SPOtlight
Jaelyn McCurdy, 10, Discovers Love of Golf at Salvation Army Day Camp
Caption: Jada, Cheryl and Jaelyn McCurdy. Jada and Jaelyn are both campers
in The Salvation Army’s Summer Day Camp.
Golf wasn’t the top choice of summer activities for first-time camper Jaelyn McCurdy, 10. She was much more interested in planting the community garden and honing her artistic abilities during her two weeks at The Salvation Army’s Green and Sports Day Camp. Now, thanks to The Salvation Army’s partnership with the Hook a Kid on Golf program, golf is all Jaelyn thinks about.
A member of Salvation Army programs at Higgins Community Academy for just over a year,
Jaelyn is a proud Sunbeam and member of the Singing Company, which recently performed at the grand opening of the Marshfield Center Plaza Shopping Center. After hearing from her friends how fun the summer Green and Sports Day Camp was, Jaelyn and her big sister Jada, 11, immediately signed up.
Jaelyn liked planting the community garden and the art projects, where she “got to draw things I never thought I could draw.” But it was golf that she enjoyed the most. “I love when we putt and use our drivers on the course and get to see how far we hit the ball,” said Jaelyn. “Coach Rasar taught us how to putt, set our position and how to swing.”
Jaelyn’s mother, Cheryl McCurdy, has noticed a change in both her daughters since they became involved in Salvation Army programming. “The girls seem more independent and confident. They’re more outgoing and want to go above and beyond,” said Cheryl. “I’m watching my little girls grow up to be ladies.”
For Cheryl, a Certified Nursing Assistant who just started her first year of nursing school, The
Salvation Army youth programs were just what she needed. An alumni of Higgins herself,
Cheryl couldn’t be happier that Jaelyn has developed a love for golf. “When I was a kid, I could walk to the basketball courts by myself. We had day camps and after-school activities funded by the school system,” Cheryl said. “Now, I have to stand on my porch and watch my daughters cross the street to school. The Kroc Center will give kids so many things to do so they don’t have any idle time.”
The entire McCurdy family is involved with The Salvation Army. Like Jaelyn, Jada is involved in the Sunbeams and Singing Company. Since discovering the Army at last year’s Back-to-School Health Fair, Cheryl comes to ceremonies, volunteers when needed, and attends Wednesday night Bible classes when she doesn’t have to work. When the Kroc Center opens, she’s looking forward to using the health club and swimming pool.
This fall, The Salvation Army plans on creating a golf league with several of the schools surrounding Higgins. All of the kids who participated in golf at the summer day camp are excited to play in the league and actually compete with other players, especially Jaelyn.
“If there were no Salvation Army or Kroc Center, I would just be walking home and sitting in the house all day,” Jaelyn said. “I want to see the Kroc Center be built because some people have bad habits and do bad things and I want them to get into the right habits.”
As for what Jaelyn will be doing the rest of the summer, she smiles and states, “I asked my mom if we could go golfing every day.”
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The Salvation Army Kroc Center Gives Mom a Second Chance at Happiness
Caption: Tasha Ward, center, helps her kids with an art project
during Salvation Army Wednesday programming at Higgins Community Academy.
From left to right, Semaje, 9; Rickie, 6; and Tyrese, 12.
Tasha Ward, 35, wasn’t used to depending on anyone. A certified Nursing Assistant and mother of five, Tasha had always provided for her family. She worked in nursing homes and home healthcare and frequently held a second job to make ends meet for herself and her children.
And then everything changed. After a devastating fall landed her in the hospital, Tasha was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and had to go on disability. Adding to these challenges, after a cousin fell on hard times, Tasha stepped in to care for her five children. Raising ten children on a very limited income took a toll on Tasha, and she found herself struggling with depression.
Unable to hold a full-time job, Tasha secured seasonal employment over the holidays as a Salvation Army bell ringer. It wasn’t long before Tasha and her children were involved in the myriad of programs that the Kroc Center offers to South Side residents. Now, Tasha is rebuilding her life with the support of The Salvation Army.
“I was in a really bad place. I had no money, no inner peace and I was full of anger and hatred that spilled over onto the kids,” Tasha said. “Christmas would have been so different, especially for my cousin’s children, if it weren’t for The Salvation Army. There was no way I could provide Christmas for two families on my own. The Salvation Army gave us vouchers for coats and provided me with clothes and other necessities to get through the winter.”
Eight of the ten children Tasha looks after participate in Kroc Center programs and two have become Junior Soldiers. The kids are involved in everything from band to the singing company, and all participate in Wednesday evening recreational opportunities at Higgins Community Academy. Tasha attends weekly Women’s Ministry meetings, and recently attended both the Family Bridges and Women’s Retreat at The Salvation Army’s Camp Wonderland.
Tasha credits her family’s turnaround to the variety of multi-generational programming the Kroc Center provides. “My son Marvell didn’t show an interest in anything and wasn’t doing well in school,” Tasha said. “Now he’s involved in The Salvation Army band, his grades are up and he was just invited by a local Chicago college to attend an overnight stay on campus.”
Tasha even wants to help make a difference to others through The Salvation Army. She has certificates in Disaster Food Service Handling and Delivery and Emergency Assistance in Disaster Operations. “It’s such an honor to be around people who don’t judge you, who don’t care about your past,” Tasha said. “I want to give to The Salvation Army like they have given to me.”
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At 85, West Pullman Resident and Grandson Both Benefit from Kroc Center Programs
Caption: Kroc Center Administrator Major Darlene Harvey,
Aronda and Vera Nelson at Higgins Community Academy.
Vera Nelson, 85, and her grandson Aronda, 12, are both active volunteers and participants in a variety of the multigenerational programming opportunities the Kroc Center offers to South Side residents.
Vera was introduced to The Salvation Army in the summer of 2008 when she met Majors
David and Darlene Harvey at a bible study and joined The Salvation Army as a Soldier in
December 2009.
Throughout the years, Vera has experienced many unexpected hardships in her life, but never lost her positive outlook. Losing four of her eight children to illness, Vera has raised her grandson Aronda since he was 9-months-old. A mentor to friends and neighbors since she moved to the area more than 40 years ago, Vera brings her commitment to helping others to her work with The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army’s wide array of multigenerational programming makes it easy for Vera and her grandson to both participate in programs they enjoy. Vera attends weekly Women’s Ministry meetings, where she was recently appointed as Prayer Sergeant and will attend the upcoming Salvation Army Women’s Camp, April 16-18. Aronda, takes trombone lessens Wednesday nights at The Salvation Army’s weekly after-school music program at Higgins Community Academy.
“I like what The Salvation Army is doing, what they stand for,” Vera said. “It’s been a real pleasure working with Major Darlene and Major David and my new Salvation Army family. It’s been very enjoyable meeting new people and learning more about how to live and how to help others.”
One of the first African-Americans to move into the West Pullman neighborhood in the 1970s, Vera witnessed first-hand the evolution of the neighborhood.
“When I first moved here, it was a really nice area, much different from how it is today,” said Vera. “Now we don’t have as much public transportation, and the big stores have closed. There’s also been a change in the people. People moved in, and other people moved out.”
Vera is excited about the Kroc Center coming into the area and can’t wait to participate in the many programs the center will offer her and her grandson Aronda, who attends Gomper’s Elementary Fine Arts Opt School. “I definitely think the Kroc Center will have a positive impact on this community. I’m especially looking forward to seeing how Aronda’s involvement with The Salvation Army will benefit him as he grows up.”
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South Side Resident Eric Kendrick Provides Hope and Encouragement to Kids in Salvation Army After-School Programs
For Eric Kendrick, everything happens for a reason. After serving two years as a medic in the U.S. Navy, Eric, like many veterans returning from duty, struggled to find a job. The Salvation Army came into his life at a time when he needed it most. The Salvation Army Kroc Center team is assisting Eric with his job search and in the meantime providing him with volunteer opportunities to stay active and focused.
Eric, 25, was introduced to Vincent Johnson, Salvation Army Director of Outreach and Evangelism, through a family friend. Last spring, Eric helped lead a basketball clinic that the Kroc Center sponsored at the Mt. Greenwood Corps. During the holiday season The Salvation Army gave him a paid position as a bell ringer.
Currently, Eric volunteers Wednesday nights at Higgins Community Academy, mentoring high school and elementary students, and has developed a strong bond with the kids.
“They come to me and tell me about whatever situation they’re going through,” Eric said. “I grew up in the same environment they did, so I’m able to give them my take on things and how to deal with situations in the right manner. The situations vary from drugs to ditching school, and I talk to them about the importance of sticking with school, because there’s only so far you can go in life without it.”
Eric has lived in the South Side of Chicago his entire life. He grew up on 51st and Ashland and attended Kenwood Academy High School. Raised by a single mother, he recalls how hard it was to stay motivated and positive. While he was growing up he learned many valuable lessons about right and wrong that he passes along to kids.
Eric is also a father to Michia, 6, and has a personal interest in expanding The Salvation Army’s services on the South Side.
“I see what The Salvation Army is doing, and how important it is for this community that’s hurting. I have a child of my own. This is what I was missing when I was growing up. People don’t realize how important it is for kids to stay active and have something positive to focus on. These kids are going to appreciate what the Kroc Center has done for them when they get older.”
From Choir to Sunbeams, South Side Resident Tracie Lee and Her Children Have Made The Salvation Army a Family Affair
Caption: Tracie Lee and her children at The Salvation Army Jr. Soldier enrollment in December.
Life in West Pullman has come with its fair share of hardships for Tracie Lee and her family. A working mother raising six children, Tracie was faced with the same obstacles that many single mothers in the South Side struggle with each day. West Pullman lacks crucial after-school programs and activities, and Tracie found it difficult to provide her children with the positive guidance outside of the classroom they so desperately needed to succeed. When The Salvation Army Kroc Corp arrived in West Pullman, Tracie’s prayers were answered.
For the past two years, Tracie’s daughters have participated in the Sunbeam and Girl Guard programs. “My children were out of control and completely without purpose. They had no goals to aspire to,” said Tracie. “Since my daughters have joined the Sunbeams, and now the Girl Guards, I’ve seen a remarkable improvement in their behavior and attitude. They have a purpose now.”
In addition to the Sunbeams and Girl Guards, Tracie’s children sing in The Salvation Army choir at the Kroc Center Corps and the whole family attends Bible study and church every week. Tracie’s family has also participated in the Target Back-to-School Shopping Spree and the Off the Field /Sam’s Club “Dream Drive.” The children also participated in this summer’s Green and Sports day camps. Tracie is eagerly looking forward to the completion of the Kroc Center so her family can participate in even more Salvation Army programs.
A dedicated and hard working mother, Tracie is thankful to The Salvation Army for giving her children opportunities to succeed. “The Salvation Army has taught all of my children to be respectful, honest and much more positive,” said Tracie. “My kids found themselves, and I got to see what they really could do. They inspired me to go back to church and discover things I never knew about myself, and now I’m considering becoming a soldier.”
In December, Tracie’s five eldest children became Jr. Soldiers and official members of The Salvation Army church.
