By Michelle Boyd, KaBOOM! client services coordinator

Yesterday, Nicholas Ackerson, another client services coordinator, and I had the pleasure of attending a press conference presented by Gulfsouth Youth Action Corps (GYAC), a New Orleans-based nonprofit that focuses on the growing crisis in the ravaged Gulf Coast.  The GYAC recruits college students from across the country to participate as counselors in a post-Katrina summer camp program that has served over 360 children.  In addition, the GYAC urges civic-minded corporations to contribute to the Action Corps cause to rebuild and sustain high quality youth services.  

Yesterday the GYAC made an urgent “call to action” to restore basic youth programs to areas hit hardest by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Among the supporters in attendance were US Senator Mary Landrieu, New Orleans City Councilman Mr. Felco,  and Eugene Green, chief of staff for Congressman William Jefferson. 

Dr. Kyshun Webster, founder of the GYAC, and his team of six GYAC campers, ages 11-14, presented their documentary titled, “Children of New Orleans: Still Weathering the Storm.”  Children expressed their feelings of being the lost and forgotten victims of these terrible tragedies while still sharing their hopes for revitalizing their homes. 

The documentary began as one of many summer program workshops with one college volunteer asking kids to express their thoughts about their community and the storms.  They were then each given a camera to document their lives and describe how their families are coping with the challenges of rebuilding New Orleans.  The children then developed a public service announcement to expose their stories and to offer new hope and solutions for rebuilding Gulf Coast communities. 

One of the central themes of the film described the lack of appropriate and safe places for children to play.  One of the correlations made in the conference related higher levels of crime to children having fewer opportunities to be productive.  This in part is an effect of the lack of programming available to the children of Gulf communities due to major funding cuts.   

The documentary revealed that only 1/3 of public schools have re-opened since the storms and 67% of children in New Orleans have yet to return to school.  One child described that in the past, she could always enjoy riding her bike in her neighborhood, however, since the storm, no one has even a bicycle to ride.  This is a clear example of the impact and importance that these programs have on the lives of Gulf Coast children.  This also demonstrates the need to create new playspaces for children to enjoy and grow through play!   

This was a great opportunity for members of KaBOOM! to listen and share a desire to bring Gulf Coast communities back to life. Learn more about Operation Playground.