Youth Outreach Hosts Christmas Party
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Members of the Acadiana WorkForce Solutions Youth Council acted as hosts Friday night at a Christmas party that featured 30 St. Landry Parish youths who are currently in foster care.
The program also featured appearances by state and parish elected officials that included senator Gerald Boudreaux, representative Dustin Miller and parish president Jessie Bellard.
Region IV WorkForce communications coordinator Adrienne Auzenne said Youth Council members wanted to sponsor the event for designated foster children that Auzenne said were recommended by representatives from the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program.
Auzenne said the program held at the Creswell Lane extension WorkForce office in Opelousas, featured games, food and guest speakers.
The WorkForce outreach effort involves about 30 school and out-of-school youths ages 16-19 who are being trained for eventual workforce development, Auzenne said during a Monday interview.
“It was the idea of our Youth Council participants to have the party. The Youth Council also participated in community outreach efforts that also involved activities for the homeless during Thanksgiving, Auzenne said.
Youth Council members are chosen according to their family income and living situations, said Auzenne.
“We prepare the Youth Council members for work and give them the experiences that will help them. This summer several of them participated in a week-long program at LSUE where they were introduced to jobs in the healthcare fields,” said Auzenne.
Bellard said during a Monday interview that the Acadiana-area WorkForce effort for youths plays an important role in helping create trained workers.
“We have a summer program for those in St. Landry and the surrounding parishes. The program on Friday night was a chance for those with the WorkForce and their guests to have a night away and to show them that all of us care for what they do for us,” Bellard said.
“Some of these youths will be graduating and they are now preparing for their careers. We want keep them motivated interested in joining the workforce,” Bellard said.
