Kids To The Country is Plenty’s oldest project in Tennessee and one that has helped to connect more than 2500 kids, most from inner-city Nashville neighborhoods, but also from other Tennessee cities like Memphis. During the first week of this year’s summer sessions, thanks to a generous donation from Dr. Dave Winek of the Williamson Medical Center of Franklin, TN and his wife Janet, four young people from hurricane Katrina-ravaged Biloxi, Mississippi participated along with ten others from Nashville. Missy, Cassie, Frederickous and Jerry were in Biloxi throughout the hurricane and hadn’t left the city since. Studies and our own first-hand observations have shown that the emotional impact of the hurricane on the survivors has been intense and long-lasting, and especially on the very young.

KTC’s mission is to create a multicultural exchange for at-risk urban children, to build a positive self-image in each child and help the youngsters develop a connection to the land and rhythms of nature through direct experience.

Meanwhile, back in the city KTC Urban, under the direction of William Sizwe Herring, is continuing to sponsor activities for kids (gardening, composting, recycling games, music and more) on weekends at George Washington Carver Park, located at 10th and Gale in West Nashville. KTC Urban is committed to helping people, especially children, establish vegetable gardens at schools, homes, in empty lots and other appropriate locations.

     My first trip down to the Mississippi/Louisiana coast was in September, 2005 shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit. I cried the first time I saw the devastation in Biloxi, Mississippi and the conditions of the poor people living there. This area was flooded with six feet of water for five days. It was like a third world country, only it was in America. It’s almost a year later and not much has changed. Conditions are still deplorable.

I was emotionally moved by what I was seeing, and so I conceived my first project, "adopting a family in Biloxi". I met Betty Smith my second day in Biloxi while distributing food and supplies door-to-door and we immediately bonded. We have since become close friends and through Betty, I have been able to extend my project throughout her neighborhood. This is where the Biloxi children and KTC come together.

For months, Betty and I talked about the possibility of bringing some children to the Farm summer camp but we were uncertain if the “monies” would ever surface. Then as if by a miracle, my friend Dr. Dave Winek and his wife Jan donated a sum of money, making my project a reality. This wonderful couple had been financially supporting my various projects and trips to the gulf.

Betty worked hard talking to various parents and arranging a group of children to be picked up by my good friend Patrick Wilson and his son Tyler. The children included Betty’s grandson Frederickous (7), Cassie (17), Jerry (15) and Missy (13). When I met up with them shortly after arriving on the Farm Sunday night, these children were happy and excited. Following their experience by the end of the week, they did not want to go home. They especially loved the swimming hole. Although they live near the ocean in Mississippi, the water has been too polluted for swimming following the hurricane. They loved riding bikes, hiking the trails in the country and all of the organized activities. They were able to experience riding a horse for the first time and they all made new friends.

 At the end of the week, Marie Douglas (a Plenty volunteer) and I headed back to Biloxi to take them home. Each child was given a picture slide show with background music on DVD, highlighting all their activities with their friends. They all were given a Plenty tee shirt which they wore proudly.  All the way home, they sang the KTC anthem. No one wanted to leave and I kept wishing for the possibility to keep them just one more week. They all kept telling me they wanted to come back next year. When we arrived at our Mississippi destination, it was a party greeting parents, as they showed off things they had collected while talking a mile a minute about their experience. We all watched the DVD continuously while Missy kept pointing out all her friends by name every time it was played.

    We never know when a miracle will happen. While the crew was preparing for the July KTC session, I received a phone call from Mary Ellen Bowen, the director of KTC, stating that Fox Channel News would like to come to the Farm and do a story on the Biloxi children. This was exciting news but I had no money for another run. Then another miracle took place when Peter, our Plenty director called me and said someone had just donated money for the project. Five days later, Patrick and Tyler were on the road to pick up the kids again. The kids were going to get to experience another week on the Farm, making my wish come true. But my guess is that it was the kid’s wish that was granted and I was just wishing along with them.

Once again they were able to experience another week of fun in the country and also be celebrities on television. I know they will carry this with them for a lifetime. Additionally, they each will carry with them the fact that people cared enough about them to go through so much to transport them back and forth not just once, but twice. I bet they are still smiling.

Read previous KTC article.
Read next KTC article.