Heralded as the most catastrophic disaster in American history, Hurricane Katrina left more then 1,800 deaths, half a million displaced people and over $81 billion dollars of damage in its wake.  Today, as schools, playgrounds and communities are rebuilt, there is an internal damage that remains.  For many of Mississippi’s children, the storm continues.

After traumatic events, so often we focus on the problems.  This is a story about a solution.  Against the backdrop of destruction, After The Storm sparks hope with the story of Project Joy, and the optimistic quest to spread joy where children need it most.

After The Storm: The Project Joy Story explores the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the young children who experienced the trauma of the storm.  In the face of catastrophe, we discover the invisible backbone of Mississippi - the teachers and childcare providers entrusted with the task of rebuilding Katrina’s youngest survivors.

Through the work of Tina Brown and Bobbie Black, two unsung heroes of the reconstruction, we enter the lives of the kids who are often defined as “the children of the storm”.  The film intimately captures these children’s struggles and triumphs as they heal from the storm.  Offering a dramatic portrait of a child’s need to find normalcy amidst loss and fear, After The Storm gives voice to children as they learn to play again.

Like many childcare providers, Bobbie and Tina grapple with these questions: How do we provide support for our children when we ourselves are depleted?  What is the cost of a generation of children that does not heal? How do we restore a childhood?  One small grassroots organization from Boston, Massachusetts has the answers… Project Joy.

We follow the joyful maverick Steve Gross and his team from inner-city Boston as they travel to Mississippi to train hundreds of teachers and childcare providers - to ensure that nothing stands in the way of the playfulness of children.  As Bobbie and Tina bring the spirit of Project Joy back to their communities, we watch Mississippi’s children begin to thrive.

The Life is good Kids Foundation has chosen to spotlight Project Joy as the primary beneficiary of all of their 2008 festivals. The Life is good Kids Foundation receives its principal financial support from the public via the charitable community fundraising festivals conducted by Life is good, Inc.  This year eighteen festivals will be held in thirteen different states nationwide.