A recap of this week’s equity news

 ”Food Banks Finding Aid in Bounty of Backyard,” - New York Times

Natasha Boissier did not expect an epiphany while pushing her baby’s stroller exhaustedly around the neighborhood. But eyeing her neighbors’ yards, Ms. Boissier began noticing the abundance of fruit trees — and how much of their succulent bounty wound up on the ground.

“There was all this fruit going to waste,” she said of the apples, pears and plums in her midst. “It seemed like such a natural way to deal with hunger.”

“Community organizers have deep roots in democracy,” - Los Angeles Times

The elementary school moms didn’t ask a lot of questions about this man Bill. They were too eager to tell him — to tell anybodyanybody — about the loose and snarling pit bulls, the gun-toting gangsters, and the dogcatchers and police who always seemed to come too late.

The principal, Helena Lazo, had introduced him simply: “Bill nos va a ayudar.” Bill is going to help us.

“Rebuilt N.O. homes at risk without required elevation,” - USA TODAY

Thousands of homes in New Orleans are at risk from floods because local officials let their owners skirt rebuilding requirements aimed at preventing massive losses and billions in costs to taxpayers.

In New Orleans, city records show at least 2,300 homeowners — many in areas obliterated by Hurricane Katrina and imperiled again this month as Hurricane Gustav strained at the city’s levees — escaped requirements that they elevate their homes.

In the last week or so, we’ve heard a lot about community organizing – with many poignant comments ranging from the role of community organizers historically to the connection between “the difficult work done by community organizers and the pragmatic work of coalition-building done by elected officials.”  I’d like to add a digital perspective to the conversation. Organizing on the web is shaping the American political environment: influencing how people advocate for issues, support political candidates and engage their neighbors – near and far – in the political and policymaking process.

People everywhere, armed with laptops, cellphones, iPhones, Blackberrys and the like, are augmenting the efforts of organizers on the ground, broadening the dissemination of information, and pushing for policy change in really profound and impactful ways.

Care2.com is just one of many sites where online organizing is all abuzz. There’s an activist toolkit - join/start a group, start a petition, write a blog (nice) - to promote your cause; create a poll to gauge what issues people are most concerned about; or browse food & recipes, health & wellness, and healthy home (organizers are just ordinary folks who want to do good and live healthy, afterall).

This site is just one example. What are some other examples of everyday people using the power of technology for social change?