THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 20, 1995 TAG: 9507190148
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERRI WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
GEORGIE CALLOWAY has a dream.
She wants a park where neighborhood children can play - a place to take them far from the economically depressed area of drug deals and junk-filled lots that is home to Calloway and the children who've become her friends.
She's saved only $5.48 for that park. But dreams, says Calloway, never die.
Calloway, 63, lives on Morgan Street, in the area of the old Planters Peanuts factory. Filled with waist-high, weed-filled lots and dilapidated, low-income houses, it's not the type of place ripe for children looking for places to play, says Calloway.
That's why she envisions a bigger park for the kids she affectionately calls her ``grandchildren.''
Calloway's park would be lush and green. There would be duck ponds and plenty of trees to shade the babies lying on blankets near their parents, she explains.
And there would be weeping willows. Weeping willows, she explains as her eyes widen with hope, because they are a testament to life's emotions.
``Weeping willows don't weep because they're crying,'' she said. ``They would weep because there's joy - joy because there will be a place for the kids and the elderly.''
Calloway's life hasn't been filled with joy. Both her husband and son died a few years ago, and she now lives alone on a fixed income.
To fill the emptiness, she's devoted her life to the children.
While living in Lynchburg, she worked at her church, Bethel Baptist, in the child evangelism program. Her proudest moment was earning her GED at age 51, and being invited to speak about the importance of education to a group of junior high students. She couldn't go speak to the students, however, because she had just gotten a job at a cafeteria.
Many of the children she's befriended came from economically depressed homes. Some of the parents were on drugs. Some were child abusers.
She has several pictures neatly framed of the children who've since moved away. The children are all ages and races. There's Sandra, 9; Michelle, 13; and Susan Jackson, 11. Their mom, Linda, met Calloway through a relative 10 years ago. Since then, Calloway has held an open door to the children.
Calloway's home is a smallduplex without air conditioning. Although she lives on a limited income, she's found plenty of things for the kids to do.
They paint pictures on pieces of tile. They make ornaments. Calloway even bought Bibles and conducted Bible study. And sometimes the children and Calloway simply walk to the Salvation Army for lunch.
``Every child that comes toward her is her grandchild,'' says Linda Jackson.
Jackson says she appreciates the time her children have with Calloway.
``There's nothing for the children to do here in Suffolk. They had a roller rink, but it closed down. They had a bowling alley, they tore that down, too,'' laments Jackson.
However, the city's parks director, Dinesh Tawari, says there are many outlets for kids.
According to Tawari, the closest park to Morgan Street is Tynes Street Park - about five blocks away. There are 35 city parks and athletic fields in Suffolk, and there are no plans for a new one, he said.
But Calloway says the type of parks the city has built aren't what she considers a ``family park.''
An inspection of the one-acre lot that is Tynes showed there is one broken swing set. There's graffiti on the basketball court. There are no trees.
``If you call these parks, with no trees and benches, a park, then I don't think the city knows what a park is,'' Calloway says.
And the fact that the city doesn't plan on more parks doesn't dissuade Calloway.
There's Reshad ``Little Slim'' Savage, 9, and his brother Brian, 14, who live down the street.
``We have fun painting. We go to the store. We have fun at grandma's house,'' said Reshad as he nestles comfortably in Calloway's arms.
The Savages' mom, Annie, says she feels her kids are in safe hands at her neighbor's house.
``She'll do anything for you,'' says Savage. ``She's the pharmacist, the doctor, the baby sitter. If you ever need anything, she's there for you.''
Although her dream seems more like a pipe dream, Calloway says it's an important lesson for her ``grandchildren:''
``I want to plant dreams in their little heads because, without dreams, we're dead.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Left to right, William West, Reshad Savage, Georgie Calloway and
Susan Jackson sit in Calloway's kitchen on Morgan Street and talk
about the park that Calloway hopes to see built someday.
by CNB