Serving Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington Parishes
Partners
The New Orleans Saints/NFL Partnership
For 35 years, United Way and the National Football League (NFL) and its teams have been working together to help strengthen America's communities.
Today, the NFL and United Way are leveraging resources and relationships to raise awareness about the importance of youth health and fitness and create opportunities for kids to lead healthier lifestyles.
United Way is proud to partner with the New Orleans Saints and the NFL - we invite you to join us. You can help support youth fitness by volunteering your time, lending your voice or contributing to youth fitness programs.
Community Patrol
Presented in partnership with United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area for the past six years, Community Patrol Camps’ teach participants life skills aimed at improving behavior and attitude through football.
The five (5) separate two-day camps are typically held during June and July at the Saints’ Practice Facility on Airline Drive in Metairie. Over 500 kids between the ages of 4-18 from the United Way’s seven-parish area benefited from the safe, fun and educational experience at the 2009 camps.
The camps aim to teach participants skills that will improve their behavior and attitudes in preparation for the new school year. Local coaching staff members, such as team ambassador and former wide receiver and kick return specialist Michael Lewis, teach each participant various football skills and techniques, including punting and passing.
During these rotations, participants also have the opportunity to learn “life skills” through lessons taught by representatives of the Children’s Bureau. This summer’s camps will focus once again on conflict resolution, adaptation and coping skills, and crisis management.
“It's been incredibly positive and the feedback from the kids has been astounding,” says Gary Ostroske, President and CEO of United Way for the GNOA. “We expected the kids to be really focused on the football skills but in most cases the life skills are what resonated. We were happily surprised to hear that most kids went away saying they didn't realize they could walk away from a fight.”
Additionally, this year’s camps featured a Health Educator from East Jefferson General Hospital’s Wellness Center who presented on healthy lifestyles and the benefits of physical activity.
The Community Patrol Camps are provided free-of-charge through the United Way and Saints partnership.
How I Live United
Hometown Huddle
The NFL and United Way’s Hometown Huddle is a collection of hands-on volunteer projects implemented simultaneously on a single Tuesday in October in different NFL cities across the country.
In 2009 the New Orleans Saints Hometown Huddle project emphasized the importance of Youth Fitness by working to “jump start” KIPP Central City Academy’s physical education department. The project will assist the new P.E. teacher to determine the school’s needs, including the purchase of equipment and assembly of a curriculum that will help build and enhance the school’s P.E. department.
High-performing KIPP 5th and 6th grade students participated in a Field Day utilizing the newly donated equipment and inflatables provided by the New Orleans Saints’ Youth Programs staff. The students rotated through different stations which included football drills, volleyball and balance beam activities. They also participated in an obstacle course and threw around footballs with different Saints players.
Saints staff members and players - including owner Rita Benson LeBlanc, TE Billy Miller, LB Troy Evans, WR Skyler Green and CB Mike McKenzie, along with a couple of Saintsation Cheerleaders - spoke to the students about the importance of staying active and healthy. Also, coming off a Monday Night Football loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the players talked to the kids about staying positive and working hard in order to succeed and meet their goals.
Hometown Huddle is part of United Way's nationwide call-to-action for individuals to LIVE UNITED™ -- to give, advocate and volunteer on issues relating to education, income, health and safety net. United Way has declared bold, 10-year goals in each of those three areas. In the area of health, the goal is to increase by one-third the percentage of healthy youth and adults by 2018. Preventing and controlling childhood obesity is one aspect of meeting this goal.
