Wednesday morning in front of Benson Tower just next to the Superdome down in New Orleans, a U-Haul truck full of supplies pulls into the parking lot to be unloaded. Inside these 800-plus bags are essential supplies ready to be delivered to children removed from dangerous homes by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
K.C. Kilpatrick is the Founder and Executive Director of a nonprofit organization called Geaux 4 Kids. According to their website, the mission of Geaux 4 Kids is to help “ease the emergency transition of displaced children into the protective custody of foster care.” They do this by providing “Geaux Bags.”
Speaking to local New Orleans news network FOX 8, Ms. Kilpatrick explained Geaux Bags: “It is pajamas, toiletries, a backpack, a pillow, blanket, comfort items, food, water and most importantly sometimes is a note of encouragement from another child to the child that’s being rescued.”
The bags are then given to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, where they are given to children upon removal from their homes. The contents of each bag contains about $100 worth of supplies, and most of the organization’s financial support comes from the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement.
Kilpatrick is an approved foster parent by the state of Louisiana to immediately take in children who have been removed from their homes, and it was during one of these instances when she became inspired to start Geaux 4 Kids.
In 2013, she was brought two children, ages 1 and 2, and inside the grocery store bag the children had with them was a meth pipe. Angered, she decided to do something about it. Thus began Geaux 4 kids.
Her idea garnered attention from local leadership, with former New Orleans State Representative Walter Leger helping to support and promote her efforts. Since retiring, Mr. Leger now serves as a volunteer with Geaux 4 Kids and was present on Wednesday to help unload the truck.
“These kids are victims of crime; they’re coming out of crisis situations and the least that we can do is try to find a way to let them have these basic necessities, so at least when they wake up in the morning, they’ve got a toothbrush and clean pajamas and a change of clothes,” the former legislator said.
For these children, being removed from their homes, even when the situation is dangerous and abusive, is traumatic and scary. Most of the time the children leave with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Being gifted their very own bag full of brand new, clean and comforting items is often the only silver lining these children see for a while.
For more information or to donate to Geaux 4 Kids, find information at: https://www.geauxbags.org/
This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.
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