DANVILLE — The stories of some communities that are still behind in their recovery from Hurricane Katrina have touched some local youth activists so much that they’re behind a new fundraising effort to help bring computer technology to youth organizations in flood-damaged areas.

The Teen REACH group at the Danville Family YMCA is raising funds by selling tickets for barbecue dinners.

The Danville Housing Authority site is assembling Red Cross comfort kits for youth disaster victims.

The service projects are part of a statewide Teen REACH effort that collaborates with the Illinois Department of Human Services, which funds Teen REACH, as well as the other area Teen REACH sites.

The project began when some kids in New Orleans began talking online with kids in Illinois through myspace. The project created a new collaborative effort on myspace.com that has helped coordinate groups of Teen REACH kids across the state, said Kimberly David, the local Teen REACH coordinator.

Tywon Gouard, who directs the Teen REACH program at the YMCA, said her students have been an active part of the local project.

“They are involved in the overall implementation and planning of the project,” she said.

The 10-member youth advisory council decided they wanted to do something to help other kids their age.

DHS sophomore Zachary Martin and Destynee Callahaan, a North Ridge Middle school sixth-grader, said the research they did online proved that the areas still needed help.

“It really makes me think of how much I have and it makes me think about others and how bad it is for them,” said Desiree Green, a DHS senior.

“I really want to provide as much as we can.”

“We had a choice of whether we wanted to focus on local (charitable efforts) or whether we wanted to focus on a different area,” Gouard said.

“We went online and did some research and became familiar with the lives of Hurricane Katrina survivors,” she said.

Learning about the lives of the people who’d lost everything had an impact on the Danville kids, she said.

The service project is helping the kids build the good character traits that both Teen REACH and the YMCA stress, she said.

In addition to empathy and responsibility, the project also teaches project collaboration, she said.

“They’re implementing this project and they’re learning how to put things together to come up with a solution. They’re taking steps toe create an action plan this is going to be meaningful in the end.”

TEENS REACH OUT

Recently, Teen REACH kicked off its MySpace launch of http://ww.myspace.com/martinmeetschavez.

The site is a virtual connection of social action initiatives taken by youth in honor of King and Cesar Chavez, Mexican-American labor activist and leader of the United Farm Workers.

The site is part of a statewide Teen REACH collaborative service project effort.

On the site, youth post projects, pictures and blogs, including chats with peers from Illinois and other states. The service project concludes on Chavez Day, March 31.

Local Teen REACH groups at the Danville Family YMCA are selling barbecue dinners for $6 that can be picked up from noon to 4 p.m. March 14.The Danville Housing Authority group is collecting travel size toiletries for comfort kits that will be go to the Red Cross. Donated items (travel size toiletries) can be dropped off at the Danville Housing Authority main office.

To aid in the local projects, call 822-2580.