Native Drums
Explore the powerful symbolism of drums in African American culture, once tools of communication and resistance during the darkest times of slavery. We confront the lingering shadows of economic exploitation and the pervasive influence of media and religion in controlling black narratives. Let’s reexamine the role of the black church and its mission to fight systemic injustices, urging a return to prophetic ministries that prioritize humanity and community over material wealth. This podcast episode is not just a reflection of the past but a call to action for the future, urging us to build a more just and liberated world.
Native Drums
How A Veteran Turned Counseling Into A Movement For Families
What does it take to rebuild the village around a family—practically, not just in words? We sat down with Representative Robert Williams to trace the journey from a fatherhood , to a comprehensive Families Engagement Program serving parents, youth, veterans, and seniors across the PEE DEE area. The throughline is simple and powerful: exposure, consistency, and community support can change a household’s trajectory.
We dive into school‑based mentoring where neighbors, not teachers, meet students where they are and open doors to real careers—medicine, broadcasting, public service, and the skilled trades. Sports mentoring in golf, tennis, and basketball becomes a training ground for discipline and teamwork. Monthly workshops focus on relationships, conflict reduction, and social skills that cut through online noise and reduce harmful peer dynamics. The program also champions youth volunteering to reintroduce a service mindset—small acts like carrying groceries or holding a door that rebuild trust and strengthen soft skills employers value.
Money skills anchor long‑term change. We unpack budgeting basics, habits for saving even small amounts, and the path from credit repair to homeownership so families can build equity and legacy. Environmental awareness projects at local schools connect daily choices to community health. And for those who served and those in their golden years, we highlight resources, VA benefits navigation, mental health support, ceremonies that honor service, and practical transportation to medical appointments and activities. With plans for dedicated vans and an annual October golf tournament funding the mission, this is a blueprint for making care visible.
If this vision of a living, working village resonates, share the episode with a friend, subscribe for more conversations like this, and leave a review to help others find the show. What’s one small action you’ll take this week to strengthen a family near you?
Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Native Drums. I'm Jocelia Williams sitting in for Reverend Dr. Ralph W. Canty Sr. here at uh the Savannah Grove Baptist Church. And here I have today as our special guest, Representative Robert Williams, House District 62. 62. You got it.
SPEAKER_01:You got it right. How are you? I'm doing well, and I hope you are.
SPEAKER_03:I am. I'm great. I'm great. It's wonderful to have you here with Native Drums. You're always on the uh radio show with me over at 105.1. Uh but um it's great to have you here today.
SPEAKER_01:I'm happy to be here. And thank you for the invite.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, you're so welcome. Now, we want to talk about your baby, which is the Families Engagement Program. We know that there's a lot of stuff going on in the State House, and we may talk a little bit about that, but I want to talk about the Families Engagement Program. And I mean it says empowering families, building stronger communities. So, what motivated you to begin this program?
SPEAKER_01:Wow. What a good question. What a good question. Well, what happened was back here in 1998, I started the Fatherhood and Families Engagement Program here in Florence. And basically I was tasked with uh reconnecting fathers back in the life of their kids through the court system. And we've been pulling young men from East Florence, West Florence, South Florence, North Florence. And we've been grouping up, coming together, doing curriculums on ways of taking care of their kids and taking care of their families. And that's where I first got the idea. I was working at Lee Correction Institution over there at the prison.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And when I was there, I was a counselor. I was a drug counselor. And I ran into a lot of men. I was in the part of 1,500 guys in the section in it called Florence. They got unit, they called the Florence Unit over at Lee Correction. And guys come to me all the time, you know, when I was counseling and sharing with me how they want to get involved in the life of their kids.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So once I left the prison, I started the Fatherhood and Families Engagement Program here in Florence here. So, and just to kind of speed things up, uh that started in 1998. I ended up, I was called off to war in 2004.
SPEAKER_03:Oh yes, you are a veteran. Yeah, I'm a veteran. Thank you for your service.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you so much. And 2004, 2005, I've been away, and then I came back. And as you know, 2008, this the economy went south. And doing that, we was transitioning, you know, because when I left, it didn't, it wasn't, when I came back, it was different.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:The the organization it was, you know, so we had different people. It kind of left people in charge, but you know, they don't take care of things. Like, you know. So uh to speed things up, and um several years after the the economy went south, we kind of kind of kind of shift. Matter of fact, my office was on Court Street. We ended up moving down to Florence Dollars and Tech, and that's currently where our office is at now. Okay. Uh at Florence Dollars and Tech. So this became a birth out of um, I just want to deal with families. I want to strengthen families. I want to make families whole. And what we did was, you know, we were focusing on fathers initially. And but when I went to court, talked to these judges, talked to these families, talked to these mothers, we we decided that we need to open it out to the entire family. Instead of just talking to guys, you get their side of it. But when you go to court, it's another is another side of the story, you know. And um, so we open it up to the entire family. So we do serve the entire family, the mother, the the father, as well as the child. And our focus is really on the youth in those, in those households, you know.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, wonderful. Because it says to empower, to educate, and equip families in the PD area and to build healthy relationships, become responsible citizens, and foster self-sufficiency. So that's a lot of work.
SPEAKER_01:It is, it is. It's a lot of work, but I think if we can get families to the point where they can support one another, take care of one another within that house structure, you know, um, and and giving giving some of these ladies support because, you know, for for many, many years and still now today, women take take the load. They carry, they carry the load. Yes, and you know it. They carry the load. So, but just think about how better life can be if they had that additional support within that household. You know, that additional income, that additional emotional support, that additional physical and spiritual support. How how how would that family look then? You know, so so it's always better to, you know, to have the income of two than one.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, yes. And when all entities are working together as one unit, yes, it makes a little lighter for everybody.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. And and and it also helped the kid to to to kind of get on some standing where you know they don't have to struggle, they don't have to do all the things that kids do in order to survive and to make it, you know, make it in life. Giving them security. Exactly.
SPEAKER_03:Security that they need. So you said that um youth services is one of your main focuses. So I know that you, you and your um staff or the people that work with you. I do know of um uh some of the ladies and gentlemen that go with you to the different schools. So let's talk about that, about um your visiting, your visitations to the schools in the PD.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Um, yeah, well, we certainly are in different schools. We go there to talk with the youth, um, where they are at, basically. But we're there to supply to supply and to give them guidance. We're not teachers. That's right. We're community people who are volunteering our time to go into schools and to talk with youth about some of the struggles that they're having, some of the things that they are dealing with, but also to give them that village outlook. Right. You know, because we are a village, and sometimes, you know, our youth nowadays, you know, they use social media as their village, part of their village.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:But in reality, we have to, you know, back in the day there was a church, there was there was the pastor at the church, there was a school, there was there was the principal at the school, or counselor at the school. In the community, we had somebody who was running a grocery store or something, working in the store, you know, somebody the neighbors, and neighbors, your neighbors, you know. So that community aspect, we we kind of lost, we kind of lost that because now people don't know their neighbors. You're right. When one time when I was coming up, you know, our neighbors helped take care of us. That's right. And then when we get out of line, you know, they put us, they put us back in check. Yes, they did. Yeah, but now, you know, people don't even know who living next door.
SPEAKER_03:You're right. You're exactly right. Um, I can remember growing up, we knew the neighbor, everybody on each block, the block to the left, the block to the right, the block in front of, because we lived on the corner, the block in front, and behind us, and on the next street. That's right. But now I know my the one, the neighbor next door, and the neighbor on this side.
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_03:But the rest of the street, I do not know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I remember years ago when when I was small, and uh I my father was uh he was an all-around guy, so we used to we used to kill hogs. Okay. You don't know about that. No. We used to kill hogs, and not only that, we used to farm. You know, we used to plant beans and peas and corn. And and and when we do, and when we harvest that, when we kill hogs, we we make sure our neighbors have you know we share what we had. So so um It's like we need to go back to that. Hey, hey, the way things are going today. Yeah, but those were those were the good old days where you know um people share you know what they had. And they didn't have much, but the little bit they did have, they share with others. That's right. You know, wow. You know, you you'll be amazed how uh a bucket of peas or beans can, you know, do to a family that don't have anything. That's right. You know, so but we came up came up in that kind of environment.
SPEAKER_03:Right, right. So what um are the reactions of the children when you all go into the schools to visit?
SPEAKER_01:What you know receive you. Well, the kids, matter of fact, we we're we just went into Williams today.
SPEAKER_03:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:And, you know, at first they were a little apprehensive, but once we did our icebreaker, okay, you know, kind of get to know them, you know, share names and you know, about the person, they they begin to open up. Kids, kids are curious, you know, they may not say much, but they're they're watching and hearing and listening to whatever you're saying. And uh you may think they're not listening, and they may appear that they're not listening, but they are listening to whatever you say. And some hear it and some don't. You know, I I my I took my grandson with me today. He's in he's in 11th grade, and I had him to kind of share with the group.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, great.
SPEAKER_01:Because they're they're close to the age, so they connect, you know. That's right. You know, they can connect because in terms of what's going on in the world. So, but usually the kids are receptive, they they they're open, they want to know. And and and as I share with them today, you know, we're there to to expose them to the things that that they may not know.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:And I told them today, I said, I wish I had someone when I was in the seventh and eighth grade to come by and tell me about the different options of job, career that I could have gone into. Right. Because, you know, you you don't really, at that age, you really don't be thinking about the future or what or what's what you want to be or what you want to do. Some people, some kids do, but for the most part, a large portion of the kids don't even be thinking about that. That's right. But I, you know, I think if I had that opportunity, there's no telling what I would have been. I could have been a doctor, I could have been an engineer, I could have been a pilot, uh, you know, uh any any other any other career options, you know. But I think as soon as we can give these kids exposure to these different career options, and and and and we also do do that through sports.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we do you know, because we we know that kids who are in sports have a tendency to hear things better. And and and they you know, they exercise that through they wanna they want to trying to please their coach. They want to they want to do the right thing, you know. So we have we have um a piece of our program deals with the different sports involvement and just just giving them the basics of golfing, you know. Okay. The basic of playing tennis, the basics of playing basketball. You know, we're not trying to make them professionals, but we want to expose them. And hopefully, you know, when they get in high school, they're they'll end up falling in some of those tracks.
SPEAKER_03:That sounds great. Um planting that seed.
SPEAKER_01:Planting that seed.
SPEAKER_03:Planting that seed.
SPEAKER_01:Planting that seed.
SPEAKER_03:And I noticed that you um listed golfing first. Yes. We'll talk about that. We'll talk about that later before we uh leave. But um, yeah, planting that seed is what's needed and the exposure.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly.
SPEAKER_03:You're right, you're right. Um so I see here uh in your core services for youth, you have um fitness and training, as you said, which represents your your sports mentoring, guiding it, so that's when you're going into the schools. What other different um activities that you may have over the course of the year for young people where you can mentor them or they can come and be active in a situation?
SPEAKER_01:Well, well, well, I just told our staff that, you know, coming up, maybe we maybe we're gonna start this beginning of the year, but each month I wanna I wanna do a workshop or seminar for our youth on something that um they may not know, something they may know. But bring in the experts to to that deals with these issues that that we're gonna be talking about from month to month. Do a do a little breakfast with them, just to kind of do a little social ming mingling and and kind of get to know them and get and and them get to know each other. But I think we need to make sure our kids know each other. And I think that's very important at an early age, because if they don't, they become they become fighting against each other. You know, we we we've been having some shootings and all around us, you know, just recently, within the last week or two, you know. Um so I think we have to teach our kids how to get along. We we talk about relationships, how to build stronger relationships, not only with your family, with people outside of your family. That's right. You gotta be able to socialize, you know. And and I know sometimes the social media is not a good place to do that, but it is there and and and we have to make good of it, you know, because social media can be good or bad. It all depends on what side of the fence you are. That's right. So, you know, because so we want to we need to teach our kids um how to get along, how to work together, how to work as a team in order to accomplish certain goals.
SPEAKER_03:Right, right. So now here I see you have youth volunteer programs where you encourage the youth to give back to the community and gaining valuable work experience. Let's talk about that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, you know, I I think it's important, it's very important that we teach our kids they don't have to get paid for everything they do.
SPEAKER_03:That's right, yes, that's right.
SPEAKER_01:You know, we, you know, we you know, we're coming up in a money society, but we have to we have to train them and give them those skills saying that look, for every task you do, mama shouldn't have to pay you to take out the trash. Mama shouldn't have to have to pay you to pick up your clothes, your dirty clothes, and put them in in the dirty dumpster. But there's responsibility that we have to really charge our kids with in terms of teaching them to give back. And and not only not only inside of the house of giving back, but outside of the house. Do something for somebody. Help some lady to take her groceries to her car. Right. Open the car door, open the door to the to the store. You you seeing you seeing someone walking in into the store, let them walk first. Open the door and let her go in first. You know, you don't have to be the first one in and and don't even hold the door. Just basic things that we done kind of kind of got away from as a society and as human beings, you know. Um, we just kind of forgot about what we should be doing.
SPEAKER_03:Just teaching them basic manners.
SPEAKER_01:Basic, basic manners, basic manners, basic respect, you know? Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, yes. So this is good, this is good. Now let's go to our community programs. Financial literacy, oh my goodness. I financial literacy is needed. I found that a young among our young men, um, that financial literacy, at least I have I um run into a couple of situations lately with young men who need that financial literacy. They it's like they they can't grasp what it is that they need to do in order to line their finances up.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, I think I think our problem as young men, especially young black males, is just that, you know, we don't understand budgeting. You know, we just don't know what it is because we we spend, we buy, we purchase, and we spend and we we get, but whatever we get, we spend. So I think I think there are times when we just spend what we have without trying to, you know, let it last so that we can, you know, always have something, but we'll spend all we have, and then you know, so and and money has become an object where folks want it more and more, especially when you don't have it. Especially when kids see other kids have it and they don't have it, they want it and they want to try to get it. So I think and and and and I know that writing checks, that's basic stuff, like writing checks or using a debit card, you know, sometimes our kids just don't know because we haven't really been taught the basics of how to handle money in in a greater sense.
SPEAKER_03:Right, right, right. So this is good able to train um the children, train families how to manage their money, budget to build wealth for themselves and for their families. Um even um like the person my mom, and I was talking to um, I think I was talking to Cash about this, how my mom she didn't tell me, but she showed me my example as to how to um have something for the legacies. Right, you know, and so um at uh when she passed, all of my children had land or money or something that she left to them as well as myself. So she showed me by example what I needed to do. So now, praise God, I'm trying to work on that for my grandbabies. The same thing. So I think that if we as adults would um embrace that teaching and begin, even if you don't talk to the children, but we we do need to talk to them, but show them by example as um to what it is that needs to be done, even with saving. Yeah, and you know, um, because some of us, if you save five dollars a week, you know, you'll be surprised what you know what you and that's so important.
SPEAKER_01:That's so important, but but we don't do enough of it. Yeah, you know. Some of us do it, don't get me wrong. That's right. Some of us some some folks do it, but you know, when you don't have, you don't have. And it's hard to do it when you don't have.
SPEAKER_03:You don't have. You're right, you're right, because I've been there too.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so so but if you have, you gotta know how how to do it. And it's always good to to see a sermon than to hear one.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, yes.
SPEAKER_01:So your your mom showed you a sermon, you know, then then told you about one. But you know, so so we learn more by by doing, by doing than than than we hear. So, so that's that's that was a great, that was a great example that you just shared. That kids can benefit from. But if but everybody don't have a mother like yours, you know, and everybody's not you. So, you know, you know, so so therefore that means you know, it go it goes lacking. It goes lacking when you don't have when you don't have that.
SPEAKER_03:And that's where that that um instruction comes in. Because even if you can say 50 cents, you know? Yeah, yeah. Now, rebuilding credit and home ownership. That's one of your other entity programs you have on here.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, well, we you know, one of the things that we're facing within our communities is that we do a lot of renting instead of owning. You know, we you know, we rent trailers, we rent houses, you know. And we don't own those things. You know, we we have to put our position in, uh ourselves in the position of start starting to own stuff. But you can't, you just like you said in the earlier, you can it's it's gonna be very difficult to own when you're spending everything you got.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You know, it it takes, you know, and if you're not in it for a long period of time, you know. Um so so it's so important to to make sure that, you know, when we're talking about home ownership and and stuff like that, you got to have a goal. You got to set, you got to set goals and and and work towards those goals, you know. Right. Because a lot of times we'll we'll start something, but we won't finish. Oh, we'll make a good start now. We'll we'll we'll you know, we'll do about we'll we'll we'll we'll start on it, we'll start paying for a house for about 15 years, and after 15, 20 years, then we wanna we wanna, oh man, I need to do something different. But that's the time you really need to stick and stay because you don't have a 30-year mortgage. You know, you got 25, and if you and if you be consistent and double pay it, you can even pay it off before the 30 years. So so we have to teach ownership. We have to, you know, help folks to realize that they can own these things instead of just renting these things from from others.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, yes. All right. Now, you I everyone, they have so many different programs. Here's the family, safe driving classes, an environmental awareness and protection. Now, that environmental awareness, that's something that um our government is not really pro environment.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. Well, I I yeah. And what we did was um, and if you ever have a chance to go to Dollarton Middle School, we have an outside um uh we have an outside piece where we we we deal with the environment. And it falls under, you know, I kind of started it and and and broader future is is the name of the organization that that kind of helps run that. Dr. Dr. Frederick, uh Jim Frederick actually kind of spearhead that um over here at at the Dollington Middle School. But but the environmental the environment is very important. I know different people have different views about the environment, but I believe that if we can take care of our environment, that means we can live longer. Not only that, we can the earth can, you know, be consistent, but when we start destroying our environment by any means, and that's why I hate when people just literally throw paper down on the ground, a uh soda cap on the ground, you know, who they expecting to pick it up? Who who you gonna pay to pick it up, you know? And then we worry about taxes, because well, if you're gonna if you're gonna be throwing this down, somebody gotta somebody gotta pick it up. But the thing is, you know, with that in mind, you know, when we throw things down on the ground, when we trash our places or trash our highways, somebody, somebody gotta go around and and pick that up. If not, the animals will start picking it up and eating it. And they'll die from the process, you know, within large stuff in their system, you know, and and and and you'll see them pass, you know, you'll see them dying eventually out. The fishes in the in the water, you know, uh the the birds, you know.
SPEAKER_03:The squirrels, hold on the squirrels, because something's going on with these squirrels. They are not as healthy as they used to be. I've watched them.
SPEAKER_01:I'm telling you, so they're they're getting they're getting they're eating some of the stuff that we we just throw out, which is not good for them.
SPEAKER_03:Oh my goodness. So um teaching families how to protect the environment, that's great. And you did talk about job um job training um previously, uh a little bit. You talked a little bit on that. So how do you all um facilitate that?
SPEAKER_01:The job training? Yes. Well, basically through the exposure, you know, we um we want to try to work with the kids or have them to be with, you know, for example, if they want to, if if if a kid wants to be a doctor or dentist, yeah, you know, we would try to connect them with just sitting in the, you know, just walking with them throughout the day, just to kind of get exposed of what dentist, what, what, you know, and almost, and I know I know the different schools do it um once or twice a year, where they allow the student to to go where where the profession is at.
SPEAKER_03:They do because they come to the radio station. Oh, okay. So you have and I spend they spend the day, you know, several hours. So I'll let them produce the produce a segment. Okay, okay. And I'll play it on the radio on Saturdays. Yes, yeah. So so exactly.
SPEAKER_01:So that's that's the kind of mirroring we are trying to do and and and to try to so kids can get the real live experience in on on what they really want to do in life, what they want to be.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, that's like um going to the shadowing, go into the state house and spend a couple of things.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, yes, in the legislature. Sure.
SPEAKER_01:To get a feel of what's going on, what's happening, and and and how the process works.
SPEAKER_03:Right, that's right, that's right, and that's good. That's good. Now, veterans and seniors, you have programs for veterans. Of course, you have programs for your veterans because you are a veteran. I am a veteran. I am a veteran.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so I'm a combat veteran at that.
SPEAKER_03:Wow. That's awesome, that's awesome. So let's talk about that, the veterans and senior programs that you have. Okay.
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, as I say, I'm a combat veteran. Um and and and after I came back from the war in 2005, you know, some of the guys that that served with me actually committed suicide.
SPEAKER_03:Oh my.
SPEAKER_01:Um, because it it was hard for them to readjust to our community after after spending 18 months in in you know, in an environment where they had to, you know, they had to kind of try to live. Oh wow. So and and and and as you know, veterans have one of the highest suicide rates in in in the country. You know, veterans, you know. Um because it it it's hard, you know, when they get over there and when we're in combat, we become really, really family. We really become really family, you know, because we depend on each other for the next day. You know. Our life depends on one another. I can't even imagine it. To live the next day, you know. And and you have to have someone who's really gonna protect your interest throughout the night, throughout the day, you know. So we become real close family in that type environment. And um, and when, and when, and when we came back, it was just so hard for some of them to readjust back. And they, and and sometimes, matter of fact, when I was over there, you know, we had to send some home because they wasn't fit for battle. Oh. Because they were thinking about home, their minds back here in the States, and we were over there fighting a war. Oh, wow. So they can make big mistakes. Big mistakes and put us, put everybody else in danger. That's right. So, so um, but anyway, so we want to, what we do actually, we have a chance of talking to veterans, trying to get veterans involved, trying to help them with their with their benefits. Um we we we connect them with the right resources that they need.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:You know, and kind of explain to them some of the services and benefits that they can receive just by being a veteran. Uh many, many, many of us suffer with PDSD, you know, you know. Um it go it goes and comes, but certainly those are the things that we want to try to help educate our veterans on. The VA has a a plethora of benefits. But if you don't know, you don't go. But you right. So if you don't know, you just suffer and and and never receive the benefits that that they have. So what we are doing, we're trying to um share that information with our veterans and kind of help them in the process, even uh through through their filing of claims and stuff like that. You know, so we have we have those connections and have people in place to help them.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, that's wonderful. That's wonderful. And last but not least, our seniors.
SPEAKER_01:Our seniors well, yeah, our seniors are, you know.
SPEAKER_03:You do have some seniors um helping. You and volunteer. Yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes.
SPEAKER_01:That's cool. Sure, sure. Well, seniors and babies. Okay. That's my high screen. Well, you know, because you know, they say um um once adult, twice a child.
SPEAKER_03:My my son tried to pull that on me on on Saturday at the PCAF store. Tried to pull that on me. You know what I told him? I said, back at you. He has children too.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. Yeah, well, you know, seniors are special people, you know. Right. Once you once you live to be a certain age, you know, um, I think I think the quality of life should be there for you. I I think people who are seniors shouldn't have to struggle and and do the things that they do to just to survive, just to live their last golden years in in agony. You know. You know, I I just think that um life is full of of happiness, you know, and and so what and what we do, we you know, we visit some of the senior places, senior centers. Matter of fact, um we we visit, you know, we there's some veterans in some of the senior centers that we'll plan programs for veterans' day. As Veterans Day comes up, you know, we'll be out doing different ceremonies and different programs with with with veterans, they're veterans, but also they're they're seniors, you know, they're senior individuals. And I just think that, you know, it it's the community um responsibility to help take care of our elderly.
SPEAKER_00:That's right.
SPEAKER_01:You know, um for those who taking care of us. So the least that we can do is to take care of them. And I I told my mom, when my my mom passed away about four, about four years ago. And um, and uh she always said, uh, um, y'all put me in the nursing home. No, no, no. Well, you know, we don't do that. We don't do that here, you know. Even though she felt that if she goes in a nursing home, she'd give up, she w she alleviate the hardship on us. But but she took care of us when we when we couldn't take care of ourselves. So why why would we want to put her in a nursing home when she can't take care of herself? So I we ended up, me and my brothers, we ended up taking care of our mom at the house. Oh wonderful. Yeah, until until her last day. Matter of fact, she yeah, to her last day, we we uh we were there to support her and her in her.
SPEAKER_03:Well, I'm with you on that. I did the same thing.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yes, yes. But everybody don't have that that that that mindset to do so of their parents. You know? After all these years, your parents, you know, raised you and did the best that they could for you, and then once they get to the point where they can't really take care of themselves, we want to stick them in a place.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like you say, they don't have that mindset, and you can even find siblings, you'll find one that'll have that mindset, and the others, one or two of them may come and help you.
SPEAKER_01:Then there are others who won't even look your way, or you know, I don't have time, or that's just the the the per individuality of people and how they think, how they and you would think family would be more succinct in terms of decision like that. Yes, because you're right, you're right. But but you're right. It just they're they're they're different.
SPEAKER_03:I was my mom's only child, so it was all on me, which was fine. Yes, yes, yes. And you did it with Grace. Uh, yes, and then I had my grandbaby, my um my children there. So they helped too, and my aunt would come down from Washington and help as well. Okay, that's good. We um we did it together. That's good.
SPEAKER_01:That's good. And that's what family's all about.
SPEAKER_03:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Supporting each other when we need you, when they need you.
SPEAKER_03:Amen. Amen. So families remember that. That's what it's about. Supporting each other when you're in need, when you're in need. Uh yes, because see here you include transportation, you take them to the medical appointments and go grocery shopping for two.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we we we we we transport when whenever we need to. Yes, you know. Um matter of fact, and I was just sharing with the guys, you know, we're we're gonna at some point, we're gonna purchase us, like I told them we need to purchase at least two vans.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:Just for transport, you know. Um, we can use one for our youth, and we can use the other for seniors. For seniors. Right, yeah. So, because there are there are youth who can't get to their practice or sports. If they're playing stuff, you know, you know, the family just they don't play, and they're good at at playing, it's just that they can't, they don't have transportation. That's it, that's it. And the same for for for seniors who may need to go to the doctor, or if and the family cannot really take them, but they do they really need to go. They instead of missing appointments, if they let us know, we'll be able to kind of get them there.
SPEAKER_03:That's great. That's great. Now, before we go, let's talk about your golf tournament. Oh. It's every year, it's an annual thing in October, right? Yes. So we just how you heard about that. Oh, you know. You got ears in the back of your head. I heard it every day at work. Which was awesome. I think Mark, um Mark did a great job.
SPEAKER_01:I'm just telling you, he's a great guy. He did a good job. You know, we had a blast. We um we were targeted for 25 teams. We had 23 teams. Okay, that's good. So it was a good crowd. We had a we we really had a phenomenal time. That's one. Yeah, we we really did. And um, so and everybody was well pleased, and the golf course was really nice. And the day, you couldn't pay for a day like that because the day was so beautiful. Oh wow. It was so beautiful. The weather, you know. That morning we started out, we teed out, we teed up around 8.15, but it was a little chilly coming up. But before by 10, 11 o'clock, you was taking off your jacket if you had one on, you know, you're just coming out of it. But it was a real, real good uh golf uh tournament. And certainly I I I thanked all the all the vendors and all the sponsors who really helped us pull this through. Yes. So we had a really great time.
SPEAKER_03:Great, wonderful. And that was a support of a family's engagement program.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly.
SPEAKER_03:Exactly.
SPEAKER_01:Well, speaking of that, you know, I I bought you a shirt because I want to make sure I wanted to make sure you wear it now. You gotta, you can't just get a uh a golf shirt without wearing it. That is that is our emblem. Oh, how nice engagement program. And as you can see, the family.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, that's right. Yeah. This is so nice.
SPEAKER_01:And that's supposed to be a cross.
SPEAKER_03:It is, I was about to say that.
SPEAKER_01:It's a cross, but the other portion is the it should be a hand. See, if you look at that, that's the hand that holding the family together.
SPEAKER_03:My goodness. Oh, thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01:And I also bought one for Dr. Canty. Okay. I can't leave him up. Okay. Because the last time I saw him, I saw him at at the funeral of um um who funeral was it? It was at idea funeral home of my good friend um.
SPEAKER_03:Um Allen? Garnett Allen?
SPEAKER_01:Garnet Allen. Yeah, Garnet was my friend. He was a good friend of mine, and uh I saw Dr. Kennedy there.
SPEAKER_03:There. Well, I'll make sure that he gets this. Please do. Thank you so much, and I'm gonna put mine on tomorrow. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Now, when you put it on, you gotta do it. Okay, send it to me to verify and not and I need to send it, I need to send it out on my social media and say, look. Well, I will do that.
SPEAKER_03:Okay. I will do that. Oh, and this has been enjoyable. Well, thank you. Thank you so much, and you have um really enlightened us on the family's engagement program. And so if anyone um needs to talk with you in reference to this, how can they get in contact with it?
SPEAKER_01:Well, certainly, um Tony Stevenson is our executive director. Okay. Um, and and pretty much he can answer any of your questions or anything that you may have. But they can contact us at familyengagement.com. Okay. It's a website, you know, we've got a website, but also they can call the office. The office number is 843 413 2790.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:And there's a young lady there named Effie Tempsen who will answer the phone, who will be glad to speak with you on any matters about about the organization or about anything that that you have questions on.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, wonderful, wonderful. Well, thank you so much for coming to to spend time with us here at Native Drums.
SPEAKER_01:Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_03:And um, I'll look forward to you coming to my radio show so we can talk about what's going on in the legislature. All right.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I'll be happy, more than happy to.
SPEAKER_03:All right, all right. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, everyone, for joining us here at Native Drums. This is Jocelia Williams sitting in for the Reverend Dr. Ralph W. Canty here at the Savannah Grove Baptist Church.