A Christian Women’s Job
Corps (CWJC) site and participant have been named as the 2010 national Woman’s
Missionary Union (WMU) winners.
BR photo by Dianna L. Cagle David George, from left, of the Woman’s Missionary Union Foundation, Sandra Wright, Christian Women’s Job Corps site winner for Gastonia, Shandale Hodges, individual winner for CWJC, and Jean Roberson of WMU, pose after the WMU-NC annual meeting session where the awards were announced. See video of Wright and Hodges. |
National WMU
leaders were on hand during the WMU-NC Missions Extravaganza April 17 to
present the awards through CWJC. State consultant Cara Lynn Vogel also
was part of the presentation.
There were two 2010
winners in North Carolina. Gastonia received the 2010 National WMU Foundation
Site Award and a Raleigh resident was presented the Sybil Bentley Dove Award,
given annually to a current or former CWJC participant who advances herself
through life skills, academic development and faith in God.
CWJC, which began
nationally in 1997 and started in North Carolina in 1999, has 15 official sites
and an affiliate site in South Africa.
Jean Roberson of
national WMU said CWJC and Christian Men’s Job Corps had more than 4,300
participants last year with 18,000 volunteers.
“I view them truly as
heroes among us,” said Roberson about volunteers. They deal with
“violated probations, lost jobs, spiritual darkness, the loneliness that
exists, training, juggling public relations,” etc.
“They do not shy away
from walking into the darkest places.”
Sandra Wright, site
coordinator of CWJC of Gaston County, will receive $641 to help with providing
childcare as well as paper and cleaning products to those transitioning from
being homeless or living with other family members to their own home.
“What a blessing you
will receive” by providing a Christian context for women in need, Wright said.
CWJC of Gaston County offers classes in budgeting as well as a Bible study.
Shandale Hodges will
receive $1,000 to further education or provide for her children. Hodges came to
CWJC thinking it was a job placement service, not knowing the amount of
commitment it would require. With Pat Bryan as mentor, Hodges began
taking classes. She attended Bible study but also learned about budgeting.
“I had to cut out some
unnecessary items in order to provide for my family,” she said.
Bryan, who is retiring
as the site coordinator for Raleigh Baptist Association’s CWJC, received the
national site award in 2008.
Hodges is pursuing a
substance abuse counseling degree and hopes to provide a better future for her
two children.
She said being part of
CWJC taught her about unconditional love.
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