Twenty Years.
Twenty Voices.
One Lasting Impact
Our Impact
What began in the wake of Hurricane Katrina has grown into a long-term commitment to uplifting young voices through photography. For twenty years, Youth Stop has helped young people document their experiences and share their perspectives with the world. The Beyond the Storm exhibition marked a powerful milestone, reuniting the original participants to reflect on how a camera changed their lives.
By the Numbers
In 2005, Roy Hatcher was one of the young people who received a disposable camera from Danette Vincent in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Through photography, he and the other participants began documenting their new reality, capturing moments of family, loss, and resilience that might otherwise have gone unseen.
Impact Highlight
“Being interviewed for the 20-year project made everything real again. As a kid, I didn’t see the full picture -now I do. Beyond the Storm didn’t just tell my story, it helped me become who I am now.”
-Roy Hatcher III, one of the original Katrina Camera Kids speaking about the impact of the Beyond the Storm gallery show.
In August 2025, Youth Stop marked a powerful milestone with Beyond the Storm — A Look Back, a photography exhibition commemorating the twenty-year journey of the original Katrina Camera Kids.
Sixteen of the original participants returned to an exhibit featuring seventy black-and-white photographs — a deeply personal record of resilience, displacement, and community that might otherwise have gone undocumented.
Together, the images reflected how one moment in 2005 grew into a twenty-year legacy of youth empowerment through photography.
Beyond the Storm —
A Look Back
The 20-Year Milestone
“Twenty years later, I’m still on the phone with my brothers, still bossing them around. Going through this together kept us close in a way nothing else could. And walking it with Ms. Danette has been invaluable. She didn’t just document our lives -she stayed. She believed in us, and that has meant everything.”
-Darremika Tillery, one of the original Katrina Camera Kids, recalling the impact Youth Stop Inc. had in her life.
Impact Highlight
Over the years, that initial act of storytelling evolved into an ongoing mission. Youth Stop expanded its work through photography workshops, community partnerships, and public exhibitions that give young people space to explore their voices and share their perspectives.
In 2025, the project came full circle with Beyond the Storm — A Look Back, a powerful photo exhibit honoring the resilience of the original Katrina Camera Kids, reuniting participants to reflect on the stories they first captured as children. Two decades later, the message remains the same: photography is a powerful pathway for healing, expression, and opportunity.
Twenty Years of Growth
“Seeing my image on the wall reminded me that my story matters. I’m not the same kid from the storm -I’ve grown, I’ve healed, and I’m still moving forward.”
-Darrell Tillery Jr., one of the original Katrina Camera Kids, reflects on his story 20 years later.
Impact Highlight
“What began twenty years ago as a way to help children heal after Katrina has grown into something even bigger. I watched them use photography to find their voices, and now we’re building clear career pathways so the next generation can turn those voices into opportunity. The storm started the story, but the future is about purpose, skills, and possibility.”