 One Young Woman Turns Her Life Around |
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by Dwala J. Ferrell |
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The Rev. Dwala J. Ferrell is a church and community worker of the General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church assigned to Petersburg, VA. A clergy member of the Virginia Annual Conference, Dwala serves as executive director of Petersburg Urban Ministries, a program that provides a variety of needs for very low-income residents in the area. I first learned about Gail from my daughter, who rode the school bus with her in high school. When the bus would arrive very late, and the explanation often was, “Gail was in a fight on the bus again. She’s suspended from riding it.” Finally Gail was banned from the bus altogether. As a result of her various difficulties, Gail missed so much school that she was unable to graduate and, eventually, moved to another section of town. We saw her again six years later when Gail enrolled in the Youthbuild Program of Petersburg Urban Ministries. This program provides job training, leadership skills and academic schooling for young adults between the ages of 16 to 24 who have dropped out of high school or otherwise been unable to graduate. Petersburg Urban Ministries, an approved Community of Shalom, was founded by the Petersburg District Va. of The United Methodist Church. Petersburg Urban Ministries’ mission is “to create authentic community through relationship building with all who live, work and play within the neighborhood; to corporately envision a community that values, promotes, and enhances the quality of life through shared responsibility and participation of all by improving the economic, health and spiritual environment in the community for all of God's creation.” At Youthbuild, students like Gail spend half of their time in education and leadership classes; the balance of their time is spent rehabilitating houses to be sold to low-income persons. Gail’s participation in Youthbuild quickly revealed some additional self destructive habits. Gail wanted to change for the better, but she was finding this road long and difficult. Just sitting in class and being attentive was a challenge for her. Occasionally, she would disappear from worksites and refuse to participate in activities that required physical exertion. When the program year came to a close, she was ten points away from receiving her GED; she was drug free; and her attitude was greatly improved. Gail had made great progress, but still had some distance to go. Gail began the second year as an intern, but the road ahead of her was still bumpy. Her behavior regressed; her academic progress slowed; and she continued to disappear from work every other day, despite her promises to do better. As a result, her internship was terminated and she was returned to her previous status as a student. Gail’s saving grace was her two brothers. Both had obtained their GED’s. They gave her their full support and urged her on in as many ways as possible. With their loving encouragement and her own determination, Gail finally succeeded. On graduation night, the three siblings stood proudly before a packed house and told their stories. Tears flowed, people cheered, and cameras flashed repeatedly. Following graduation, Gail went to work for an employee-owned company. Several months later I received a call from her supervisor. She told me how happy she was with Gail’s work. Recently, I took Gail out to lunch. Our conversation was filled with all the news about her new position, its challenges, and rewards. She ended by saying, “I love my job!” The Petersburg Urban Ministries Youthbuild program began in 2000. The program has provided job training, leadership skills and academic schooling for many young adults. Gail is a good example of the kind of struggles faced by the community’s youth and the positive outcome that is so often achieved through the ministry of Petersburg Urban Ministries.
Date posted: Oct 14, 2004 |
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