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INDEPENDENT Presl?Jterian Church
November/December 2014
Bi-Monthly Issue #6
KK and JJ
her. She looked like a million bucks." Jerrika began to value Karen's role in her life. "She always sends me a text on Mother's Day. Every Karen Kruse met Jerrika Johnson when Jerrika was in 8th grade, Mother's Day." attending Vance Middle School. "She was quiet and shy," Karen said. Over time Karen and Jerrika became very comfortable around She met Jerrika through the Pathways Program at Streets Ministries. each other. "She's and I'm KK. Every once in a while she will "One day I realized I did nothing that was not for myself, so I went send me a text and say, 'KK, I thank God that you're in my life'." to Streets." Although Jerrika was reserved in the beginning, Karen Karen's friendship with Jerrika continued throughout her four was persistent about developing a relattionship with her. They began years of high school. Karen carried on tutoring and encouraging meeting on Thursday afternoons. "By the end of that school year we her to work hard. Jerrika graduated from high school as an honor were friends," Karen said. student. After graduation Karen helped Jerrika with her resume and coached her on interview The Pathways Mentoring Prog;ram at Streets is designed to provide students with ing skills for jobs. She was hired as an employee at FedEx, where she worked the night shift for mentors, educational support, and a,ccount ability. The program allows volunteers to spend several months, but due to lack of transporta time with students once a week by tutoring tion and pressure at home she was forced to them, leaving the door open for volumeers to give up her position. build deeper relationships with them. "It killed me that she had to quit that The Clayborne/Foote community is home job," Karen said. After she was hired at for Jerrika. Soon after Jerrika and Karen con FedEx, Karen helped Jerrika open a bank nected, Jerrika was struck with tragedy. She was account to prompt her to save money, but she very close to her dad. "She loved her dad. I got was often pressured by family to share her a call from Streets on Thanksgiving, and her dad paycheck and little was left after divvying it had had a stroke. She was just starting to warm up. Karen buys a turkey for Jerrika and her up to me and she just shut down." After her family every year at Thanksgiving and ChristKaren Kruse, Mayor A.C. W harton, father died, Jerrika lived with only her mother. mas. "We don't do fun things on holidays, and Jerrika Johnson because we do fun things all the time. Some of As Karen and Jerrika's relationship grew, they became more open with each other. If Karen sensed Jerrika was hav the best times are when we go to a movie, and we eat everything in ing a hard day she would ask her abom it, and she began to learn of sight, and we leave talking about it." "Christmases there are not like Christmases at our house. Every the many struggles Jerrika fought at home and at school every day. She experienced a sibling's imprisonment, the loss of a close friend Christmas we go and buy her mom presents. The reality is, the holi after a shooting, and other tragedies in 1the lives of those surrounding days for her are not what they are for us, there is no Christmas tree, her. "She knows she has been dealt a bad hand. She knows she has there are no presents, there is no Thanksgiving feast." to work twice as hard," Karen said. Karen lets the Lord guide her time with Jerrika. "We start One Thursday afternoon Karen picked Jerrika up, and she was everything with prayer." She knows God placed them in each other's crying. She told Karen, "My mama t0tld me that my daddy wasn't lives, "Jerrika and I were supposed to be together. I would like to say my daddy. She said my real dad wants to meet me, and he has that us being together has really changed both of us for the better." seventeen children." Karen is a member of Independent and has one daughter, "I told her that day, the Lord gav€: you your dad, and he loved Garland, who is currently attending Auburn University to complete you, and you loved him, and you don't need to give that another her undergraduate degree in nursing. Jerrika is now twenty-one years thought." old and also has hopes of becoming a nurse. "Here are these two Karen spent time taking Jerrika to the movies, lunches and young women who want the same things and come from completely dinners, and often going to the bookstore. "A lot of times we go to different backgrounds," Karen said. the bookstore and buy books and books. She's a faithfui reader. We Karen and Jerrika continue to spend time together after seven would always go eat, because half the time she was hungry." Karen years of friendship. "I never went back to Streets for more kids to enjoyed anything she could do for Jerrika. "She never asked for a tutor." Jerrika made a mark on Karen, "She's brought perspective to me and a window into that world." thing. Whatever I've given to her I've done because I wanted to." Karen was able to share various life experiences with Jerrika. "They say don't get too attached. I broke all the rules." "For her senior prom we ordered a dness online. I was so proud of
JJ,
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