An Awesome
Story
They say God works in mysterious ways; how
else could a premature baby give birth to a long overdue idea?
Winston Christopher Connally came into this world at 24 weeks gestation,
weighing slightly more than one pound. His courageous struggle to
survive inspired his mother, Elaine, to make a personal promise
to God, save our child and I will dedicate my life to children in
need. It is common for people to strike a bargain with God in times
of need; rare is the person who follows through. Elaine Connally
is the rarest of people.
Growing up, we all remember that one family, that one house where
all the neighborhood kids hung out. It was never a spoken edict,
the kids just felt comfortable there. Elaine and her husband Winston
Connally owned just such a house in Riverdale. It was not uncommon
for either to stop any neighborhood kid on the street and inquire
just exactly why he or she wasn't in school at 10:00 in the morning.
These are the people who serve as the backbone of a neighborhood;
indeed, often an entire community. The Connally's however took it
a step further, opening their house beyond the neighborhood, to
misguided youth, some of whom they barely knew.
From this dedication to children sprang Elaine's opportunity to
make good her promise. She quit her job and applied to work with
at-risk families in Clayton County. Enter a little more of God's
mystery, as she was asked to apply for a totally different position,
a newly created post teaching parenting skills to first time teen
parents. The success of this program evolved into Elaine's vision
of adding a teen-mentoring component to the program. With no background
in program development or grant writing, somehow the pieces fell
into place and the grant was awarded (mysterious, eh?).
No bystander, Winston spearheaded efforts to get other men involved
as mentors. Approached by Juvenile Court in Clayton county, Winston
added an important component to Elaine's vision: teen males Involved
In the court system. Such in awesome concept left only the need
for an awesome name..AWESOME,Inc.
Requests came from beyond Juvenile Court. as parents and community
organizations realized the value of the mentoring program. In addition
to life skills, recreational activities, parental involvement and
computer skills, AWESOME, Inc., assisted by the Clayton County Extension
Office and the Clayton County Health Department, held a youth conference
this spring break 2001. The conference was presented in conjunction
with actor/activist Greg Alan Williams. Mr. Williams' Journey Foundations
joined with AWESOME to make the conference a rousing success.
The vision is simple: to serve as many children as possible, to
ensure they have a healthy, happy and productive life. The AWESOME's
vision extends beyond Clayton County, to include a Youth Community
Center that can serve Metro Atlanta as well. Elaine and Winston
will continue their quest to help children, seeking resources from
all aspects of the community to help make their vision a reality.
A few years ago, Elaine Connally struck a deal with God. Her son
Chris is now a healthy teenager and the children of Clayton County
have a healthier chance to succeed. Not so mysterious, when you
get right down to it. Just people helping people, the way God intended
it
Written By Port Wilson
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