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By Tammy Sharp, Special to the Message
DERIDDER–A hand up, not a handout, is what Peggy Renfrow and her team of volunteers offer to women in need in Beauregard Parish.
As site coordinator for the Beauregard Christian Women’s Job Corps (BCWJC), Renfrow helps women help themselves and prepare for a lifetime of being independent.
“God’s always kept me working with women and children,” said Renfrow, who took over responsibilities of running the BCWJC this past August after former Executive Director Mary Koehn retired. Coming from a background in journalism, Renfrow eventually moved into social work, she said, and began working in nonprofits, specifically with battered women.
God’s perfect timing opened up the spot at BCWJC at just about the same time Renfrow decided it was time to go back to work after having taken time off to help care for family members in need, she said.
“It was like God said, ‘Okay I’m ready for you to do this now,'” Renfrow said, and she applied for the job and got it.
After completing training in North Carolina the second week of August, she came back and began working on a day to day basis.
“Ms. Mary has truly been a blessing,” said Renfrow of the transition and her predecessor. “Even though she’s retired, she also teaches one of our classes. She’s been kind of like a consultant, being here to help me learn the day to day part of the operation.”
In addition, the teachers have been a big help, Renfrow said.
“All these teachers knew what to do,”she said. “And they worked with me very well helping me with the things I didn’t know and answering any questions I had to make sure our fall semester got started on time and is running smoothly.”
The Beauregard site offers adult education to help women obtain their GED; computer skills classes; a Jobs for Life class; parenting classes; financial management; first aid and CPR; customer service; and health and nutrition, which were all on the schedule of classes for the fall semester just completed. The Bible study, which is one hour a week, also deals with conflict resolution.
“Those are typically what we do fall and spring,” said Renfrow.
Any woman in need over the age of 18 who is free of alcohol or substance abuse is eligible for the program.
Each semester lasts 12 weeks. In the fall, orientation occurs at the end of August, and classes run through Nov. 15. In the spring, classes begin at the end of January or the first of February. Holidays and classes follow the same schedule as area schools.
Seven women were most recently enrolled for fall classes, though the site is equipped for nine students. The students agree to come to class and put forth their best effort, protecting the time that’s being provided to them, and in return they are supplied instruction, books, supplies and a daily lunch.
Every participant takes every class, Renfrow said. The day begins at 8:45 a.m., usually with a short devotion, and classes start at 9 a.m. and go until noon. Students have lunch, provided by an area church, until 12:30 p.m. Adult education follows.
Each day the students have different classes, with only one class, Jobs for Life, repeated once during the week. The Jobs for Life also usually includes homework, Renfrow said.
Though not all students go on to complete their GED, which takes longer, some do. Renfrow said she and her crew encourage students to work toward that goal.
“It takes many, many people for a ministry like this to be successful,” Renfrow said. “The people in this area have truly been supportive with finances and time.” Local churches, community organizations and businesses continue to help the program succeed, she said.
The Beauregard Christian Women’s Job Corps first opened its doors in 2004. Later, in 2007, the program became a certified ministry of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Women’s Missionary Union. BCWJC is one of three programs in the state that provide a Christian context for women in need to be equipped for life and employment, according to Janie Wise, Women’s Missions and Ministry Strategist for the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
The other two sites are in New Orleans and Monroe. In a typical program, women receive training in life skills and job readiness. Computer skills are usually taught at each site, which is customized to meet the needs of the women in its community. The Beauregard program, like others, is autonomous, but must meet certain criteria in order to be certified by WMU.
For more information on the Beauregard program, visit http://beauregardcwjc.org.