All of my proceeds from the sale of this book will go to build and support the Pass Christian DeLisle Community Center that will serve the Katrina survivors of Harrison County on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. This community center is the first phase in fulfilling the vision Reverend Rosemary Williams has for her community—to create opportunity for children and young adults to learn and develop, to dream and achieve those dreams.

Five acres of land will be developed to provide young adults with GED, computer, and other job training that will give them the skills to participate in the recovery of their community; Katrina washed away many jobs previously held in the area. During non-school hours, the center will serve the children of the community as the only after-school facility in the area. Eventually, routine healthcare education and services will also be provided at the center.

There was one Boys and Girls Club in Pass Christian, but Katrina destroyed it. The nearest facility for children is located in the town of Gulfport, Mississippi, approximately twenty minutes away, and many parents cannot afford to make the trip.

To date the land has been purchased and the plans have been drawn up for the center. It will be located at 6815 Kiln-DeLisle Road in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The property is within walking distance of the DeLisle Elementary School, which is now the only school in the area for children in kindergarten through twelfth grade. There are approximately one thousand children currently attending the school, most of them in temporary classrooms.

Reverend Rosemary’s parish house is across the street from the center at the new Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, which will be completed in the spring of 2006.The church property includes an additional twenty acres on which to develop affordable housing for Katrina’s survivors, another vision that Reverend Williams plans to fulfill.

The community center will be funded by an independent nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that was founded by Reverend Rosemary Williams, Reverend Theodore Williams, Shantrell Nicks, Myrick Nicks, Ellen Ratner and me. It is called the Pass Christian DeLisle Community Center, Inc.

The strength of this community center resides in the volunteers and leadership. The Reverends Rosemary and Theodore Williams, along with many of their congregants, are grandparents and retired teachers. The center will also be outfitted to accommodate volunteers from outside of the local area. There is still an enormous demand for elbow grease as the residents of this community attempt to recover with very few resources. All help is welcome!

Cholene Espinoza
February 2006

Click here to find out how you can help the people of Pass Christian and DeLisle, Mississippi build this much-needed community center.

Download a pdf of the plans for the Pass Christian DeLisle Community Center.