Though he wasn't a trouble maker, he had pushed all my buttons until I was ready to explode. He was rude, obnoxious, and extremely argumentative with me. One day, this mother called the police because her son was threatening to commit suicide. The police referred her to Partners, which sent her a mentor named Jim. The training includes such areas as communication and listening skills, anger management, laws on child abuse reporting, problem-solving skills, gang involvement, and crisis intervention.
Many volunteers come from the community, including people from various faith traditions.
Another ministry supported by the Human Relations Day offering is the Community Developers program administered by the General Board of Global Ministries through the office of its executive secretary for community and institutional ministries, Ms. Ruth Lawson. In 1991, when residents of the Stanton Dwellings Housing Project decided they had to change the deplorable conditions in which they were living, Mr. Williams worked side by side with them to achieve their goal. Eventually, through their action and vigilance, the Stanton Dwelling Housing Project was redone. In a neighborhood characterized by high crime rates, drug abuse, and households headed by one adult, his form of ministry offers an oasis of hope. As Mr. Williams testifies, some of the neighborhood's leaders for action on behalf of the Stanton Dwellings Housing Project are now leaders of the A.P. Shaw United Methodist Church.