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(BIRMINGHAM, Ala.) – Oct. 30, 2009 – When Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans in 2005, its path of destruction claimed Letitia Theodore’s home and all her belongings—along with her hope.

After living in a shelter for three weeks, a family from Louisiana moved Theodore’s family to Hattiesburg, Miss. “That’s where Christian Women’s Job Corps found me,” Theodore said, “totally beaten down.”
 
Before being part of CWJC, a ministry of WMU established in 1997, Theodore shared she was a “very sad person” whose “life had no meaning.” But when God prompted her to respond to a newspaper ad about the ministry, that all changed.
 
“CWJC was a wonderful experience,” Theodore said. “It was very scary at first because I had been out of school for so many years, but coming to the center made me feel better about myself and I could not wait to get there everyday.
 
“My favorite part about CWJC was meeting new people, and growing together like a family,” she continued. “It was such a bonding experience with other women who had similar experiences to mine. Until then, I thought I was the only one in bad circumstances. When we had problems, we all prayed about them and that helped me so much.”
 
More importantly, her involvement in the ministry helped Theodore find her significance in Christ. “CWJC has opened many doors for me,” she related. “The biggest thing is I have found myself. I have become a Christian and now know what that means; it is not just a word.”
 
As a result, Theodore said she is a better person, a better mother to her 6-year-old daughter, and has much higher self-esteem.
 
“Letitia was broken when she came to us but by no means out,” said Linda Donnell, site coordinator of Pinebelt CWJC in Hattiesburg. “She was a sponge that seemed to want to soak up everything that she could. We watched her bloom as she went through the program and we have seen that process continue through the past three years. She truly is a ‘ray of sunshine.’”
 
Theodore credits Donnell as a person of great influence on her life as she helped her realize that “life is not fair and you have to play the hand you are dealt.” Also key to her transformation at CWJC were her Bible study teacher, Eleanor Gerrard, and her mentor, Rosie Riley. “Rosie really pushed me and she is still doing that,” said Theodore. “She is not just a mentor, but also a friend.”
 
This year, Theodore is the recipient of the Sybil Bentley Dove Award, which honors a current or former CWJC participant who seeks to advance herself through life skills, academic development, and faith in God.
“Christian Women’s Job Corps and Christian Men’s Job Corps, CWJC’s counterpart for men, exist because there are women and men who have the courage to face the challenges in their lives and the strength to overcome those challenges,” asserted Jean Cullen, national WMU’s ministry consultant responsible for these ministries. “Letitia is one of those women who have much to teach us about being honest with God and the great enduring love of Christ.”
 
David George, president of the WMU Foundation, presented Theodore with the award during the annual meeting of the Mississippi Baptist Convention in Jackson on Oct. 26. Established in 1998 by Faye Dove Wright in honor of her mother, the Dove Award from the WMU Foundation carries a $1,000 grant to financially assist Theodore and encourage her in her educational and career goals.
 
Theodore has worked the past three years at Aldersgate Mission, a childcare center in Hattiesburg, where she helps prepare children to go to college. She has her own classroom and works with up to 18 children through their college-bound program. She has completed childcare certification classes and plans to further her education and continue helping other people as she has been helped.
 
In retrospect, Theodore says her bad experiences have made her a stronger person. “I now put God first in everything I do and have the assurance that He is always with me,” she shared. “I know I cannot make it without God; He has lifted me and brought me a very long way.”
 
She is just one thousands of women and men whose lives are changed each year through CWJC and CMJC. In 2008 alone, 4,351 participants found hope and direction at 215 CWJC and CMJC sites across the United States where ministry leaders and mentors served 217,489 volunteer hours.
 
For more information about CWJC and CMJC, please visit www.wmu.com.
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