Every week we go out on the streets of the 7th ward in New Orleans to bring books and creative activities to the heart of the neighborhood. The kids we’re trying to reach don’t always have the chance to go to after-school activities and our Street Library project is especially important in this context.

During spring break, I met Tylor while I was walking around the neighborhood. He told me that his plan for the week was to wait for Street Library to happen. There are no playgrounds in the neighborhood, no parks, and no public library. There’s not much for kids to do. In a way, the kids and the whole community are left behind.

A lot of people from other parts of New Orleans say that the neighborhood where we do our Street Libraries is very dangerous. While this image is exaggerated, quite a few parents still don’t let their kids play outside. Too many shootings. A few month ago during Street Library we heard gunshots coming from around the corner. Nobody got hurt that day but the reaction of the kids that were with us really struck me. They knew what was going on a long time before we adults, who aren’t around those blocks all the time. They knew what to do and quickly disappeared and ran home. That was the best reaction, no doubt about it. But then…we’re left with a feeling of sadness. They knew what to do because that violence is part of their life, it is their reality. The effects of this violence would be very complex to explain, I’m not sure we even can. We know that it affects their stress level, their development, their ability to concentrate in school, and how they see their future.

We do try to create a space of peace, a space free of violence, opportunities to feel happy. We know that the Street Library provides this for them. We know it gives adults, parents, and neighbors an opportunity to show how much they care about their kids and how much the kids’ education matters to them. Adults passing by often tell us how much they appreciate the Street Library, whether they have kids participating or not. From the kids’ perspective, they not only develop a love for books, they also build self-confidence, all beneath the loving gazes of their families and neighbors. For that time every week, they enjoy the innocence a kid should have while playing on the sidewalk of New Orleans.

– Gregoire Sitter, ATD Fourth World New Orleans

May 5 is GiveNOLA day, a day for charitable giving for organizations working in New Orleans. To support ATD Fourth World Street Libraries, please donate on May 5 at http://bit.ly/atdgivenola