Features

Three Ways We Can Make the World More Just –Wash F

People experiencing homelessness face growing hostility across the country, with rampant dehumanization and outright criminalization of their existence in public. Increasing anti-homeless policy, funding cuts for services supporting those who are (or are at risk of becoming) unhoused, and the worsening economy show no end in sight. What can each of us do now to fight all this? Here are some upcoming events and calls to action:

• Sunday, October 4th, is the annual Let Us Not Forget vigil, a gathering honoring the unhoused New Orleanians who passed this year and reaffirming our fight for a more just reality where housing is a human right. It begins at 3pm in Washington Square (700 Elysian Fields) and includes dinner. Volunteers are needed! If you can lend a hand, a truck, or supplies, reach out to Wash on Discord. You can also Venmo @NolaVigilForUnhoused to donate or share names.
• Stand Against Budget Cuts: the proposed city budget eliminates Tenants’ Right to Counsel funding, which guarantees an attorney for tenants facing eviction and drastically reduces eviction rates; and closes the Low Barrier Shelter, a vital resource that hundreds rely on. It’s not too late to demand City Council fix it. Our friends at the Renters Rights Assembly will also meet Thursday, October 1st, at 6:00 pm at 3401 Canal Street to strategize defending Right to Counsel.
• HUD is seeking comment about research on strategies to reduce homelessness, with their ultimate goal to fund criminalization efforts. While I encourage everyone to leave a comment, I’m especially calling on my public health, social work, and research colleagues: this is the time to use our skills and privilege to influence policy and prevent devastating changes. You can also learn more and sign up for action alerts from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Bulletins

Saturday Night Dance Party for Lauren Jewett

Come to Twelve Mile Limit from 7:00 pm on Saturday for a night of dancing to our favorite 2000s anthems while we raise funds for the amazing congressional District 1 candidate: Lauren Jewett. Throw on your best millennial attire and come throw down like it’s 2008. $10-$20 suggested donation.

Volunteer for Lauren Jewett for Congress, LA-01!

Volunteer Hub | Contribute | 7:30p Monday volunteer calls | Request a sign

Election Day is Tuesday November 3, 2026. Special education teacher, DSA member, and longtime United Teachers of New Orleans (AFT Local 527) member Lauren Jewett is running for Congress in LA-01, which covers much of the Greater New Orleans metro, Lakeview, and parts of Uptown and Mid-City. She’s fighting for public schools and their teachers; Medicare for All, reproductive freedom, and keeping our hospitals open; paid family leave and universal childcare for every worker; restoring our coast with union jobs; and ending the billionaire takeover of our government.

Direct Service: Grocery Giveaway October 7, Brake Light Clinic October 17

We are teaming up with Indivisible NOLA for a grocery giveaway at the Broadmoor Food Pantry on Wednesday, October 7, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm! We will be giving away 80 bags of groceries, including items not usually available at the food pantry, such as fresh fruit, cooking oils, and spices. This is a pretty different timeframe than our normal events, so please join if this time works for you! We may need help getting bags together before the event, so stay tuned in our Discord channel for more info.

Our next meeting is Tuesday, October 13, online, before our October Brake Light Clinic taking place Saturday, October 17, from 3:00 – 6:00 pm at 3324 Williams Blvd in Kenner. We will be working with Unstoppable Kenner to bring our show on the road! Volunteer for the BLC. Direct Service always accepts donations for supplies.

Health Justice: Chapter Adopts Medical Debt Relief Campaign with Undue Medical Debt

New Orleans DSA is partnering with Undue Medical Debt to raise $15k by February to eliminate medical debt in Orleans, St. Tammany, and Jefferson parishes. Since 2014, Undue Medical Debt has abolished billions of dollars in medical debt for over 31.6 million people in the United States. Every dollar we raise forgives $100 of debt. Stay tuned for updates from this exciting new campaign, set to begin October 1.

Any health professional comrades: please join us in our Health Justice channel on the Discord!

Join the No Appetite for Apartheid Campaign

No Appetite for Apartheid (NA4A) is a multi-city retail- and consumer-boycott campaign against the zionist occupation of Palestine. By boycotting, we strengthen our solidarity with Palestinians against ongoing genocide, apartheid, and colonization. NA4A gives us an easy way to ensure our purchases aren’t contributing to the oppression of Palestinians, and it gives businesses an easy way to show and stand behind their values.

Volunteer to canvass with Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) or register your interest as a store-owner. The campaign primarily targets grocers and restaurants, but other stores are welcome to have their business certified apartheid-free. Check out the map to view participating stores in the New Orleans area.

Get Plugged in to Political Education!

At our October 18 meeting, we will be discussing Constructive Criticism by Gracie Lyons. We have quite a few projects we’re working on, but we need participation to get things off the ground! We have two big projects that we’d like to get rolling on: a quarterly socialist forum open to the public; and a political economy of New Orleans class for Night School. If either of these projects interest you, make sure to come to the next Poli-Ed planning meeting on October 4th!

Community Calendar

Monday, September 28

DSA for Lauren Jewett Weekly Call
7:30 pm – 8:15 pm (Mondays)
Volunteer | Meet

Sober Soc Support Group
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Meet

Tuesday, September 29

International Working Group Meeting
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
RSVP | Meet

Wednesday, September 30

DSA Hangout (West Bank)
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The Little House, 640 Bouny St

Electoral Committee Co-Work & Talk
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (Wednesdays)
Morning Call, 5101 Canal Blvd (cash only)

Thursday, October 1

Renters Rights Assembly Meeting
6:00 pm
3401 Canal St

Friday, October 2

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Saturday, October 3

Lauren Jewett Canvassing
9:30 am – 11:30 am
Location TBD

Voter Guide Weekly Check-In
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
RSVP

Let Us Not Forget Vigil
3:00 pm
Washington Square, 700 Elysian Fields

Dance Party for Lauren Jewett
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Twelve Mile Limit, 500 S Telemachus St ($10-20 suggested)

Sunday, October 4

Coffee With Comrades
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Coffee Science, 410 S Broad St

Poli-Ed Committee Meeting
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm (first Sunday)
Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av #258 – Meet

Chapter Orientation
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
RSVP

Sober Soc Planning Meeting
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Meet

Down the Road

October 7 Grocery Giveaway at Broadmoor Food Pantry
October 9 Northshore Reading Group: Wage Labor and Capital & Value, Price, and Profit by Karl Marx
October 17 Brake Light Clinic (Kenner)
October 18 Poli-Ed Reading Meeting: Constructive Criticism by Gracie Lyons
October 24 New Orleans DSA General Meeting
October 30 DSA Gala