Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
The North Bossier Lunch Group convened for its monthly lunch meeting at the Bossier Parish School for Technology and Innovative Learning (BPSTIL) on Tuesday, February 28, 2024. The featured speaker for the meeting was K.C. Kilpatrick Baird, the Executive Director and Founder of Geaux 4 Kids, Inc.
Baird began by sharing her own story of becoming a foster parent and how that journey led her to establish Geaux 4 Kids. “Telling my story, showing up, shaking in my boots, telling my story. That is how we’ve been able to do this. It’s not political. Children are not political. The situation is not political. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has enough struggles. We just need to help where we can,” said K.C. Kilpatrick Baird.
Two siblings, ages 1 and 2, were rescued through calls to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services by several concerned family members. They were delivered to K.C. at her certified “foster-to-adopt” house by a well-meaning, yet exhausted, underpaid “too many caseloads” DCFS worker who was a mother herself. It was an emergency situation, and there was no time to prepare. The children arrived with only the clothes on their backs, along with dirty pajamas, only one diaper, and a meth pipe in a Winn-Dixie bag.
Feeling frustrated with the situation and becoming aware of the state in which foster children are rescued, Baird realized that doing nothing was not an option. She and others who wanted to help the children in a direct and impactful way were determined to provide emergency assistance during that awful first night. As a result, “Geaux Bags” was born. Through Geaux Bags, children receive a bag filled with basic necessities and comfort items during that emergency transition.
The goal of the North Bossier Lunch Group is to bring together men and women in the North Bossier community who want to stay informed and to unite those who want to make a difference in their community. The group’s vision for the luncheon is to help North Bossier business owners, stakeholders, community leaders, and partners network with each other to discuss the growth, development, and business future of North Bossier and Bossier City.
