DSHS Jackets Soccer GF2016 Recovery

August 13, 2016, is a day we all in Denham Springs, Louisiana will never forget! Many in the city, my family included, woke early that morning to flood waters rushing into their homes as the Amite River quickly swelled beyond its all-time record highs. This catastrophic event is being called "The Great Flood of 2016" as over 90% of the city has been directly affected by the flood waters. 
Our home took on almost 7 feet of water! The scope of the destruction to our home, our belongings, and our community seem unimaginable at times, yet every morning we wake to the reality of our surroundings. Despite our losses, I consider my family one of the few lucky ones, because we had flood insurance to help us start life anew. Sadly, so many in our community did not have this protection. Homes, hearts, and spirits have been broken, but one thing that remains strong is the determination of our community to rise above this tragedy! 
Many of you, friends, family, and even some strangers have asked how you can help, what our family needs. My usual answer has been "prayers" and with every day that passes I feel God's hands upon us giving us the strength and resources we need to see tomorrow.  You all will never know how powerful your prayers have been in our lives! Unfortunately, sometimes in our world, prayer does not solve all problems, as I was reminded of this week, and this is why I have decided to create this fundraiser. 
This week I learned from my daughter's soccer coach at Denham Springs High School that the fate of the school's soccer teams (both boys and girls) are undetermined due to the anticipated loss of financial support from our parents and community who have been directly impacted by the flooding. In order for the program to continue this year, avenues outside of our local community will need to be tapped into. 
Our schools are working hard to recover from their losses. Denham Springs High School took on several feet of water, the destruction will take months to correct, and students are being platooned into another unaffected school in the parish in the evenings. Many of these students on the teams have lost their homes, their belongings, their usual school environment and schedule, and the list goes on and on. 
As a social worker employed by the Livingston Parish Public School System, I know the value that participation in extracurricular activities brings to children's lives. The school system is working hard to bring a new sense of normal back to our students' lives as school starts back next week. But our kids also need consistency outside of school. My heart breaks thinking that their soccer teams may not have the needed funding for the upcoming season. My daughter, DeAnne (Jackets #30), who has played soccer since she was 4 years old and joined the Lady Jackets JV team last year, so looked forward to their upcoming season. 
So here I am...humbled by a group of kids whose passion for the game has motivated me to reach out to you all for support. Any support, including prayers, would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to share this Gofundme campaign, as greater strength is achieved in numbers. I will cover all of the "fees" charged by GoFundMe so that every penny pledged gets redirected to the Denham Springs High School soccer teams through the girls' head coach, Nikki Deshotel.  Your pledges will help to replace destroyed equipment, cover player fees, and provide uniforms to players. 
Thank you in advance, and God bless you all!
Tish

Disclaimer: Apparantly before any funds can be released, GoFundMe is requiring I update the campaign, to ensure transparancy, which I assumed was clear in the original post. So here goes nothing...hope this works so coach Nikki can access the collected funds ASAP. 
My name is Natisha Nason. Me and my family live in Denham Springs, LA. My oldest daughter played as a member of the Denham Springs High School girls JV soccer team during the 2015-16 school year, during which time we came to know Coach Nikki. I also work for the Livingston Parish School System, where I work everyday with children and families who have been directly impacted by this flooding event. After setting up this account, which was originally started as a personal outreach to friends and family, I was contacted by Coach Nikki, who wanted to share this campaign with others. We are currently working with the GoFundMe team, so that coach Nikki can have direct access to the collected funds, and be responsible for withdrawing these as she sees fit.  The funds collected will help both the DSHS boys and girls soccer program purchase equipment, lost gear (uniforms, bags, etc), as well as assist in covering a portion of players fees for the upcoming season (all pending receipt of collected monies thus far).  
Once this update is approved through the GoFundMe team, Coach Nikki should be able to go in and directly withdraw the funds, which will then be forwarded directly to the soccer programs. 
The campaign is still going, and your continued support is welcomed. Please continue to share this campaign with your own families and friends, as we take our Jackets to new heights this upcoming soccer season. For those of you who have already pledged your donations, a HUGE thank-you is in order! 
Geaux Jackets!!!