THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 3, 1995 TAG: 9503020158
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Ida Kay's Portsmouth
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Members of Zion Baptist Church don't just talk about religion. They live it.
They are responsible for a ``Pride in Parenting'' program starting Saturday at Washington Park, a public housing area that is home to about 50 infants.
Zion members just concluded the third 10-week session for parents of young children held at their Downtown church building at the corner of Green and King streets.
``It's a mission for us,'' said Anna Dargan, one of the program's volunteer coordinators. ``We want to do these programs for young mothers to help stop abuse, to curtail the violence in young people that we are experiencing. That's a real calling for us.''
Dargan, a retired guidance director at Western Branch High, and Gloria Myrick, a retired Portsmouth teacher, are the program's coordinators.
A total of 27 men and women volunteered from the congregation to help with the programs, which are led by professionals.
``We didn't think we needed any training, but after we had one session, we realized we did need it,'' Dargan said. ``Now we know exactly what to do and how to handle it,''
The sessions at the church involved as many as 50 parents and more children than that.
Church members provide activities for the children while their parents (and sometimes grandparents) learn how to better care for their children.
The church sessions were done in cooperation with the Community Services Board and led by Yvette Baker of the staff.
Zion members provided transportation in church vans as well as tutoring for children who needed to catch up on their school work while their parents were in the sessions.
In addition, the kids were exposed to motivational skills and some participated in arts and crafts.
``We did some baby-sitting too,'' Dargan said.
The volunteers will do the same at Washington Park, taking their services to the public housing development.
Parents who participated in the church sessions came for a variety of reasons - referred by courts, social services and other agencies. Most were mothers but some were fathers and grandparents.
``The most marvelous thing was that race, creed or color didn't matter,'' Dargan said. ``When they were here, they were sharing common interests. They were sharing what was going on with them. They were bonding.''
Some participants completed the 10-week sessions, yet want to come back, Myrick said.
Now the church is venturing in another direction, sponsoring a ``Pride in Parenting'' session at Washington Park. Rather than dealing with parents already having problems with their older children, these sessions are aimed at those with infants, birth to one-year-old.
The classes will be run by Betty Casey, parent education coordinator of St. Mary's Infant Home.
``If you educate parents in the first year, you head off abuse,'' Casey said. ``We talk about child development, so they know when to expect what responses from their babies. They learn how to play with their children and what toys are appropriate.''
Casey, like Baker, said Zion Baptist is an unusual church group.
``They're workers,'' she said.
Zion Baptist, in fact, has adopted Washington Park as its special interest. The church's projects will be aimed at building self-esteem among the young people and providing constructive activities.
The volunteers, both men and women, include not only educators but nurses, shipyard workers, preachers, even city employees.
The programs for parents are but one of many projects undertaken by Zion members. The homeless know the church well because they are invited to stop by three mornings a week for breakfast and a bath. They even can wash their clothes at the church.
``These people want to do something for the community,'' Zion Pastor Joseph L. Roberts said. ``They are very concerned about others.''
Zion Baptist is not the only congregation that reaches out. But it is one of only a few of the many churches in our city to make a real effort to reach beyond themselves to touch the community.
Just think what could happen here if every single congregation in the city made the same effort, giving of themselves as well as their money to those who need their inspiration and understanding. MEMO: PARENTING
All Washington Park parents with children no older than one year are
invited to participate in the ``Pride in Parenting'' program starting
tomorrow. Those who would like to attend should go to the Washington
Park community center prior to the 10 a.m. starting time. The classes
are free.
by CNB