Project Hope Success Stories

Terry and Jennifer (back) with son Jahah (left), daughter Terrakah (in front of Terry), son Sedric (in front of Jennifer), and son Dennis (right).

Terry and Jennifer

A Journey of Resiliency

Six months ago, Terry and Jennifer made the decision for their family to join Project Hope. A blended family, they have four children; three sons ages 15, 13 and 7, and an 11 year old daughter. Their family/faith coaches, Grady and Cherie Venable, characterize Jennifer and Terry as incredibly resilient. "They are struggling toward success, they are straddling an abyss, and we are encouraging them on their journey," Grady explains. Cherie adds, "Jennifer and Terry are looking for a helping hand up, not a hand out." They have tremendous faith, seemingly insurmountable challenges, daily hurdles, and undeniable determination.

Jennifer and Terry were asked to share their journey with this author in order to share their inspirational story with others.

They explained that they met when they were teenagers in Mississippi. Jennifer was 16 at the time and in a relationship with someone else. Though Terry was smitten, he was respectful of her unavailability.

Two years later, Jennifer was now eighteen years old and anxious to flee a hurtful relationship. She made the decision to move to Los Angeles to live with her best friend. Rather than finding support, she found herself sharing an apartment with four others whose values and life styles differed drastically from her own. With two baby boys, Jennifer was alone in Los Angeles in a neighborhood consumed with gangs, violence, and drugs. Jennifer and her children found respite in a Christian shelter.

Committed to God, herself and her children, Jennifer’s inner strength landed her in a Christian based transitional living apartment. Though grateful, she was unhappy living on government assistance. Without family or support she couldn’t afford child care that would allow her to work. Ever prideful, her consistent goal was a good life for her boys. "I didn’t want to live on government assistance, I wanted my own money, I wanted to go to school and provide for my children. They were all that mattered."

While Jennifer was in California, Terry was on his own journey that moved him from Mississippi to Texas seeking greater job opportunity. The move followed his recovery from a near fatal car accident which has left him residual challenges. Without transportation, Terry sought out and found a job he could walk to- he was not going to let this accident keep him from finding work.

Though time, distance, and other relationships kept these two apart, they had not forgotten one another. They rekindled their friendship and they started a long distance relationship. Terry made the decision to move to Los Angeles to be with her and her children. They got married, added two more to the family and made a life in California. However, they decided that Los Angeles was not the right place to raise their family and decided to move to Texas.

Today, with their four children, Terry and Jennifer live in Plano. They are determined to provide opportunities for their kids they did not have. Every day Terry and Jennifer face overwhelming challenges. Terry worked while Jennifer attended cosmetology school and stayed home to be with their children. But Terry was laid off from his job. So to make ends meet, they decided Jennifer should leave school and find a job. Terry would stay home to be with the kids. Jennifer did find a job but an unreliable car resulted in her losing employment. These have been extremely hard times on the family. Each has independently endured circumstances that might have broken those with weaker spirits, but they have held together despite all of the hardships.

Through it all, Terry and Jennifer have been unrelenting in their search for resources to support their family. During a visit to the Plano Housing Authority, Jennifer learned about Project Hope. A lack of transportation delayed their participation for a year. Finally, after relocating to a home in Plano, Terry and Jennifer visited Christ United Methodist Church. "What better resource could we find than at a church," Jennifer shares. Following two meetings with Joyce Hagins, the family elected to sign the Project Hope contract, and were soon assigned coaches. When asked about their coaches, Terry explained, "Grady, Cherie and our Budget Coach Roger Shields make us feel like anything is possible. They are inspirational, kind, and encourage us to learn from our mistakes rather than be weighed down by them. They have become our extended family."

Since that time, Jennifer has successfully completed her course work and has passed her cosmetology licensing test. She is currently looking for a position at a salon. Terry has secured a job in customer service. He is anxious to support his family by gaining skills that will lead him to a job with good pay and good benefits.

These were not new goals for Jennifer and Terry. But by being involved with Project Hope, the family was able to rent the Project Hope car so Jennifer did not have to drop out of school. Project Hope was also able to provide scholarship funds to assist with her training. The children attended Vacation Bible School and got involved with Upward basketball. Their resiliency kept their family together through tough times. The only difference today is, they are not alone. They have the support of Project Hope and an entire congregation standing behind them, encouraging them and praying for their success.

Denise

Faith's Very Special Valentime

Faith, a beautiful 5 year old, wraps her arms tightly around the neck of her momma and shares that this year she has a very special Valentine. When asked who that might be, Faith giggles and reaches up to plant a Valentine kiss on the cheek of her mom.

Faith is the daughter of Denise, a Project Hope client, and sister of Enoch, her 8 year old brother. Denise is a single mom filled with a sense of purpose for her family’s future and overwhelming love for her son and daughter. She believes the key to success can be found through education. For the past eight years, Denise has traversed an obstacle course to realize her dream. With support from Project Hope, this past December, she was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Women’s University with a double major; no small feat for a single mom with a reading disability.

Faith, Denise, Enoch and Susan (coach).

For six years, this determined mom earned money by waking early each morning to drive a school bus. Then it was off to attend class after which she returned to drive the afternoon shift. The day ended when she returned home to study and care for her baby; a daunting schedule under the best of circumstances. For Denise, going back to school was God’s will. However, after Faith arrived and she found herself a single mom, she had to shift her priorities.

Denise learned about Project Hope through the Plano Housing Authority. When her plan to benefit from the Plano Housing Authority’s Family Self Sufficiency Program scholarship fell through because she was not a Plano resident, she sought out CUMC’s Project Hope. She believes it was meant to be! "Project Hope," she shares, "allowed me to focus on my student teaching so I could graduate. But even more important, my coaches have become my greatest cheerleaders. I have never known the feeling of having so many wonderful people be so concerned about me personally and so committed to my success. I make mistakes, but they are there encouraging me to pick myself up, dust myself off and move forward." Project Hope tutor Debby Bowles believes that Denise has a true gift for working with special needs children. Debby shares, "Every time I speak with Denise I feel uplifted. She is a very special person and I love working with her."

Denise hopes to find a position as a special education teacher. She currently is a substitute teacher working in several Collin County school districts. She is certified to teach middle school and has no intention of stopping now. Her plan is to continue her education while being the best mom she can be. She and her family attend Stonebriar Community Church where Denise teaches Sunday school for children with special needs. Denise shares, "When I get down, I remind myself that God is in control and that it’s time for me to slow down and listen to what He has to tell me."

At this writing, Denise is working with a mentor who is helping her prepare a proposal to present at the Texas Council for Exceptional Children Conference on June 21st. Denise has personal experience using a software program, WYNN, that has helped her conquer her reading disability. She feels that her personal experience using the software makes her the perfect person to "pitch" the program to special education teachers. "I believe in the program’s benefits," Denise shares. "Before I had access to the software it took me 6 to 8 hours to read a text book chapter; now it takes me less than two. I want this software program to be available to other dyslexic children, including my own kids."

After an hour of visiting, Faith is ready to go! As she gathers the Valentines she’s been crafting, she’s anxious to share just one more thing that she loves doing with her mom- she loves to paint their fingernails together. Denise beams, "What better Valentines Day activity?"

Maribel, Yazmin, and family. Not pictured: Luis.

Maribel & Luis

Let Freedom Sing!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. closed the gates of slavery and opened the gates of friendship. Because of him, Kayla and I can be best friends.

- Yazmin

Yazmin is the eldest of Maribel and Luis' five children. She wrote these words as part of her 4th grade assignment to craft a letter to Dr. King. Almost as an after thought, a few days following turning in her letter, she told her mom, "You know mommy, I forgot to tell you that my letter was chosen as one of the entries for a writing competition, Let Freedom Sing, to honor Dr. King!"

Maribel and Luis are thrilled by their daughter’s accomplishments. Maribel shared, "I am so proud of my daughter. It means so much that she’s learning and accomplishing things that will help her be successful in the future. When she told me that her letter was selected to be part of the competition, I cried."

For Maribel and Luis, Project Hope is a family affair. Maribel first learned about Project Hope while visiting her family’s medical clinic. She explains, "I realized that becoming part of Project Hope would mean our family must agree to the rules, that we would be making a commitment of our time. But I also felt that if I didn’t take the step to be part of the program, I might miss the chance to study, work to get a degree, get a better job, and succeed." Maribel, Yazmin and her brother Emmanuel all benefited from English and grammar tutoring they received from Project Hope volunteers last summer. Yazmin is proud of her mom’s involvement with the program; "Now my mom and I both get to work hard to make good grades!"

With personal determination and support from her coaches, Maribel received her GED. This achievement enabled her to enroll at Collin College. This week she began her English and Speech Communications classes, working toward becoming a medical assistant. The same support has guided Luis toward increased confidence and feelings of self worth. For the first time he holds a job with a company that offers benefits and is able to provide a better for his family.

Maribel says she isn’t deterred by the commitment and meetings Project Hope requires her to attend. "I enjoy meeting with my coaches. Really, the time I spend with them is touching. I wish everyone was as giving as they are. I think they are doing what Jesus would do. Just like Jesus, they have made the decision to help other people."

"I know that Dr. King had a dream", Maribel explains, "and my dream is that all the people in the world would give something of themselves to make the world a better place. I believe that when we help other people we are helping ourselves, and when we do that, we get back many more blessings than we give."

LaShaun showing off her honor.

LaShaun

Perservance Pays Off with Honor

LaShaun, one of our Project Hope participants, was inducted to the National Technical Honor Society in Fall 2007. This is an award that is based on her 3.2 grade point average at Collin County Community College.

LaShaun is a single parent of 6 children, who works as a school bus driver full time and attends the community college in between her routes, in the evenings and on the weekends. She has utilized her Project Hope family/faith, budget, and tutoring coaches to help her reach her goals and she is scheduled to graduate in the Spring of 2008 with her Associate’s Degree. She will start at the University of North Texas next fall and work toward a degree in Criminal Justice.

LaShaun and her children have experienced many hardships and difficulties along their journey but through it all- they have persevered. She is teaching her children that anything is possible if you work hard and don’t give up.

A huge thank you goes to: Cynthia Kinkle, Mike Gallamore, Jim Wilson , Michelle Thornton, and many others for being examples of Christian Love that have supported this family!

Precious

Out of Disaster Comes Hope for a New Life

Project Hope is excited to celebrate the hard work and perseverance of Precious and her Project Hope Team. Precious is a 23 year old single parent of a three year old son, who was displaced by Hurricane Katrina. After the hurricane, Precious and her son were separated from the rest of their family. Her mother and her 7 siblings had been given shelter in Plano CUMC Christian Life Center (CLC). Eventually, they were reunited at the church after being separated for over a week.

While at the make-shift CLC shelter, volunteers and church staff got to know the families and were working diligently to provide for their immediate needs and what they would need to take a new homes in the area, but we also told them about opportunities that would be offered to them through CUMC Project Hope.

Precious and her son.

Eventually, the families were moved out of the temporary shelter into their own homes and were able to get settled into their new community. Once the crisis situation was over, families were invited to become part of Project Hope. Fortunately, both Precious and her mother, Betty, decided that they would join Project Hope and work to break the cycle of hopelessness that has devastated their family for so long.

In January 2006, Precious signed her Project Hope Contract for Success and started her journey toward a brighter tomorrow for her and her family. Project Hope families are assigned a team which include a Family/Faith Coach, a Budget Coach and various other coaches as needed. During this short time, Precious has earned her Certified Nurses Aid Certificate, earned her driver’s license, and purchased an automobile for the very first time. Through Project Hope, Precious has been coached on goal setting, the process of getting enrolled in school, how to study, how to establish a budget, how to purchase a reliable car, how to interview for a job, and even how to maintain a car. When Precious was asked about her experience with Project Hope and her coaches, she said, "I just love them [her coaches] so much- I would have been lost without this program. She said, "They never let me give up and I feel like I can talk to them about anything- they are family now."

Precious explained that she is now ready to set her sights on becoming a registered nurse and Christ Church Project Hope is ready to sign a new Contract for Success to help her reach her goals. So, congratulations to Precious and her team (Doc and Dona Harris and Linda Roden and so many others) for the accomplishments and the hard work! With Hope and God’s love, no obstacle is too great, so I know that there will be much more to celebrate in the future!

Rebecca with husband Adrian on graduation day.

Rebecca

Project Hope Spotlights a New Graduate

Project Hope is happy to announce that Rebecca, one of our Project Hope Scholarship recipients, recently graduated from University of Texas at Dallas with Cum Laude honors in the fields of Accounting & Information Management. Rebecca is the first member (and she won't be the last) of the extended family to graduate from college. She has accepted a position as a Property Accountant.

A recent e-mail from Rebecca stated, "Thank you for all of your help. I am so grateful for you letting us participate in Project Hope and having the opportunity to meet Theo and Pam. They are wonderful people and have helped us tremendously. Bill Howard has also helped me tremendously. Even though he isn't our coach and was not obligated to help me he always did. I am thankful for all of the help CUMC has given me and my family."

So, please join me in celebrating this accomplishment by thanking the Rebecca’s coaches: Theo Wilson (Family/Faith Coach), Pam Villareal (Budget Coach) and Bill Howard (Career Coach) and praying for continued success for this family. I know that there will be many more accomplishments in the future from this family!