Dyersburg State Gazette: Local News: Project H.O.O.D. kicks off with Bruce skating party

Members of the new organization Project H.O.O.D. - Helping Others Overcome Destruction - recently kicked off its work at Bruce Community Center with a skating party for over 100 children. From left, front, Project H.O.O.D. representatives and skating-party organizers Chastity Pirtle, Michelle Shavers, Roxanna Mitchell, Tinasha Bonds, Alnee May; middle, Lashawnda Armstrong, Keeyana Covington, Shala Walker, Nikki Agnew, Jamaal Haymon; back, Charisse Hicks, Sharvion Bobbitt and Santresa Cole.

Children served by the Bruce Activity Center were treated to a skating party on Saturday, Nov. 7 designed to introduce them to a new organization dedicated to making a difference in the community.

The organization, Project H.O.O.D. - or Helping Others Overcome Destruction - is dedicated to providing both fun and fundamentals to children in the area. The group has also pledged support to Bruce Activity Center Director Stuart Edmonds and his vision for the children in the Bruce Community.

"Project HOOD is helping in our community and supporting Bruce Community Center activities," said Edmonds. "(The organization is) about 50 people strong now and they have taken off at a fast pace. They are doing a lot of activities throughout the community. It's very exciting. The women help with the girls and the men help the young boys. They teach different fundamentals like cooking or how to dress and look for jobs."

Edmonds said the skating party was a huge success for the program and the Bruce Center.

"It was very exciting," said Edmonds. "There were over 100 children there on Saturday night - the largest number as far as skating that we've had."