::  De'Marcus' Story  ::

“I’m going to open my own business one day,” De’Marcus said. Normally this would not have struck me as out of the ordinary. Lots of people tell me about their dream to lay out their own shingle. More still may have a dull nagging hammering at their heart that the successes of work could be their own if only they started their own business. It is a common dream that is often attributed to intelligence, leadership, or creativity, but on a most elementary level it is the product of hope.

But this was De’Marcus saying he was going to start his own business. And for De’Marcus, this was a big statement. It is one thing to desire to be your own boss, but those with the longing to start their own business recognize that at least for the beginning, they will probably also be the office manager, the inventory guy, the account representative, the public relations department, the IT staff, the secretary, the janitor, and so on. And that takes confidence, discipline, and determination. And for someone with De’Marcus’ background that was pretty amazing. 

Four years ago De’Marcus didn’t have a high school diploma, yet alone the confidence to say he was even working for one. At 16-years-old De’Marcus was kicked out of the 8th grade and his future didn’t look bright. He spent six months at home with no purpose, no job, and no high school diploma even on its way. 

But when his probation officer referred De’Marcus to a group called Petersburg Urban Ministries, things began to change. Something began to stir in him.  As a kid De’Marcus loved to take things apart and put them back together and for the first time he was on a track to develop his passion to build.   

Within a matter of months, De’Marcus was well on his way towards receiving his high school equivalency diploma and at the same time receiving on-the-job training in the building trades. The homes he helped build and renovate would then be sold at affordable prices to low-income families. And day-by-day learning drywall became livelihood and income, and installing masonry became self-worth and self-confidence, and framing walls became a shot at the future and a family. And between juggling school and his new career, his back was aching, his hands were worn, but his heart and his mind were never so alive.   

After spending a year as a student at PUM, and two as an intern, today De’Marcus is a staff member and his dream to start his own business and to build his own home for him and his daughter is well on its way.  And after his 3rd attempt he passed the GED. He'll tell you, “Don't stop trying.  I was a slow reader but that didn't stop me from achieving my goal.” He now has his Commercial Drivers License, and this fall when he turns 21-years-old, De’Marcus will take on a second job driving trucks to make some extra start-up money for his business. If you ask him today, he'll tell you that when he came to PUM he couldn’t fix a patch in the wall, but now he has the confidence and the skill to accomplish most any task involved with building. And driving him everyday is the desire to do right for his young daughter - to give her a hope and a future. 

Inter-faith organizations like Petersburg Urban Ministries through their Youthbuild Program offer a vital service and opportunity to communities throughout the United States. For participants, they are given the opportunity to not only receive their high school equivalency diplomas, and either go on to college or begin full-time employment, but they are also making significant contributions to revitalizing their communities. 

And for Petersburg Urban Ministries, a partnership of 34 congregations and 23 faith groups, their work is about emphasizing the importance of economic prosperity and community development and strengthening of relationships between people and the community. But they could never achieve their mission without their partnership with the federal government. Last month Petersburg Urban Ministries was awarded $700,000 in federal funding by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Youthbuild program grant. But despite successes like De’Marcus, some are uncomfortable with the idea of the federal government partnering with a faith organization to achieve a mission.    

On a primary level, many cite the absence of religious language in the Constitution as evidence of a secular country, but nothing could be further from the truth. Indeed, the concept of the separation of church and state was not borne to establish freedom from religion but to establish freedom for religion. And in keeping with the tenants our nation was founded on, this concept of separation of church and state has been spectacularly successful. Americans, in the absence of state-sponsored religion, have been not only free to believe as they wished but to create religious communities as they wished. Truly, the reason America is the most religious nation in the world is because we are the freest nation in the world. 

Furthermore, America’s faith-based institutions have proven track records in meeting the needs of children and families in our communities. Faith-based organizations, such as churches, synagogues, and other faith-based charities, are a central part of the fabric of communities across America.  Many of these organizations provide assistance and services to the neediest members of society, offering a helping hand to the least fortunate among us. And many faith-based organizations could teach a lesson or two to the federal government on being wise stewards of resources and guardians against waste. 

De’Marcus’ story and thousands like it reaffirm our need to resist the temptation to remove the shield of faith from charitable organizations that seek to better our society and spread freedom to people regardless of income, background, or opportunity. And that freedom means hope for America. And for De’Marcus, all that hope converges in a few words: “I’m going to open my own business one day.” And that’s pretty amazing.