BP says community would notice if they were gone
August 20, 2013When did winning become the only reality at LSU
August 23, 2013All it took was liking a Facebook post to bring several Morgan City residents together for the good of their town.
“The whole idea came from a post I made asking if people were interested in hosting a community event geared at getting people to take stock in their neighborhood,” said Hoodstock founder Courtney Long. “We formed the committee and held our first event in 2011 after three months of planning. It was a great success.”
In the last few years, the grassroots Hoodstock committee, made up of several young professionals and Morgan City residents, has strived to bring back self-sufficiency and prosperity to residents of the town’s underprivileged neighborhoods. The group hopes to reestablish a sense of political and social awareness and accountability in the town by bringing culture-rich entertainment and guest speakers to the city.
Long, who was born and raised in Morgan City, decided it was time to take action in his hometown when he saw the morale dwindle in the neighborhood he grew up in.
“I still visit my mom there, and when I go, I bring my three girls,” Long said. “It’s not the same as when I grew up there. I want to bring the morale back to the area.
“I want our younger generations to have pride in the town. The town was really booming when I was growing up, and there were lots of things to do. Now other places are growing. The younger generations don’t see the hope or potential in Morgan City. I want to empower our kids.”
Even though fellow committee member Danika Foley did not grow up in the city, she feels the same way, and her love for the city she has lived in for eight years is what prompted her to “like” Long’s poignant Facebook post.
“Since that moment (of liking the post), it has been a very rewarding journey to be involved with
Hoodstock,” Foley said. “It’s (Morgan City) a great place to raise a family, in particular small children. There is a wealth of activities for children whose parents can afford the programs. The disconnect is social and community programs for low-income families. (There are) not enough community-driven and community-centered activities for children, teens and adults.
“I would love to see neighbors helping neighbors (and) residents and public officials actively participating in the growth of the community.”
Each year, Hoodstock hosts several fundraising events to offset the cost of their annual community education and family fun event, and this year’s community event will be from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 12. The event is still in the planning stages and anyone interested in volunteering can call (985) 255 985-0896.
“At the last two Hoodstock events, we invited local leaders to come out and meet the people on a more personal level,” Long said. “We invited people to ask questions and voice their concerns. Staff from Teche Regional and nurse volunteers form other local medial institutes also came out to talk about health awareness and conduct free screenings.”
Long estimated about 300-350 people attended both the 2011 and 2012 events, and he hopes that twice as many people will attend this year’s event.
The next fundraiser for the event will be the Poetry by Candlelight event at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 at the American Legion Hall in Patterson. Louisiana Poet Laureate Ava Haymon as well as other talent from south Louisiana will present poetry, spoken word and music. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. The event is BYOB, and T-shirts will not be allowed.
“This will be the first Poetry by Candlelight in Morgan City,” Long said. “I have been to others in the area, and I look forward to introduce this culture to the community.”
While the event is still more than a week away, the group’s work to get residents to “take stock” in the town are already visible to Long.
“I can’t explain the feeling when children come to you and tell you how you have impacted their lives,” he said. “It gives me hope that we will be a driving force in the community.”
In addition to fundraising events and the annual community day, Hoodstock has also hosted a community forum for adults with the town’s mayor, the president of the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the chief of police. The group also plans to coordinate area youth mentoring programs in the future.
“Our short-term goal is to change things, get people to have more pride in the area,” Long said. “Long term, we want to perpetuate a turnaround and get people more involved in the community.”
“This town’s biggest strength is that it is a close knit community. Everybody knows everybody. With a last name, people can connect you to somebody they know.
