Geaux Girl! Magazine

Two years ago I had an idea: a teen girl magazine with a sex ed component. I teamed up with my dear and incredibly talented friend Danielle Del Sol and together we developed a concept for the magazine and started forming partnerships with individuals and organizations across the community. Our vision: "Geaux Girl! -- a local nonprofit print and online magazine developed for and with New Orleans' teen girls."

It has taken longer than expected (there were some distractions... one of which being Lennon's little brother, Jonah, who is nine months old now), but the first issue of Geaux Girl! is at the printer and 3,000 free copies will be available to girls all over the city very soon. 

I have been spending every waking hour outside my day job and my mom duties these past few months working on the magazine. And it was so worth it. The issue turned out incredible. I could not be more proud of the outcome and more grateful for all the people who contributed to the first issue. (A very special shout-out to Liz Jurey whose beautiful and creative design brought everything to life. My wonderful husband, Sam, who is the best partner to me and father to our boys, also deserves a lot of credit as he has been holding down the fort at home while I've been in Geaux Girl! land.)

Geaux Girl!'s first issue features content from girls representing schools all over the city -- Abramson Sci Academy, Ben Franklin, Cohen College Prep, Haynes Academy, KIPP Renaissance, Lusher, Newman, NOCCA, to name some -- as well as features by local experts such as Dr. Florencia "Renni" Polite (sex ed & girls' health), Dr. Sarah Fontenelle (mental health), Rémy Robert (recipes), and Katherine St.Paul Hill (nail art). We also teamed up with local nonprofit organizations, like The Beautiful Foundation, Pink House, Electric Girls, the New Orleans Junior Journalism Program, and New Orleans Public Library, and other institutions, such as New Orleans Fashion Week, to create content that is informative, fun, and inspiring. 

Geaux Girl! is about shining a spotlight on local resources and showing girls that they are part of a community that has a lot to offer and cares about them. And what's most important, Geaux Girl! is giving New Orleans' girls a platform to express themselves and make their voices heard. 

Please support this exciting and important effort by helping me reach my fundraising goal. $3,000 will cover the printing cost for the first issue. And you'll actually help raise much more: An angel funder (who wishes to remain anonymous but I hope knows how grateful I am for the support and generosity) is putting up matching funds in the amount of $2,500. So for every dollar I raise for Geaux Girl! I'll get twice that. This extra $2,500, that you can help me raise by contributing to this campaign, will cover the expenses for the graphic design and the launch of the Geaux Girl! website. 

Thank you for anything you can contribute towards my goal. Most of all, thank you for believing in me and this magazine. The future is female, y'all! 

Heide