“If a kid can’t read, they will most likely end up in prison.” – Reverend Willie F. Peterson
Rev. Peterson has been an integral part of the Woodson Center’s Community Affiliate Network (CAN) for over 25 years. He serves as the Pastor of the New Birth Kimmelbrook Baptist Church in Youngstown, Ohio, and also holds the position of Executive Director at the Center for Community Empowerment (CCE).
Situated in the heart of the projects, CCE is a faith-based social service agency with a crucial mission: to empower disadvantaged families towards self-sufficiency. Recently, Rev. Peterson has been addressing the literacy crisis, which he believes is one of the most significant challenges facing America today.
We invite you to discover more about the extraordinary impact of his organization in a special interview with Rev. Peterson.
Understanding the critical importance of education in shaping young lives, Rev. Peterson’s organization, with the support of Woodson Center’s mini grant program and professional development courses, established the Help Me Read and Keep Educating Youth all Seasons (KEYS) programs. These after-school initiatives were born from Rev. Peterson seeing children in his community fail to pass the sixth grade due to inadequate reading skills. These programs began twenty years ago as a humble operation in Rev. Peterson’s own home; now, they’re implemented in twelve churches.
Moreover, he has embraced the Woodson Center’s K-12 Black History and Character Curriculum, integrating it into his afterschool program. Through these lessons, high school students have the opportunity to become mentors, sharing lessons about heroic black figures from history with their younger counterparts.
Thanks to your continued support, the Woodson Center can uplift the work of more community healers like Rev. Peterson and help build a brighter future for all.