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After hospitalization and eventual retirement 11 years ago, Gwen McAllister rededicated her life in a prayer, “Lord, you’ve been so good to me. What can I do for you?”

Almost immediately, she thought of former Gov. Jim Hunt’s dictate that women have a five-year window to get off welfare.

As a former teacher of more than 31 years, McAllister thought of how she could work in this area to help women and children.

After meeting Odell Cleveland, whom she had seen on TV, McAllister attended a workshop in Durham called “Going From Welfare to Work.” This workshop and those she met through the workshop changed her life and gave her ideas about how to help jobless women.

Today McAllister is the president of Women’s Workforce Web , a nonprofit organization made up of retired teachers and supporters of public education, which she founded in 2000 in Greensboro.
WWW was created to assist economically challenged women and academically challenged children in a “unique symbiotic relationship.”

Participants are carefully screened and must be high school graduates, love children, be drug and alcohol free, commit to a 12-week program, meeting from 9 a.m. to noon, follow the nonprofit’s rules and regulations and pass a criminal check.

Accepted interns are taught at the WWW training site at 1106 E. Market St. Afterward, they are placed in a WWW partner school.

A lead teacher visits interns and reports to the staff weekly to discuss challenges, methods, materials, behaviors and ways an intern can be more effective.

The classes are free and small to allow for intimacy, honesty and sharing. There is prayer before and after each class.

Money is raised through events, such as the annual Children’s Jubilee, to give a stipend to the graduates at their graduation ceremony. About 67 people have graduated.

McAllister said the newest project of WWW is a program called Unlimited Potential. Some contributors to the program are Gladys Robinson, adviser, grant writer and executive director of Piedmont Health and Sickle Cell Association; retired Col. Larry Burnett, YMCA director; and Andrea Wright, co-founder of The Warriors.

Robinson wrote a grant application for Unlimited Potential seeking money for a project that would influence teen behavior decisions and choices.

Through this effort, WWW was funded for three years, sponsored by the Moses Cone/Wesley Long Foundation for “Making Proud Choices.”

For the program, WWW grads were hired to work as assistants.

Nicole Lyons directs the program. She started a program two years ago to work with teens during the summer months. WWW helped her group by providing labor and a fish fry benefit to raise money.

The nonprofit was able to provide care, video games, art projects, the N.C. A&T marching band, Spanish, music and dance classes, story time and lots of fun to more than 350 children through a grant it received for a Saturday workshop at the Koury Convention Center for Adoptive and Foster Parents through the Department of Social Services in Raleigh.

“Many (Women’s Workforce Web ) graduates made up the 52 staff members,” McAllister said.

Women’s Workforce Web Children’s Jubilee is 4 p.m. April 25 at the Enrichment Center at Providence Baptist Church. The Jubilee theme is “We Are the World.” Six choirs and one dance group have already committed to participate in the event.

The present teaching staff for WWW includes Ann Schwabeland, lead teacher; Ernestine Sims, coordinator; Flossie Smith, teacher; Dorothy Thompson, “The Purpose Driven Life” discussion leader; Sally Watkins, substitute teacher; Marilyn Smith, secretary; and McAllister, teacher.

McAllister said she always gives God the glory when she talks about the opportunity given to her and WWW . “I feel that God has given all of us gifts for a ministry, a way of glorifying him by serving others,” she said.

McAllister’s ministry and gifts continue to help teachers and students.

She has a rich background, as she taught fourth, fifth and sixth grades in Greensboro for more than 31 years. She also taught Effective Teacher Training, computer technology and was a mentor for new teachers coming into the system.

She did research in Ohio for a project at UNCG on master teachers.
McAllister said she is facing many personal challenges, but feels that challenges help to strengthen us, make us more dependent on God and help us to realize God’s faithfulness in providing for all of our needs.

“Our staff, supporters and friends have freely given of their time, resources and skills to make the program work in spite of challenges,” she said.

“I recognize God’s hand is in every area of my life and all of the blessings that we all experience.”

To suggest a person or organization that is “Making a Difference” in Guilford County, contact Peggy Longmire at rlongmire@triad.rr.com or 288-9040.