SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY: Gloria Hamilton and C.R.A.F.T.
- CDC-PHP Media Communications
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
“I have worked with Center for Re-Creation and Family Training (C.R.A.F.T) for over 25 years. I am a board member and a staff member. I mentor junior high school students (6th - 8th grade) at Lorenzo R. Smith School. I encourage students in life skills, self-esteem and character education.
C.R.A.F.T has been instrumental in helping me achieve my long-term goal of empowering local youth to reach their full potential and help them strive for excellence.
It has significantly impacted the Pembroke Hopkins Park community by providing positive alternatives, focusing on academic excellence, mentoring, and financial support for youth.
C.R.A.F.T acquires financial and volunteer support through prayer, fundraising events and donations. Through faith, prayer, and determination of the C.R.A.F.T BOARD, God's Grace keeps C.R.A.F.T moving forward.”
Center for Re-Creation and Family Training (C.R.A.F.T)
The Center for Re-Creation and Family Training (C.R.A.F.T) was founded in 1975 by Rev. Hezekiah Brady, Jr. of the Pembroke Community Reformed Church (now known as the Pembroke Fellowship Church) in a building on corner Main Street and 3000 S. Rd. When C.R.A.F.T started, they just had a high school called C.I.D.A.L. (Christian Institute for Developing Altruistic Leaders), but I wasn’t there then. It was when the grade school was added to C.R.A.F.T. that I was asked by Pastor Brady to teach grade school and I did for two years.
We had Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades. Pastor started the grade school in the church and the high school in our building located on Main Street in the Pembroke community. Parents’ finances did not allow us to continue the grade school.
I got involved with C.R.A.F.T. because I wanted something different. I had started going to the Pembroke Community Reformed Church which is what it was called back then. I went to school and became friends with Phyllis Brady, so I decided to go to her church. I wanted to live in the neighborhood, go to school in the neighborhood, work in the neighborhood and go to church in neighborhood.
Pastor Brady started the organization because a black student didn’t go back for his 2nd semester in college and he was an advocate for black young people to help them along their way.
I work now as a Board member and as a Staff Member. I am mentor for 6th, 7th , and 8th graders at the Lorenzo R. Smith (LRS) School. I mentor them on character and career education, how important school is, and help prepare them for high school, college and the work world. We work on attitude, accountability, and the ABCs of character. Every semester, I hold a 45-minutes class, 2-3 days a week, for 1-2 weeks at the school for each grade level during one of the class periods for social-emotional time that the State requires.
As part of the after-school program, the LRS school bus would drop the students off at C.R.A.F.T. for tutoring, bible study, and rap sessions that lasted from 6:00-7:30 PM. When the funding for after-school programs was cut off, students were not able to participate because they could not get dropped off to us and the parents were not able to do it either. Working with the high school was more of a challenge than the grade school because of this, so I started working predominantly with the grade school students on location.
C.R.A.F.T. was designed to have two components. One of the components was C.I.D.A.L., which was their high school, then the other component was for the grade school.
For the college students, we offer a Student Assistance Program for Freshmen through Senior in college. We send out applications to the community high school and to local churches for prospective African-American students who live in the Pembroke community. Those who return the applications are interviewed, and if they get accepted for a scholarship, that enrolls them into our mentorship program.
We are able to give out a scholarship for about 20 students a year. If they receive a scholarship, they have to report back to us how they spent it. For the last 3 years, the Board Members were matched up with a college student to keep up with how they are doing.
C.R.A.F.T. keeps afloat with volunteers and donations. We still get donations from those who supported Rev. Brady when he used to give presentations long ago. Some of those donors are still faithfully giving. We have different fundraising activities also. For example, we have run a baking fundraiser where mothers in the Pembroke community would take custom orders of whatever people wanted them to bake for them. Another fundraiser is when we sponsored a concert for the music group called End Deep, who actually has one of our students as one of its members, Raphael Smiley.
There was never a time that we were not able to service the community. As long as we have funds, we give to the students. We don’t have to pay staff or for overheard on a large building. The Board members may meet at the Brady’s house or at our building on Main St. That building is 100 years old. It was donated to Rev. Brady to be used for the C.R.A.F.T. program. We do have to work on the building, but at least it’s paid for. We also meet on Zoom and we accept volunteers who want to help.
Learn more about C.R.A.F.T at https://www.craftinc.org/.
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