Saints fans use Monday Night Football spotlight to serve New Orleans’ unhoused community
Ahead of the Falcons-Saints Monday Night Football game, a mutual aid group called #TailgateTogether distributed food, water, and supplies to unhoused people in New Orleans. The effort is led by Saints fans Allen Keller and Katherine Seals, who serve the community biweekly. The article highlights the overwhelming need and the limited resources available, including recent budget cuts to the city’s homeless services office.
Ahead of the Falcons-Saints Monday Night Football matchup, Saints supporters Allen Keller and Katherine Seals lead #TailgateTogether, a mutual aid effort that serves unhoused New Orleanians every other week. On a recent Sunday, donated boxed lunches, drinks, toiletries, and supplies were gone within minutes outside the New Orleans Mission.
The group formed after fans began sharing game-day leftovers near the Superdome, then chose to prepare fresh meals instead. Need remains severe: local homeless services funding fell from $3.6 million to $700,000 in 2025, while Orleans and Jefferson parishes count more than 1,500 unhoused people.
The visibility of a Monday Night Football platform may draw attention to mutual aid efforts and the daily scarcity faced by unhoused residents in New Orleans. Fans, local aid groups, and people lacking stable housing could feel increased support if donations or volunteers follow. It may also prompt broader conversations about service gaps, though sustained change may depend on resources beyond a single game’s spotlight.