto the Internet and be like, ‘I designed that page or I wrote that or
something like that,’” said Toplin.
FRIEDMAN SAID that while his “Travel Television,” which debuted on Aug. 29, will focus on volunteer
efforts in the Gulf Coast and throughout the country, it will also have more broadly related travel features.
Some segments of the magazine-formatted show will be interviews with travel writers or features
focusing on topics such as airport security, travel tips for those journeying to far-flung locales, for
instance. Friedman hopes that those segments will draw a wider audience that will also be drawn to the
volunteer-related stories.
“That’s really what the real guts of the show is,” said Friedman.
Exposing the students to the world of volunteerism was rewarding for Friedman, as was helping them to
see a project through from start to finish.
“The kids have been instrumental this summer in creating all of those different platforms,” said
Friedman. “Now that we’re up and running, we’re going to get the word out to all the volunteers.
Essentially they’ve laid the groundwork for this citizens media project. And really there’s no one else,
there’s no one collecting the stories, and that’s really what this project is all about.”
Apart from learning what it takes to work in a team environment to create such a multifaceted project, the
students came away with a greater appreciation of what is happening — and in many cases not
happening, in the storm-ravaged areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
“There still is a lot of stuff that hasn’t been touched since the storm and you really don’t get much of a
sense of that through the normal media,” said Roca.
“Eleven of the twelve months of the year you wouldn’t even know that there had been a hurricane and
then in August all this news starts to pop up,” Toplin said. “Now, after doing this project, you can kind of
sense more the need that exists down there and how crazy it still is.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090500936.html
Group Uses Multimedia to Highlight Katrina Efforts
Web, Video and Public Access Bring Volunteers to Forefront
By Michael Tunison
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 6, 2007; GZ08
Within the larger story of the destruction and the ongoing recovery of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast
following Hurricane Katrina, Steve Friedman thinks the role played by volunteers has been severely
neglected.
"These are the people doing all the heavy lifting and they're not heard from because they're not coming
from a singular group," said Friedman, a Voice of America employee who lives in North Potomac. "We're
trying to give a voice to these people, who have done so much."
Friedman is organizing a citizen media project to highlight stories of volunteers who have assisted with
rebuilding the areas decimated by the storm two years ago. The group comprises retired professionals,
high school students and Friedman's 21- and 23-year-old daughters. There is a Web site (
www.projectkatrinavolunteers.net) with their video testimonials.
There is also a public access series by the nonprofit TravelTelevision.org that details the experiences of
the people helping with the recovery efforts mixed with some travel stories. The show has started airing
on several channels in the Washington area and Friedman said there are plans to expand elsewhere.
"Travel Television," the first half-hour show aired on Access Montgomery Channel 21 on Aug. 29, the
second anniversary of the storm hitting Louisiana, and featured interviews with five local volunteers of
organizations such as the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center and Common Cause.
Randy Bacon, the director of Behrend Builders, a volunteer group that repairs shelters, low-income
homes and community centers in the District, appeared on the premiere. Video footage of the volunteers
attempting to clear dilapidated homes with mold-blackened walls and rooms cluttered with debris and
tattered furniture was shown.
"When we were working in our first house, we were still taking their belongings out of the house," Bacon
said. "Their refrigerators hadn't been emptied and they had no electricity for that time so everything was
stagnant. The smell on the streets was pretty horrible."
So far, six shows are in production, with two additional shows coming each month. The series is
currently airing in Montgomery, Fairfax and Howard counties on public access channels as well as on
the Dish Network. Future guests will include Peter Greenberg, the travel editor of NBC's "Today Show,"
Tim Zagat, the co-founder of Zagat Survey, and Eric Anderson, the co-founder of Space Adventures Ltd.
"We know, after all, that viewers may have a hard time tuning in on just a group of stories on Katrina
volunteers, so we have to hook them with something," said Friedman, a member of the Montgomery
Community Television board of directors.
Though several volunteers who appeared on last week's show expressed concern that the number of
people traveling to the Gulf Coast is tapering off, Friedman said that the show is not intended as a
recruitment tool for volunteers.
"What we're trying to create is an opportunity for awareness," he said. "There have been a number of
unscrupulous organizations that try to recruit volunteers and take advantage of them. Our hope is that by
having the Web site, blog, social media sites and the television show, a volunteer can relate a story of
how they helped, what they did and what the viewer can do."
Group Uses Multimedia to Highlight Katrina Efforts
Web, Video and Public Access Bring Volunteers to Forefront
By Michael Tunison
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 6, 2007; GZ08
Within the larger story of the destruction and the ongoing recovery of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast
following Hurricane Katrina, Steve Friedman thinks the role played by volunteers has been severely
neglected.
"These are the people doing all the heavy lifting and they're not heard from because they're not coming
from a singular group," said Friedman, a Voice of America employee who lives in North Potomac. "We're
trying to give a voice to these people, who have done so much."
Friedman is organizing a citizen media project to highlight stories of volunteers who have assisted with
rebuilding the areas decimated by the storm two years ago. The group comprises retired professionals,
high school students and Friedman's 21- and 23-year-old daughters. There is a Web site (
www.projectkatrinavolunteers.net) with their video testimonials.
There is also a public access series by the nonprofit TravelTelevision.org that details the experiences of
the people helping with the recovery efforts mixed with some travel stories. The show has started airing
on several channels in the Washington area and Friedman said there are plans to expand elsewhere.
"Travel Television," the first half-hour show aired on Access Montgomery Channel 21 on Aug. 29, the
second anniversary of the storm hitting Louisiana, and featured interviews with five local volunteers of
organizations such as the Washington, D.C. Jewish Community Center and Common Cause.
Randy Bacon, the director of Behrend Builders, a volunteer group that repairs shelters, low-income
homes and community centers in the District, appeared on the premiere. Video footage of the volunteers
attempting to clear dilapidated homes with mold-blackened walls and rooms cluttered with debris and
tattered furniture was shown.
"When we were working in our first house, we were still taking their belongings out of the house," Bacon
said. "Their refrigerators hadn't been emptied and they had no electricity for that time so everything was
stagnant. The smell on the streets was pretty horrible."
So far, six shows are in production, with two additional shows coming each month. The series is
currently airing in Montgomery, Fairfax and Howard counties on public access channels as well as on
the Dish Network. Future guests will include Peter Greenberg, the travel editor of NBC's "Today Show,"
Tim Zagat, the co-founder of Zagat Survey, and Eric Anderson, the co-founder of Space Adventures Ltd.
"We know, after all, that viewers may have a hard time tuning in on just a group of stories on Katrina
volunteers, so we have to hook them with something," said Friedman, a member of the Montgomery
Community Television board of directors.
Though several volunteers who appeared on last week's show expressed concern that the number of
people traveling to the Gulf Coast is tapering off, Friedman said that the show is not intended as a
recruitment tool for volunteers.
"What we're trying to create is an opportunity for awareness," he said. "There have been a number of
unscrupulous organizations that try to recruit volunteers and take advantage of them. Our hope is that by
having the Web site, blog, social media sites and the television show, a volunteer can relate a story of
how they helped, what they did and what the viewer can do."
Katrina VolunteersTM
For Immediate Release
December 25, 2007
For further information please contact:
Steve Friedman steve@traveltelevision.org,301-294-2211
Website for Volunteer Efforts in Gulf Coast Launches Public Service Campaign
On December 25, 2007, [TravelTelevision.org], will launch a series of television
and print public service announcements throughout the Gulf region to encourage
volunteers to utilize the Website, www.projectkatrinavolunteers.net as a forum to share their stories and
experiences as they helped in the effort to rebuild the Gulf Coast. Public service announcements and
flyers are being distributed throughout the region to volunteers. The site is to be used to share volunteer
experiences and promote future volunteerism.
After the sirens were quiet, and the insurance adjusters and news crews left the area, the devastation
remained throughout the city of New Orleans and vicinity. Many people across the United States asked
themselves what they could do to help, and the answer came in the way of a decision to volunteer their
vacation time and provide hands-on help wherever and however they were needed. This patchwork quilt
of individuals and organizations has no central location or vehicle for debriefing, planning, and sharing
their stories. However,
volunteer efforts are diminishing, but the need has not; volunteers will be needed to help rebuild for at
least another decade. The goal of TravelTelevision.org’s website and television series is to use the
stories of those who have volunteered to encourage others to plan their vacations accordingly.
“This campaign is all part of an extended effort to encourage volunteers to share their personal
experiences in the Gulf region,” explained project director Steve Friedman, “There have been over a
million volunteers in the past two years but so many more are needed.” Volunteers can post videos,
photographs, or stories on the Website in hopes to encourage others to spend time rebuilding the Gulf
Coast. The Facebook, MySpace, and blogs are also being used to promote the website. The
commercials will remind viewers with their signature ending that “volunteers are the fuel keeping the
Gulf Coast alive.”
The first commercial, “Volunteers are the Fuel,” features the non-profit organization Kaboom’s building
site where a playground is being erected by a group of volunteers. The narrator urges families, students,
church groups, and retired persons alike to volunteer saying that everybody’s strengths are needed. The
second commercial is narrated by a Habitat for Humanity volunteer whose own Waveland, MS home
was destroyed by Katrina. The commercial shows volunteers working to rebuild and lay the foundations
for new homes. The third commercial, “It Takes So Little, One Person Can Do So Much,” highlights
some of the different projects that volunteers can take part in. It emphasizes the impact that individual
volunteers can have on the rebuilding effort.
December 25, 2007
For further information please contact:
Steve Friedman steve@traveltelevision.org,301-294-2211
Website for Volunteer Efforts in Gulf Coast Launches Public Service Campaign
On December 25, 2007, [TravelTelevision.org], will launch a series of television
and print public service announcements throughout the Gulf region to encourage
volunteers to utilize the Website, www.projectkatrinavolunteers.net as a forum to share their stories and
experiences as they helped in the effort to rebuild the Gulf Coast. Public service announcements and
flyers are being distributed throughout the region to volunteers. The site is to be used to share volunteer
experiences and promote future volunteerism.
After the sirens were quiet, and the insurance adjusters and news crews left the area, the devastation
remained throughout the city of New Orleans and vicinity. Many people across the United States asked
themselves what they could do to help, and the answer came in the way of a decision to volunteer their
vacation time and provide hands-on help wherever and however they were needed. This patchwork quilt
of individuals and organizations has no central location or vehicle for debriefing, planning, and sharing
their stories. However,
volunteer efforts are diminishing, but the need has not; volunteers will be needed to help rebuild for at
least another decade. The goal of TravelTelevision.org’s website and television series is to use the
stories of those who have volunteered to encourage others to plan their vacations accordingly.
“This campaign is all part of an extended effort to encourage volunteers to share their personal
experiences in the Gulf region,” explained project director Steve Friedman, “There have been over a
million volunteers in the past two years but so many more are needed.” Volunteers can post videos,
photographs, or stories on the Website in hopes to encourage others to spend time rebuilding the Gulf
Coast. The Facebook, MySpace, and blogs are also being used to promote the website. The
commercials will remind viewers with their signature ending that “volunteers are the fuel keeping the
Gulf Coast alive.”
The first commercial, “Volunteers are the Fuel,” features the non-profit organization Kaboom’s building
site where a playground is being erected by a group of volunteers. The narrator urges families, students,
church groups, and retired persons alike to volunteer saying that everybody’s strengths are needed. The
second commercial is narrated by a Habitat for Humanity volunteer whose own Waveland, MS home
was destroyed by Katrina. The commercial shows volunteers working to rebuild and lay the foundations
for new homes. The third commercial, “It Takes So Little, One Person Can Do So Much,” highlights
some of the different projects that volunteers can take part in. It emphasizes the impact that individual
volunteers can have on the rebuilding effort.