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Mother Hope
 Hope
Whitlock, born in 1920, is the inspiration for A Place for
Hope's name. Mrs. Whitlock was raised the daughter of Chester
sharecroppers. She tells us that she worked in the cotton fields
most of her life. That memory, she states, is not a happy one.
She is glad to be "out of the fields." She adds wood to the stove in
her living room. Joining us in the warmth are several grandchildren,
nieces and nephews, in-laws, and neighbors. They sit and share
friendship, food, and spirit. They do not know a stranger.
Mrs. Whitlock is the mother of seven. She
and her husband moved from the cottonfields of Richburg, SC to Rock Hill
in 1963. Her four-room home was built by hand by her
late husband. Ripped screens, broken glass, rust, and roosters used
to be
the landscape. An occasional destitute, broken addict wanders by...a wasted
life. The children see and learn. There are no questions asked, all
are family here. The residents sleep in shifts because of the
limited space. Hope's home is the heart of the Blackmon Road
community, where folks in need stop for a hot meal, or a drink of
water, or a moment's rest. The door of her home on Blackmon Road is
always open.
A steady stream of children, mostly small, and many her own
grand-children or great-grand-children, gather around the small
wood-stove today. It's about this. These faces tell of the "hope"
only a toddler can believe or comprehend.
Our world of peace begins with one person...one soul at a time. We need not travel to distant shores to witness the brutality of poverty.
Nor, do we need to wait for some "Golden Opportunity" to reveal
itself...to affect change. The Change starts...NOW
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We
need basic water and sewer service...
