“She’s just wonderful; a true visionary,” said Gamma Rho Chapter sel­ection committee chair­man Gary Hawkins in announcing that the founder of YOUTH­anasia Foun­dation – the foundation that “kills what’s killing Greater New Orleans teenagers” – Kim Dilosa, has been named his fraternity’s 2009 Citizen of the Year. 

According to Hawkins this honor is presented annually to New Orlean­ians who have demonstrated a commitment to their communities and have taken a stance against crime or have “stood in the gap for others. “ 

“This award falls right into place with all of the other amazing things that are happening to me right now!  It’s truly a blessing.” Dilosa, the self-taught community organizer who has been mentoring teenagers and has served as a champion to eliminate teen violence since 1997, told The Louisiana Weekly.

Her inclusion of teen opinions in community problem solving has produced successful programs such as the Young Artists Leadership Program, and the Positive Prom Party Series, just to name a few.   

At 34, she is the youngest recipient of the honor given by the local chapter of Omega Psi Phi. 

“The selection committee discussed the matter of age, because recipients have been quite older, but we said, let’s do this now,” Hawkins said.  “We need to recognize all that she’s done for young people.” 

The fraternity nominates locals who have made noteworthy contributions to their communities.

Dilosa is currently working to duplicate the teen violence eradication initiatives throughout Greater New Orleans to create a model of a teen-friendly city that can be duplicated throughout the United States.  Her work has been recognized nationally as one of five 2006 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Gulf Coast Leadership Award recipients.  The Xavier Prep graduate is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the founder of Divas Curing Teen Violence.

“When Mr. Hawkins emailed me the award letter, I was in shock initially-stunned,” Dilosa said.   “I’ve heard of this award, so I know this is a biggie!”

Dilosa has just been named the newest member of the Jefferson Parish Children and Youth Planning Board. She is also a member of the 2009 Bryan Bell Metropolitan Leadership Forum.  On September 22, YOUTHanasia Foundation won 1st Place at the PitchNOLA Competition at Tulane University, an event sponsored by Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans.  The challenge was given to pitch an idea that would affect positive social and/or environmental change in New Orleans.  The group pitched Final Fridayze, a series of monthly social, mental health boosts exclusively for teenagers.  “Now, we are in the midst of a campaign to make the winning idea a reality,” Dilosa told The Louisiana Weekly. “We have set a goal to attract 1 million donors to the www.first­giving .com/teenkatrinasurvivorsofnola link by Feb. 2010.”

“Kim is a real go-getter,” Gary Hawkins said. “She can make something out of nothing; she cares that much. She doesn’t let lack of money or anything deter her from her goals.”

Despite the accolades, received most recently from Essence and Ebony magazines, Clorox and New Orleans CityBusiness, Dilosa remains humble and grounded.

“I count it all joy to do God’s work,” she says.  “In the midst of all of the awards and memberships, I just want to do God’s will.  That’s what life is all about.  We are here for a specific purpose.  I am so determined to totally eradicate teen violence from Greater New Orleans, and determined to use our city as a model teen-friendly city for the nation.  This determination is fueled by simply knowing teen violence is a sickness that can be cured.  There is nothing fancy about this; it’s just a task to get people to see that teen violence is a sickness that can be cured...not a problem that can be fixed.  Folks keep trying to “fix it”...and that’s why there has been no success.  I realized preserving teen life was my purpose for living after I returned home after graduating from Tuskegee University.  I came home to work in my field (I have a degree in architecture), but I wanted to volunteer on the weekends to help shake that “murder capital of the nation” title that was first bestowed upon us in the late 90s.  As God would have it, I realized I was more fulfilled, happier even when I was with the kids and that the kids’ emotions were blatantly tied to the trouble they were prone to get into.  I’ve been at it since I was 22 years old....I’m 34 now!  Still a baby.”

“I don’t know what I be doing or where I’d be right now if it weren’t for ‘T-Kim’ and the teen center,” said Jaya’Sheena ‘Missy’ Robinson, a 14-year-old from Gretna. 

Dilosa was recently called to be one of the speakers at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the DC Primary Care Association in Washington, DC.  The theme of the event was “Hard Times in the Land of Plenty: A Conversation with the Blues.” Dilosa addressed conference goers about Greater New Orleans’ most pressing yet most ignored recovery issue: teen violence.  “I was asked to tell the story of the closing of NOAH and how the post-Katrina increase in teen violence correlates to the lack of mental health care being provided to teen hurricane survivors, “ Dilosa told The Louisiana Weekly.  “It was deep, and right up my alley once the CEO of the DC Primary Care Association told me to ‘tell it like it is!’” 

Believe it or not, Non-profit Development Director is only one of Dilosa’s full time jobs; she’s a devoted wife and mother of two as well.

“Yes, I am a superwoman,” Dilosa jokes. “Luckily, superwomen run in my family.  I have a very supportive husband who keeps me balanced in every way.  Sometimes, I tend to overwork and my health was indeed falling prey to this.  John (my husband) keeps me in check. I had to learn to make the transition because I went from single community organizer who could just get up and go, to married community organizer and mommy!  I have two little angels to take care of now....I used to work around the clock—writing grants, making phone calls, etc., but now home time is home time! My parents, in-laws, aunts, and grandmother are an amazing support team to my husband and me.  I love being around my family and friends, enjoying life and having a good time.”

The Harvey resident is looking forward to sharing the night with those loved ones and meeting new people who can help with the campaign to rebuild a teen-friendly Greater New Orleans.  “I look forward to seeing the reactions,” she added. “It’s always funny when I hear people talk about me like I’m this hero or something.  I’m just a normal person doing what everybody should be doing.”

The award is being presented to Dilosa on Friday, November 13 during its 2009 Achievement Week Awards banquet, which will be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside from 6-10 p.m. She will be the Gamma Rho Chapter’s entry for the 2009 regional conference, to be held here in New Orleans, March 13-April 4, 2010.  If she prevails, she will be the region’s entrant for the 2009 National Citizen of the year, to be presented at the fraternity’s national conference.


This article originally published in the November 9, 2009 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.