For a year now, the Akidiana Project has celebrated milestone events for children experiencing homelessness.
It all started when Director Lindsey Tripp summons gently used clothes and delivered them to a hotel housing homeless children.
Lindsey’s mom, took it one step further.
Lindsey says, “And that’s when it hit my mama that they may not have a birthday celebration. They may not have that day to feel special. So she wanted to make sure all kids feel special.”
With more than 1,000 children dealing with some form of homelessness in the Lafayette Parish School System, this service is more than necessary.
In year one, the project reached 100 young people, and celebrated birthdays with them.
The Akidiana Project provides everything needed for those parties.
Chalasie Kibodeaux is a Board Member.
She says after identifying a child who needs a birthday party, the mother fills out an “about me” form.
She says, “From this sheet, we will provide the child with five gifts. That is something they need, something to read. Share where? And once we will wrap the gift and bring that gift along with decorations, a cake, food, games, literally everything to the shelter that they are at. As long as we are welcome in the shelter and we will have a night full of fun celebrating the child.”
The hope is to reach more children, not only for their birthdays, but expanding those milestones to include graduations.
To do that, though. The Akidiana Project can’t do it alone..
Chalasie says, “Our biggest need at the moment is spreading the word about the project And we are also needing sponsors. That is our biggest need at the moment is sponsorships.”
Lindsey says, “Anything we’ve asked for, they have shown up. The support has been absolutely unbelievable.”
And they hope the support continues, because they plan to expand into more parishes across Acadiana.
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