Update from Emily

( John Perkins , Johnny, and Emily outside the coliseum shelter after visiting with evacuees)

The activity surrounding the Perkins Center hasn’t slowed as we drift from the immediate crisis stage of Katrina, into development. We’ve been able to attend various World Vision and Food For The Hungry meetings with John Perkins this week, which have been fascinating to take part in. Those who meet with JP, and witness his vision and inspiration firsthand, invariably latch on with enthusiasm. It is exciting to see that several organizations seem eager to partner with the foundation. JP says that he’s never chased money. He doesn’t determine where the money is and then create a proposal accordingly. Instead he comes up with a plan and depends on those with financial power to catch the vision-it seems to have worked to far. People love a leader. Presently it looks like there will be several areas where funding is needed that we are focusing on. 1. Tools, supplies, and professional services for volunteer groups to rehab and rebuild houses. 2. Housing and employment for newly placed families to our neighborhood from hurricane-effected areas. 3. The training and equipping of other leaders, local organizations, pastors and churches to implement this community development model. This will include JP conducting intimate leadership trainings and various speaking engagements throughout the state. 4. Education (After school tutorial program, Girls and Boys Groups, and Good News Clubs). Not only do we hope to enroll some of these new children in our program, but also JP hopes to encourage, support and help fund other programs to do the same, on a grassroots neighborhood level. Poindexter, the grade school down the street where I work full time, is going to be a high priority school for newly placed children to Jackson due to our low enrollment. Though it’s unclear just how many new faces we’ll see Monday morning, I’m excited by the possibility of some of them joining our program. The foundations plan is to house and employee up to 10 families, so naturally the children in these families would be part of the program as well. Funding for the education aspect would be used for computers, general supplies, snacks, training and maybe even a salary for Johnny. Throughout the meetings we’ve attended, the organizations have emphasized the need to have a full-time paid staff member to steadily lead programs and volunteers.
But the area we will focus most on is volunteer groups which come nationwide to offer their services. This has been the core and engine of the Spencer Perkins Center over the years. Now more than ever groups are expressing a desire to come be involved. They will rehab houses that the foundation owns (which we need to house families), fix homes that have been damaged here on the grounds, and also travel to southern counties to rebuild. There are many areas between Jackson and the Gulf Coast that have suffered major damage and aren’t a top priority of government and other relief organizations. The focus here will be to work from North to South. Next week we have two groups of 30 people each coming from California and Chicago. They’ll fill up the volunteer house, intern house and even the clubhouse in the backyard. Here at Antioch, we too will have a full house. There will be 13 guests here from all over the country and even from Ghana for an intimate leadership retreat presented by JP, Lowell and others. We’ve been busy preparing guest rooms as well as hosting others in the meantime from New Orleans, Food For The Hungry, an architect from Chicago, and now several contractors from Ohio.
Currently we have one “evacuee” family staying in JMPF housing. The father plans to work for the foundation with housing and volunteers, and will earn a salary each month until he finds other employment. There are several children in the family.
We are grateful to be closely involved with such a visionary as John Perkins, and to be in a place where the opportunity to learn is great. If I didn’t deeply believe in the idea that tribulation develops character, faith, and growth, this stretching time would be more difficult. I’m learning, among other things, to let go of individuality and submit to community.
Thanks to all of you who we love so much, that steadily support and encourage us.
Emily