Giving thanks to LaTosha Brown

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, there were countless unsung heroes who rose up to not only help those in need, but who started organizing to demand a more just reconstruction of the Gulf Coast.

One of those grassroots leaders was LaTosha Brown of Alabama, who co-founded the Saving Our Selves Coalition -- "SOS". In the latest issue of Redbook Magazine, Brown is honored along with Harry Connick Jr, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Salma Hayek as a "Redbook Magazine Hero." You can read more in the November issue or watch the video of the award ceremony.

This holiday season, we should be thankful for leaders like LaTosha Brown and groups like SOS, who courageously stepped in to do what our leaders in Washington wouldn't or couldn't do.

Here's more from SOS:

LaTosha R. Brown co-founded Saving Our Selves Coalition, a grassroots organization of concerned citizens, community based organizations, faith based groups, activists, organizers, and small businesses that in the wake of Hurricane Katrina joined together in the spirit of community empowerment to provide relief, recovery, and supportive services to our impacted communities that may have been missed or underserved by traditional disaster response agencies.

SOS Coalition continues to work directly with Gulf Coast residents and internally displaced persons to educate, empower, and assist the survivors to rebuild their communities and strengthen their families. We are very proud of our past accomplishments but we realize that our hard work of rebuilding a fair, just and equitable Gulf Coast begins now!

Please continue to stand with us as we work to turn this tragic disaster into an opportunity to improve the quality of life in the Gulf Coast region. We need your support so that we can continue to aid Gulf Coast communities during this long rebuilding process.

You can send a tax-deductible contribution to:

Saving Our Selves
925B Peachtree St #307
Atlanta, GA 30309