Jody Braunig never could have imagined that a luxury car company could help her transform the lives of at-risk youth in New Orleans. A city where the obesity rate is five percent higher than the national average, in a state that earned the lowest score from America’s Health Rankings because of high rates of obesity, child poverty and infant mortality, making healthier choices easier is of the utmost importance in New Orleans. Jody Braunig, Executive Director of the New Orleans chapter of Girls on the Run, is acutely aware of this reality, and when Mercedes-Benz USA and Laureus Sport for Good Foundation came forward to offer up resources to support her program she jumped at the opportunity.
Braunig’s program, which teaches confidence to young girls through physical activity, goal-setting and teamwork, was unable to reach more than a handful of schools, and although she desperately wanted to expand her reach, she just didn’t have the staff time or money to do so. Along came a three-year, $165,000 capacity-building grant from Laureus USA funded by Mercedes-Benz USA, and she was suddenly able to hire a full-time program director, a 5K director and increase her own hours from part- to full-time.
Though the relationship is still in its first year, it has already resulted in benefits for the girls, Braunig said. “The funding was the springboard for us to grow our program. We had 1,200 participants, the most ever, in our 5K last year and it was the first time in six years we turned a profit. Last season we had 400 girls participate in our program, the most yet! We were at more than 30 sites – schools and Ys and community centers – throughout greater New Orleans. Now we can reach out to more schools than ever.”
Braunig said she sees such a positive change in the girls, she never wants to turn anyone away for lack of funding. “It’s about so much more than running,” she said. “Running is a platform to educate and inspire these young girls. They learn to feel confident and happy about their bodies. They learn how to make positive choices. It’s about learning how to set a goal and accomplish it. Here, the goal is crossing the finish line — whether they walk, run, skip or jump across it.”
With more support from her staff and a greater number of hours in her work-week, Braunig was also able to focus her efforts on developing partnerships and applying for additional grants. “Laureus USA and Mercedes-Benz USA have provided help with professional development and introduced us to partners we would not otherwise have met,” she said. “They write letters of recommendation for grant proposals for us and for a leadership fellowship I applied for. Laureus USA is always a resource, always happy to help us. We could not be happier with the relationship.”
What’s more, Girls on the Run wasn’t the only organization in New Orleans to get such a grant. Five more were awarded to The First Tee of Greater New Orleans, Playworks Louisiana, Youth Run NOLA, YLC Kicks and Elevate. These six youth sport organizations are leading a community coalition of 18 local organizations that will share resources and work together to ensure that kids in New Orleans have better access to sports and physical activity.
In a world where it truly takes a village to raise one child, help can oftentimes come from the unlikeliest of sources – even a luxury car company.
