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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Ryan Geertsma.
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And I'm Ruby Jones. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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Can you imagine having ten children? How about 20, or even more? JoeAnn Ballard and her husband Monroe can. They were parents to over 75 children! But how can this be?
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JoeAnn and Monroe were not the biological, or natural, parents of all these children. In fact, they gave birth to only four children. But during their 40 years of marriage, the Ballards took in many foster children who were without families or homes of their own.
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Today's Spotlight is on JoeAnn Ballard. Her life has been an example of great service. It began with a simple choice to help a motherless child. From there, it became a life devoted to changing a whole community, one child at a time.
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JoeAnn was born in the state of Mississppi in the United States of America. Her home was not a happy place. There was much anger. At the age of three months, JoeAnn's parents separated. And they left their children, including JoeAnn, with distant family members.
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These family members were DeLoach and Ora Mae Benjamin. The Benjamins were amazing people. Before taking in JoeAnn, they cared for 45 other children without families. They were foster parents. They did not have a lot of money. They grew their own food and had a small business in their home. But they always had enough.
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JoeAnn wrote about her early life with her foster parents on her website.
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"We were never hungry or without clothes. My parents loved us, made sure all of our needs were met, and made sure that we all went to school."
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DeLoach, JoeAnn's new foster father, was 55 years old when JoeAnn and her siblings joined their family. He was older than most fathers, but to him that did not matter. He knew the children needed a home. And, he knew he had a home and love to give. JoeAnn wrote,
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"My foster father worked hard and sacrificed a great deal to make sure we could succeed in life. My father helped me to understand what it meant to sacrifice. His example also made me understand that one person can make a difference."
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JoeAnn's father was a major influence on her life. She learned from his example. And he taught her why he helped so many children. You see, he believed it was part of his duty as a citizen. But he also believed that it was what God wanted him to do with his life.
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After college, in 1965, JoeAnn moved to the city of Memphis in the state of Tennessee. She worked in Memphis rebuilding and improving a poor African American church. It was here that JoeAnn met her husband, Monroe. He was a teacher in a local school. Soon after they married, JoeAnn and Monroe began serving children in the community.
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In the beginning, JoeAnn and Monroe would invite children to stay for a few meals or days. These children had many needs. Often, these short visits turned into long stays. Soon, the Ballards began to offer these children a permanent home. JoeAnn wrote,
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"Like my father, my husband and I saw a need and God provided us with the strength and wisdom to help. We loved the children. They became a part of our family and it was a joy to have them in our home."
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After forty years of marriage, JoeAnn and Monroe had cared for over seventy five children. Some children stayed with them as little as one year. Others stayed as long as 11 years. However, each one became a part of the Ballard's family.
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Becoming part of the Ballard family meant following certain rules. The children could not drink, smoke, use bad language or stay awake past ten o'clock in the evening. They were also expected to attend church with the family. However, life at the Ballard home was not all about rules. There was also much love and joy involved.
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JoeAnn talked with the magazine Christianity Today. She talked about the children's success. She said,
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"Not one of them got pregnant, and only one went to prison."
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JoeAnn is proud of this achievement. Many foster children in the United States become pregnant at a young age or become involved in crime. In fact, an American study of three states showed that in these states, half of all girls in foster care became pregnant before the age of 19.
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Life can be difficult for foster children. It is very important for children to have long-time positive relationships with adults. And many children without families lack these kinds of relationships. However, it often takes just one person to change a child's life.
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The Ballards became well known in the community for their service to children. People also recognized JoeAnn's skills as a community organizer. In 1978, leaders in the Ballard's poor Memphis community decided to start a community center. And the local leaders decided they wanted JoeAnn to lead the center.
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Because of this, JoeAnn's service to children and her community expanded greatly. She became the leader of Neighborhood Christian Centers. This organization started small. However, today it serves 100,000 people each year from the Memphis area. The Center has almost 20 programs for children, families, single women and those in need. Some of the programs are educational, some are religious and some are for meeting basic needs - such as food, clothes and shelter.
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JoeAnn has built a major organization around her desire to help children and her community. However, it all began with the choice to help one child. And JoeAnn believes all people can make a difference - just like she has. On her website, JoeAnn shares about how all people are responsible for the children of our communities. And she encourages people to help take care of local children who do not have families.
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"Each time I hear of a child dying violently, I ask myself several questions: Who may have lived close by to prevent this? Did those living in the community know the child's name? Were they crying out for help but no one noticed or heard their cry? There are clear signs in children who are suffering. They are the same signs we notice in our own children every day. The only difference is we take care of it before it gets too far. Children in our communities, churches, and schools are looking for that friendly, caring face that is willing to help."
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