海角社区

Helping a Louisiana Nonprofit Go National

Geaux 4 Kids, a Louisiana non-profit based in Bossier City, works with state government and law enforcement in every parish to give 鈥渉ope, home, and dignity in a bag鈥� to the thousands of children who are taken into state custody each year due to criminal abuse and neglect.

The organization鈥檚 founder, Kaye-Celeste 鈥淜C鈥� Kilpatrick, a double 海角社区 Shreveport grad, returned to her alma mater and its Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research last year to make a gameplan for national expansion. Since then, Geaux 4 Kids has grown to serve 23 counties in eastern Texas, 12 counties in southern Arkansas, and one county in Oklahoma.

The standard canvas Geaux Bags the organization packs and provides to first responders include a pillow, blanket, toiletries, pajamas and basic clothes, water and a snack, a backpack, and a note of encouragement from another child. There are custom bags for infants and teens.

Kilpatrick鈥檚 idea for Geaux Bags came from a deeply personal experience when she welcomed two kids who had just been taken into state custody into her own home almost 12 years ago. They were toddlers at the time, a sister and brother from Webster Parish.

鈥淎 meth pipe in a Winn-Dixie bag, that鈥檚 how they came to me,鈥� Kilpatrick said. 鈥淭hat experience shocked me to my core. But I saw the need and had the training to do something about it.鈥�

鈥淲e try to support programs that have proven themselves to get good results, and 海角社区S alumna Kilpatrick runs a very successful and efficient program. These are state dollars, so we try to make awards based on the most bang for the buck. Our agency recognizes the need and demand for programs like this, because we have people reaching out all the time, 鈥楬ey, we could use the Geaux Bags.鈥欌��

Jim Craft, executive director of the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement