Nauresha joined Life Skills in January 2020 with her six month old daughter. She did not have her driver’s license so she was paying $40 a day five days a week in Lyft fees for transportation. She was ready for a change and wanted to do something different for her daughter.

Fast forward to December 2020, Nauresha graduated from Life Skills with her driver’s license, a new car, a new apartment furnished through The Green Chair Project and a full-time job with Amazon. 

Nauresha counts many of the accomplishments she had during her time in the program as some of her greatest.  “Since Life Skills I’ve got my license back, I got my car, I got a place and I start school in January so everything pretty much because I wouldn’t have thought about starting school again if it wasn’t for Life Skills.”

“My biggest takeaway from Life Skills is to never settle, keep pushing forward. If you have a goal then go for it and don’t let anything hold you back.”

We wanted to kick off the year talking about our hopes for 2021 so we asked a few of our staff to share their visions for the upcoming months at StepUp Ministry.

Ashton Herbert, Children's Program Coordinator: 2020 was a year that most people want to forget for multiple reasons not needing explanation. However, during one of the toughest years in recent history, we learned a lot about the resilience of families and most surprisingly for me; the resilience of kids. I have been blown away during the past 9-10 months of the pandemic, when a lot of families could have easily dropped out of the program, they stayed on with us, and adjusted right along with the staff of StepUp. My hope for 2021 is that we can take that resilience and apply it to other aspects of our lives. I learned a lot about strength and flexibility watching these kids adjust and make the best of it; all while their world shut down and changed drastically. Wishing everyone health and a lot strength for 2021.

Maxine Terry, Alumni Program Coordinator:  By end of 2021, I want to have five Alumni enrolled in certification programs to ensure they are on track to earn wages worthy of their work experience and demonstrating their ability to support their family.  I'm committed to working closely with Alumni as they maintain a commitment to 2021 being their best year yet.

Toney Jefferys, Employment Recruiter: My hope for 2021 is that we continue to build on partnerships with employers that see the value that StepUp participants and Alumni have to offer. We are excited for more opportunities for participants in apprenticeships, career choices and greater individual support for job seekers.

“Leadership is found in the action to defeat that which would defeat you…You are made by the struggle you choose” -C.T. Vivian

Such profound and inspiring words from a recently fallen giant within our nation’s history. His words remind me that struggle is an opportunity for greatness. The struggles we are currently facing will only allow for more Martin Luther Kings, Billy Grahams and Ella Baker’s to rise, look in the face of defeat and carve paths for others to overcome. On June 1st I was given the opportunity to speak at StepUp’s Impact luncheon as groundbreaker to statistical change. As a single mother I was faced with the weight of struggle but instead of giving in I became a leader and a change agent. Despite the economic climate and the financial deficit there is always action that can be taken to defeat the odds. This action was carved out for me as a participant of a nonprofit organization in Raleigh called StepUp. StepUp helps over 700 participants yearly, since it started in 1988, who are faced with defeat due to incarceration, drug addiction, abusive relationships, unexpected traumatic downturns, and job loss. Instead of staying knocked down StepUp has a 12-month lifecycle program that helps participants regain their grip on life. Step Up took what seemed to be a hopeless situation for myself and so many others and rebuilt lives by leveraging the weight of struggles for the tenacity of survival. Choosing to be victors not victims the participants in the StepUp program are equipped with job training, financial literacy courses and mental health recovery plans that dismantle any residual thoughts of failure. StepUp creates leaders. Join us in this transformational journey. As we continue to navigate through this pandemic, StepUp remains here to provide support and resources to people and families of Wake County. If you would like to partner with us as employers, donors, or as a participant, visit us at www.stepupministry.org.

Officers in StepUp Speakers’ Circle, which is part of the Alumni Ambassadors program, were recently awarded the Toastmasters International 2019 District Incentive Strength in Numbers. These officers demonstrated a tremendous commitment to the club by attending required training sessions, attaining distinguished status in 2019, and meeting membership requirements throughout the year. Dr. Kevin Snyder, DTM, the noted author, presented these participants with gold pins to signify their achievement. More members are seeking status as club officers with fourteen currently attending training!

Outside of the StepUp Speakers’ Circle, the Alumni Ambassadors initiative From Mentee to Mentor is underway, with weekly meetings taking place for eight current teams. These teams come together every Thursday to set goals for 2020, check-in with one another, and make new connections. The program continues to grow, with new teams being added as alumni attendance increases.

Since January 1, 2020, 36 adults and 16 children have participated in the Alumni Ambassadors program, including seven adults who graduated from Life Skills in December. We are pleased to continue our partnership with these families.

Ashton Herbert of StepUp Ministry with Janie Young and Charlie Johnson, who founded the Alumni Children Tutoring Program.

Broughton High School senior Charlie Johnson graduates this week, but not after first leaving a lasting impression on StepUp Ministry. Last fall, he came to Children’s Coordinator Ashton Herbert with an idea for a tutoring program. From there, a great partnership was born, and the Alumni Children’s Tutoring Program began. Since January, Charlie and Janie Young (along with a few other Broughton students) have spent most Thursday evenings teaching math and science to the children of StepUp alumni. Children’s Coordinator Ashton Herbert recognized Charlie and Janie for their leadership and dedication at last Thursday’s Alumni program.

For Charlie, helping people through StepUp was a natural process. “As a member of White Memorial my whole life, I had a general understanding of StepUp and how much they help, and I really wanted to take part,” Charlie reflected. ”With the help of Ashton and everyone at StepUp, it was easy to piece together what turned out to be a really awesome program.”

 “I was inspired to help because of my previous work with StepUp through the National Charity League, and the joy I get from seeing the children every week,” Janie explained.

Charlie said developing relationships with each child was most valuable to him, and both he and Janie were excited to provide a valuable service to younger students. Janie also shared one of her favorite memories of a young girl who was so inspired by math that she asked Janie to teach lessons she had not yet learned in school.

Charlie will attend Appalachian State University in the fall, and Janie is headed to the University of Georgia. However, their commitment to the Alumni Tutoring Program is strong and they have recruited other Broughton students to keep working with the StepUp children.

“I am really impressed by their dedication to helping our Alumni children,” commented Ashton Herbert. “Charlie and Janie will be missed, but I am happy that future Broughton students will be continuing their efforts.”

For information about serving as a tutor on Thursday nights, please email Ashton Herbert or call 919-781-0156, ext. 120.