PRAIRIEVILLE — A non-profit organization is on a mission to stop a cycle of violence by helping young men who have lost loved ones.

LEAD, which stands for Love, Educate, Advocate and Dream, aims to be a beacon of hope and a way to make others feel heard. The after-school group, based out of Ascension Parish, offers a four-week program in which a mentor teaches kids how to stay out of trouble through fun activities, showing them that the simple things in life can be enjoyable.

“We teach how if you keep going forward, you're gonna reach your goal. You may not get there overnight, but you're gonna reach it," founder Romain Leblanc said.

According to 2023 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,261 people across the state died from gun violence.

Leblanc is all too

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