Peebles
bum pant K 1
?.how the abused that there is a way
out.
"Once >ou have been delivered
from a life of abuse. >ou can see it
in others." said Peebles, who often
uses her own story as both a cau
tionary tale and a guidebook. "We
want to be a confidant and walk
(abused people) through the
process "
One of the main components of
Alabaster Place - a name derived
from the story in Luke about the
woman who is healed and made
whole again by Jesus after she
breaks her Alabaster box of oint
ment - is its focus on the church
The ministry has trained more than
a dozen advocates to offer assis
tance to church-attending victims
of abuse. For obvious reasons,
advocates work with victims -
many of whom are still in the abu
sive relationship - in the strictest of
confidence Advocates are trained
to restrain from telling abuse vic
tims to outright leave their abusive
relationships Peebles concedes that
it is hard for her and her team of
volunteer advocates to hold their
tongues, but she believes that
telling them what to do and how to
do it makes abused people even
more powerless.
"If vi jc* AiA that tKpn u_p arp fak
II ?V VJ1U UHil, UIV11 V u> v i-r.
ing the control from them." she
said. "We want to guide them so
that they can make the best deci
sions for themselves."
The success of Alabaster Place
has been great, so much so that
Peebles is often invited to lecture
and lead workshops at state and
federal conferences The ministry
will soon begin a partnership with a
federal anti-domestic violence ini
tiative. On Saturday, June 26.
Alabaster Place will use its Fifth
Anniversary Celebration to not
only lift up the name of God but to
honor its volunteer advocates and
those who have overcome abuse.
Latisha Stuckey is one of the
many Alabaster Place advocates
who were once victims of abuse.
She credits the ministry for helping
her to escape an abusive marriage.
Stuckey says she can identify with
the women that she is now charged
with guiding; their stories were
once her tale. But she had a happy
ending, she wants the same for oth
ers
"I tell them that I went through
this, so that you don't hate to go
through it,"* said Stuckey
Although the vast majority of
the \ ictims assisted by Alabaster
Place are female. Peebles know*
that domestic violence can be a
two-way street
"Fifteen percent of victims are
men," she said, citing a national
statistic
Reuben West is one of Alabaster
Place's rare male advocates He is
currently working with a male
abuse victim and is quick to point
out that just because the public
rarely hears about male victims
doesn't mean that they don't exist
West, a survivor of harsh child
hood verbal abuse, is saddened and
sometimes shocked by the stones
of abuse that he hears He is old
school and believes that a man is
never justified in laying his hands
on a woman.
"There is just no excuse." he
said. "You can always just walk
away from a confrontation "
The perception that the black
church is reluctant to address the
subject of domestic v lolence is not
entirely accurate. Peebles says. She
was embraced warmly by her pas
tor. Greater Cleveland Avenue
Christian Church's Bishop Sheldon
McCarter. when Peebles, an Elder
at the church, told him of her \ lsion
for Alabaster Place The ministry is
based out of Greater Cleveland's
former building on Cleveland
Avenue
.1 th.> rr? i .
rccuio UCIICVW3. uiai uiv m?.
take that some faith-based initia
tives and agencies make is that they
foster a sense of victimhood within
those who have been abused
"They leave the same was they
came in (feeling like a victim),"
said Peebles.
Alabaster Place's mission of
making abused people feel empow
ered and as if they have control is
the only true road to healing and
out of the shadows of abuse, says
Peebles.
The June 26 celebration. "A
Night with the King." w til he held
from 6 - 8 p.m. at Spencer
Memorial Christian Church. 3X94
.V. Hampton Drive. Thine who have
overcome abuse and would like to
attend should call 336-764-5 1 33 to
register by June IH For more
information about Alabaster Place,
go to wwwMlabasterplace-ini .org;
call the number above ; or email
Elder Peebles at alabaster
place? gmail rom
PkaK??> wma
Scholarship
winners (from
left ) Ryan
H a r r i t ,
Chelsea
Hosch, Mariah
Fulton and
LaVon Harley
stand near
their parents.
Ministers award scholarships
BY I \YI \ FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Representatives from the
Ministers Conference of Winston
Salem and Vicinm gathered at Mt.
Zion" Baptist Church
Monday to celebrate a
t group of teenagers w ho are
preparing to embark on the
next chapter in their lives.
Si\ recent high school
graduates were honored
this year with the Ministers
Conference's Martin
Luther King Jr Memorial
Seed Fund Scholarships
The 2010 recipients joined
inc ranKs ui uuz.cn> ui muvjvui> wiiy
have sought higher education w ith the
help of the Conference since the pro
gram's inception more than 25 years
ago. said Dr Serenus Churn, head of
the Conference's Scholarship
Committee and the pastor of Ml. Zion
The group has awarded more than
$125,000 in scholarships, he added.
"You're joining a vers rich lega
cy ." Chum told the teens "We have
had person) who have stood where
you are standing and they have gone
on to be very successful I think it's
important that you understand that
you are part of that legacy .'"
Students were selected for the
S 1.000 scholarships based on recom
mendations from school administra
tors. pastors and other community
leaders, in addition to several other
qualifications, including community
involvement and service. Chum said.
Each student receives S500 at the
beginning of the fall semester and
$500 upon their successful comple
tion of it. said Churn. The money is
derived from the proceeds of the
Conference's annual MLK Da\ cele
brat ion. and from donations
made by church members and
the pastors themselves, he
explained.
"The scholarship has two
purposes." Churn stated
"The first and perhaps the
most note worth) is to encour
age our young people to pur
sue their education beyond
Dr. Churn
the high school level. The
second is to gi\e some assis
.1 . .1 ii
lance as ine> enier me college situa
tion."
Four of the 2010 recipients -
Manah Fulton. La Von Harley, Ryan
Hams and Chelsea Hosch - were on
hand Monday to accept their awards
in person.
Harris, an alumnus of North
Dav idson High School, has enrolled at
L'NC-Charlotte. where he plans to
studs computer engineering. A life
long member of Emmanuel Baptist
Church. Ryan said having the support
of his local community has bolstered
his confidence as a soon-to-be college
student
"It feels good because my dad and
Emmanuel (a Ministers Conference
participant! backed me up." said the
17 vear-old. "Even though I ha\e
some support. I needed the help."
Rvan's father. Weldon Harris, a
member of the IT Department at
Truliant Federal Credit Union, said he
was also thankful for the additional
funds.
"I'm overjoyed. I'm glad the
opportunity was given to him," he
said of his son. "It's very great We're
blessed to be able to get that support."
Scholarship recipient Manah
Fulton has unique ties to the Ministers
Conference Her father. Bishop Todd
fuilton. is a member. Fulton, 18. plans
to attend Elizabeth City State
University in the fall, where she will
study elementary education. Her
dream is to someday return to the
Twin City and open her own
Christian-focused day care center
"I love kids. I've always loved
being around kids," said Fulton, who
also works with the youth program at
her father's church, Mt. Monah
Outreach Center in Kemersville.
Hosch. a Parkland alumna, will
study computer science at Wake
Forest University. Harley. who gradu
ated from Reynolds on Saturday, is
going to N.C. A&T to study nursing.
Chum's parting words to the stu
dents drove home the nature of the
program's vision.
"We see in you great gifts and pos
sibilities. We know that God has
blessed you with the ability to do
whatever you need to do to be suc
cessful in life." he said We count
you as our investment in the 21st
Century. You are our (ambassadors).
As we give to you today, we look for
ward As you grow and as you
become successful, you will give back
to others, you will pay it forward."
n
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