From a Staff Point of View
Ryann Holmes, 4th year Summer Camp Staff
Graduate, George Mason University /Current MBA student
Co-Captain Track and Field (cross country)

Throughout my lifetime I've been a part of a lot of teams, clubs, groups, organizations, yet none of them shared some of the amazing qualities of the Girls First program. The weeklong camp is run like a well-oiled machine, and each of the campers gladly falls right into the routine as if they’d been there all year round. The girls participate in everything from archery, ballroom dancing, rock climbing, biking, dance lessons with the Hornets Honeybees to basketball, etiquette class, circus arts, volleyball, swimming, cooking class, and so much more!

My job was to work with the girls through every single activity. Exhausting, yes…but tons of fun! I also helped conduct workshops with the girls about self-esteem, conflict resolution, healthy eating habits, and tolerance. It’s amazing to see how much these girls gain from this program. They create goals for themselves to excel as campers, they motivate each other, they create friendships that they’ll keep for years, and most importantly they’re encouraged to love and respect themselves.

My heart has been in this program since I first started as a counselor three years ago. Before I even met the campers, I could tell Girls First was built upon well-rounded values. When I met the founders and staff for the first time I got the feeling that I was about to embark upon something special…and I was right. Helen, Missie, Liz and the rest of the returning staff (some of which have been participating since Girls First's inception) had such an incredible passion for this program. After one week at Girls First, I was not only a believer, but also a lifelong advocate. I can’t begin to imagine where these beautiful young ladies would end up if it weren’t for that shared passion. My dedication to Girls First exists because I see a part of myself in each of the girls. I see the potential for them to grow up and be someone successful. I see the potential for them to beat the odds. I see their eagerness to make their loved ones proud, and it’s absolutely remarkable.

I’ve grown so attached to the young ladies who participate in the program. In the past couple years, I’ve already witnessed so many of them evolve. The principles, that they learn about in camp, translate into their everyday lives, shaping them into OUR future leaders. I’m proud and honored to be a part of this movement. I plan to show my continued support year after year.

Interview with a Parent
with Desiree LaBranche
It's hard for Desiree Labranche to put into words the difference she's seen in her daughters, Nia, 11, and Camille, 9, since they started attending Girls First Camp two years ago.

"Seriously it's not just one thing, really, it's not," LaBranche said. "Camille is more outgoing and Nia is so much more expressive now. She wants to participate in things and take part in conversations."

LaBranche said both of her girls come home from monthly activities and camp excited about the things they've learned and experienced. And they each are hoping to eventually become counselors-in-training for Girls First.

"I can see changes in not just my girls, but many of the girls," LaBranche said. "The program really gives them a sense that they can become anything they want and in some cases be better than the environment they may be surrounded by." While the LaBranche family said that even if they could afford the cost of a daily summer camp that offers such things as swimming and field trips, Desiree knows she wouldn't trust any other residential camp with the care of her children. "Everyone involved with the camp really, really cares about these girls and their future," LaBranche said. "The camp isn't just preparing them to be better women. The camp is really investing in the girls, helping them become better women and possibly future leaders of our city."

The Heart of Girls First
by Maria Montoya
Shamekah Holiday could not imagine a New Orleans without Girls First camp. Then again, the former camper and camp counselor never doubted that the 10-year-old program that inspires girls ages 8 to 15 to play sports, go after their dreams and take pride in themselves would survive the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. Nothing, she said, could keep Girls First down.

"It isn't just a camp, it's a family," said Holiday of the tuition-free camp that attempts to boost underprivileged girls' self-confidence through sports. "The people who make Girls First happen don't just want to see you succeed in sports -- it's their mission to see you succeed in life."

The moment they arrive, campers are exposed to activities often enjoyed only by those who come from wealthier backgrounds, such as fencing, yoga, horseback riding and even dancing classes. Thanks to the in-kind donations from area businesses and individuals, the girls are given the chance to spend a week living on the Tulane University campus. As the girls age they are given the opportunity to become counselors-in-training, a paid position that gives former campers the chance to become role models themselves.

"I am so proud of the role I get to play in their lives," Holiday said of being a counselor. "I'll never forget what it was like to be a camper and how I looked up to all the people who helped me learn so many new things. There's a bond that forms at a camp, a bond that will never be broken among all the girls that go through Girls First camp."

Camp co-founders Helen Siegel and Missie McGuire share a dream that one day thousands of New Orleans girls will be alums of their program. Pre-Katrina, more than 200 young ladies applied for the camp's 130 open spots. With the help of a 10-person board and dozens of volunteers from the community and college campuses, the camp had continued to grow every year. On average, Siegel said 65% of the campers returned each year and many former campers have completed their Counselor-in-Training and Junior Counselor programs. Just before the storm, an alumnae and parent groups were formed in an effort to keep in contact with kids that aged out of the program.

Throughout the year, Girls First offers monthly activities to ensure that the participants do not lose their focus. Counselors regularly check-in with the girls and their parents to make sure school is going well. Should any camper ever demonstrate a particular passion and/or talent for a sport, the volunteers of the program are committed to finding coaches or teams willing to help further the camper's interest. In the past, campers were given the opportunity to work as ball girls for the ladies of the WNBA. It is the goal of the camp to provide every camper the chance to leave their problems behind and immerse himself or herself in the pure joy of just being a kid.

"For many of these young ladies, Girls First is the one stable thing in their lives," Siegel said. "Because of that we knew we had to find a way to keep the program going. We have never been too big to ask for help and we are pretty good about begging. So, we beg."

Raising funds in a post-Katrina world were so many folks are rebuilding can be hard. Siegel said she never second-guessed bringing camp back in 2006 for the girls. She said she and McGuire knew it would be a challenge getting camp together as so many of the campers and their families were still dispersed throughout the country. Nonetheless, the board and dedicated volunteers began the process of trying to track down as many girls as they could. It was important, Siegel said, that they knew they still had a connection to New Orleans.

"What we realized after Katrina was just how important Girls First was to our girls and to their families," Siegel said. "The relief and excitement in the voices when we first made contact was overwhelming."

In March 2006, campers who had returned to the city gathered at Audubon Park for a day of relay races and picnic lunch. There were tears as many staffers and girls reunited for what felt like the first time in decades, according to some of the campers. The young women laughed and rolled around on the ground, playing worry-free and happy just to be among friends. More than 50% of the campers were affected by the storm.

Carlotta Spruille and her daughters, Maya, 13, and Paige, 16, were forced to evacuate to Tupelo, Miss., and she said she'd never forget her children's faces the day someone from Girl's First had finally tracked them down. As the summer drew closer, Spruille said her daughters were unable to contain their excitement and spent much of the day talking and preparing for camp. "You would have thought it was Christmas! All night they were up getting ready," Spruille said. "I was so excited for them, too. Every year they come home different and it's hard to put into words, but Girl's First gives girls the chance to become not only women but leaders."

It was at Girl's First that the sisters learned to swim. Siegel will never forget how an 8-year-old Maya paddled her way across the Tulane pool or how proud Paige looked on her first day of being a counselor-in-training. Such moments are what drive Girls First to continue to raise the thousands of dollars it costs to run the program each year.

"For many girls, we were their only hope and their only connection to the city, and to some sort of normalcy in their life," Siegel said. "It became apparent very quickly that Girls First would rebuild and would continue our commitment to providing opportunities for young girls in our city."