NEW ORLEANS — Homelessness is a growing crisis nationwide and New Orleans is no exception.
Sydnee Ragas, a senior at Arden Cahill Academy, felt like her summer was being wasted. She and her friends got together wanting to give back to the city and help in the fight against homelessness.
They call their mission the Sisterhood Supply.
Sydnee, Morgan, Nyree, Alyssa, and Kacie, all seniors in high school, all preparing for the next chapter in their lives. For them, the next step is likely College in a new city. Before they leave the city they have called home their whole lives they wanted to create something to give back. They invented the Sisterhood Supply to collect donations for the New Orleans Women's and Children's Shelter.
"We got our schools helping out, people in the community even a local restaurant helping us out," Sydnee Ragas said.
The remarkable thing is their mission wasn't born from a school project, but rather a desire to love a community that loved them first.
"This community raised us. All of the people here are our family regardless of whether we are family or not. And we can't just leave without giving back to a community that gave everything to us," Sydnee Ragas said.
As the Executive Assistant of the Shelter Sidney Coleman speaks from personal experience when she talks about the pains of living on the street.
"Oh, it brings you down to the very lowest core it's like you have no hope," Sidney Coleman said.
The shelter has been at max capacity all year and with 2/3rds of their funding coming from community support, Coleman says without donations there is no shelter.
"For a young organization like this to step up and give us help. Oh my God, it's fabulous," Coleman said.
The Sisterhood Supply reminds us all, that you just need a little passion, mixed with action and a lot of love for your community.
"I do not plan on stopping as long as I can continue to help, I will continue to do that," Ragas said.
At the shelter, families take everything that is donated to them with them when they leave. Since they have been full all year long Coleman with the shelter tells me they desperately need bedding right now.
The most essential donations the shelter needs are:
Comforters (Twin size)
sheets (twin size)
extra-large mattress covers.
You can donate to the shelter by clicking here.
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