by Shelby Durden
Jacksonville University Intern
When Elaine Carson was in college, she never imagined one day she would be helping refugees from all around the world transition into their normal life in the United States of America. An assignment to study the Soviet Union and the plight of people behind the Iron Curtain birthed in her a passion for helping others on the mission field.
It would be many years later, in 1988, when she was serving the local church as a pastor’s wife that she received a call from Lutheran Social Services asking for her help with 30 refugees that would be coming from what was now the former Soviet Union. She enthusiastically accepted the opportunity that would forever change her life.
After three years of volunteering, in 1991, World Relief Tampa heard about her efforts and asked her to open a part-time office in Jacksonville. Jacksonville’s climate, affordable housing, job opportunities and her persistence all worked together to make this office so successful that in 1999 World Relief made this local branch a full-time office. World Relief Jacksonville started with a part-time paid staff of one and a handful of volunteers and now has a staff of 22, representing 12 different cultures and languages.
Elaine Carson is affectionately known by most as “Mrs. P”, a nickname she received in the ‘70’s, when her husband Larry Carson, a Jacksonville Beaches pastor, was dubbed “Parson Carson” which by default made her “Mrs. P” and both names have stuck to this day. Her love and compassion for refugees have earned her such a reputation that it’s not uncommon for new refugees coming into the country to know of her before they arrive. They often ask volunteers who greet them at the airport, “Are you Mrs. P?”
World Relief Jacksonville celebrates their 25th anniversary this year, and through the years, Mrs. P has accomplished some amazing things. She has networked with government agencies, local churches, businesses and volunteers to provide refugee resettlement for more than 5,000 individuals fleeing from persecution and unimaginable atrocities. Volunteers meet refugees at the airport and take them to their new homes in America. They stock apartments with the basic necessities to help them get through their first days here. Most importantly, they offer friendship to those coming into a new country and culture and help show them the ropes of life in America.
She began this journey as a volunteer receiving Ukrainian refugees and has now resettled refugees from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Burundi, Columbia, the Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Russia, Syria and Sudan.
She goes far beyond the extensive legal documentation and paper work involved in running an office of this magnitude and establishing refugees in our county. The truest hallmark of her servant leadership goes way beyond being the director of World Relief Jacksonville. It is her love for and personal involvement with the families that come. She has personally driven them to appointments, attended family celebrations, stood by them in health emergencies and attended funerals. She says of herself that she is not a director or a manager, she is simply a mom.
In 2004 she extended the scope of work of World Relief to establish the Northeast Florida Human Trafficking Task Force through a grant from Department of Justice. Since then she has served 30 plus victims of trafficking through partnership with law enforcement.
She humbly attributes the work she does as simply being God’s plan for her life. And while many missionaries go to serve in other part of the world, she sees that God has brought the world to her. And it is with that sense of calling and purpose that she has devoted her life to loving and serving the refugee community. And it is for this lifetime of humble servant-leadership that Elaine Carson is the recipient of the 2016 Bernard V. Gregory Servant Leader Award.
Chevara Orrin’s earliest memory of activism was as a three-year old, sleeping in concrete building tubes across the street from the White House in support of the Bangladesh Liberation War and protesting famine in Pakistan. Since then she has dedicated her life to advocating for causes and created forums to address the issues she feels are most pressing to our world today. Chevara has not just given a lifetime of service, she uses her power to inspire and serve others as well.
Jacksonville University was founded on April 16, 1934 in downtown Jacksonville as a junior college offering night classes. It quickly became a four-year, co-ed institution and moved to its present location in the Arlington area of Jacksonville in the early 1950s. It currently has approximately 4,200 student attending the university and hundreds of staff members. Jacksonville University is a small liberal arts institution that has made a large impact on the community.
Mike Probst, a resident at Regents Park Assisted Living is well-known and loved by staff and fellow residents. He is in such a unique position at the facility in which he serves, it is almost impossible to calculate how much time and service he has provided. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Mike has served the practical, spiritual and emotional needs of the 120 residents of Regents Park on a daily basis for the last 4 years.
Sherrick Gilbert is a member of the Riverside Presbyterian church, where he serves as an elder. Two days each week Sherrick volunteers at the clothing Center at Downtown Ecumenical Services Council (DESC) filling orders, stocking shelves and working with clients in distress.
When ophthalmologist, Dr. Howard Rose retired, he never stopped working. Instead, he chose to continue his career in a special way to serve his community. He began his volunteer service in 2004 and has volunteered over 2,300 hours providing eye care for the working uninsured of Jacksonville at Volunteers in Medicine. His care is especially important to Jacksonville’s large diabetic population who suffer from eye disease related to their condition and need frequent monitoring to prevent blindness. He also refers for cataract surgery which allows patients to receive corrected vision and continue retain their employment.
Whether it be delivering books to children in need around the world or in our city, Katie Hecht has opened the doors of imagination for countless children, allowing them to travel to places unknown and to live a life outside their own if only on the pages of the books they receive through her global initiative, Words On Wings. Katie was born into a home with drug addicted parents and she experienced firsthand, homelessness, abandonment, hunger and being bounced around in foster homes. But she has never let her past hold her back! She was adopted at the age of 5 and she has used her past instead as a means for helping others in need.
Jeff and Dawn Sedlitz are a very special couple who have dedicated their time and talents to raising money and awareness for the Epilepsy Foundation of Florida. Their grandson, Steven, of Port St. Lucie, had his first seizure when he was one day old. He has undergone five brain surgeries to remove pieces of his brain in an attempt to eliminate the seizures. At one point, he was having over 100 seizures a day. He is still on medication and has seizures daily. Because of these events, they were inspired to spend past five years learning more about epilepsy than they ever thought possible.
When it comes to volunteering, Christine Jump has done it all. Christine is a lifetime volunteer and she has inspired others to dedicate themselves to a lifetime of volunteering. Her son, Tyler Jump, started his own non-profit when he was just 8 years old. Tyler’s Tabs started by collecting soda pop tops and turning them in for cash to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Christine continues to serves on his board.
It's All GOOD! 