August 20, 2025 • 59 mins
Miss Betty Smith shares her incredible journey from childhood poverty to creating a state-of-the-art arts education center that transforms young lives in Canton, Ohio. At 84, she dances in parades, leads drumlines, and builds programs that give children alternatives to gang recruitment, serving as a living example that age is no barrier to making a meaningful impact.
• Grew up "dirt poor" but rich in love, with a mother who taught her that "living is giving"
• Organized neighborhood activities and music programs from a young age, unknowingly preparing for her life's mission
• Moved to Chicago at 18, facing weight discrimination that inspired her commitment to healthy living
• Built recovery homes for women with children battling addiction in Chicago
• Managed programs with Catholic Charities serving over 1,100 people
• Established Multi-Development Services in Canton, creating homeless shelters and transitional housing
• Recently opened the Enrichment Arts Education Center, serving children from 77 different schools with free programming
• Partners with juvenile courts to provide alternative programming for youth with misdemeanors
• Believes firmly that "there's no such thing as a bad child" and that every young person can succeed with proper support
• Emphasizes both discipline and love in her approach to working with youth
Visit the Enrichment Arts Education Center at 901 Market North in Canton, Ohio to see how Betty and her team are changing lives through the arts.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Welcome to Real Talk with Tina and Anne.
I am Anne, and Tina will beback soon.
Today, we are having Miss BettySmith on our program, and she
is not like any other woman thatI've ever met or heard of
before.
Honestly, miss Betty, I amhonored to have you on Real Talk
.
This is a place where we talkabout uplifting stories, and
(00:44):
yours is definitely one.
I've met you before and I wasable to interview you, but it
was years and years ago and Ihave to tell you, though, I
never forgot you.
You really, really left animpression on my heart and me
wanting to make a difference inother people's lives, so I want
(01:09):
to thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
You're welcome.
Thank you for having me on yourshow.
I feel very honored andprivileged to be on your show.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
You know, I saw you in a parade the other day and
your energy was like off thecharts and I saw a post that you
put up that said that you madeit.
You know 2.2 miles and I wouldsay that you actually danced 2.2
miles.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I had so much fun and you know what, and I was so
blessed to be able to do it,because I didn't know if I could
, because I had the emergencyopen heart surgery in February
and then I broke a toe and thenJuly I was in ER for dehydration
(01:56):
and I said I am going to dothis parade.
So that's why I put the post up, that I made it the whole time
with the kids and dancing to thecadences and just had a great
time.
Yeah, I could tell.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I could tell you have such a childlike spirit and
your energy is so infectious.
I mean, what has made you thisway?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
And I've always been very involved in athletics and
exercise and everything.
From a small girl I used toturn cartwheels I don't know
what the kids call them today,we call them cartwheels and my
mother used to say every timeI'm looking for you, you're
upside down.
And I had all this energy andshe's trying to corral me with
(02:44):
all this energy so I used a lotof that energy to work with the
young kids in my neighborhood.
I mean we were very poor andgrowing up I mean we were dirt
poor.
I didn't know we were so poorbecause we had a lot of love and
my mother's house was open toany and everybody.
She had seven children.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
My dad died when she was.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
She was a widow at 28 .
And God did bless her with ahusband five years later.
He was 20 years older than herbut he was wonderful to us and
there were seven of us.
But to say all that, we justhad a lot of people in our yard
and you know, we only had a twobedroom home.
But I told mother, every pieceof furniture is a bed.
(03:27):
We could pull out the chairsand the sofas and then in those
days you could sleep outside youknow it was warm and it was
safe.
So in the summer we just putblankets outside and sleep
outside, and so I just had.
I always had a lot of energy.
You know, probably in that daythey might have said I was ADHD
(03:47):
or something.
You know, ADD because I had somuch energy.
But I was always wanted to bebusy and I always worked with
the young people, even though Iwas young, Right, but I always
gathered them together, you know, and did something, not
realizing this was going to be.
This was the calling on my life.
Yeah, I just feel like God waspreparing me for what I'm doing
(04:08):
now.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Really, you know, yeah, I was just going to say
how you always had a connectionwith kids.
I mean, I can remember it yearsago and I can definitely see it
now.
I mean they respect you, theylook to you, they listen to you
and you know that's reallysaying something in this day and
age.
So I mean, what makes it sothat connection is there with
(04:33):
the young people?
Where did it originate, wouldyou say it happened when you
were younger.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
When I was younger and I would gather all the kids
together.
I just wanted to be busy, andso they were doing nothing and
I'm like, okay, let's do this.
And I would plan little thingsand I'd make little invitations
on cards and pass them out tothe kids in the neighborhood and
then I'd say, well, what do youwant to do?
And we just did a lot of thingstogether, some of the things
(05:03):
the kids don't even do together.
We played something calledjacks you know where you have
these jacks and then you throwthe ball and you catch them and
all that stuff.
And then we made our own littlescooters and we had boxcar
racing.
You build your own boxcar.
So we didn't have money, so wehad to do the best we could with
what we had and a lot of thisteamwork, you know, with the
(05:25):
kids and imagination.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Imagination I mean most definitely what a lot of
kids are lacking today becauseof social media and everything
else that's going on.
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
And then you know also, um, I loved music, I
always loved music.
And so I remember I started mymother, like I said, my mother,
she just she was a domestic kid,she would just get extra jobs
and she bought me a pianobecause I'd be taking my
fingernails and clicking onglass and you know, trying to
sing with that, you know thatsound of the glass.
(06:01):
And so I heard her say I wantto get her a piano, that sound
of the glass.
And so I heard her say I wantto hear a piano.
So she took an extra job tomake $50 to buy me this upright
piano.
And so I played by ear.
I could hear a song and then Iwould sit down and play it and
the kids would come in and sing.
And so we belong to church.
And so I started a little choirat the church and so this music
(06:25):
has been part of me all my life.
And then, when I started takinglessons, I played clarinet, I
was in the orchestra, I was inthe marching band, I was also in
a choir and we had a littlegroup called Four Jacks and I
was Jill.
So it was Four Jacks and a Jill.
That's awesome, listen, ann.
(06:45):
We were good.
We even eventually joined theunion, and at that time the
union was.
We played three hours and ourrate of pay was $3.33 an hour.
Oh my, goodness.
But with that little money, youknow, I could help mother buy my
school books and things likethat, you know.
So music, that's why I'm inmusic now.
(07:06):
It's been a part of me, it keptme grounded and it got kids off
the street and we sing and webelonged, you know, with every
kind of.
There was a talent show orsomething at the school.
We participated, you know, andwe just did fun, yeah, yeah.
So it all started.
See, I always tell young peopleyou don't know sometimes why
(07:26):
you do what you do, but it'syou'll be planning.
I think God is planning to seefor what's going to be happening
later in your life, amen.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
So just embrace those things you know, I say it all
the time Absolutely, I mean.
Everything is a stepping stoneto where we're going.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I believe that most definitely.
And so that's you know, that'show, from a young girl, you know
, 10, 11 years old, and thengoing into music, getting to the
high school and the band andswing band, and all you know, we
had swing band too.
I forgot about that, but I wasin all the music things.
And then I also was in sports.
I love basketball, but you know, and in those days women played
(08:05):
on a half court and you couldonly dribble the ball two times,
you know, because women are notsupposed to be doing sports,
right, right.
So you get a half court and Isaid I'll play the full court
and they said no, no, no, youcan only do half.
And so it was reallyfrustrating for me, you know,
because two steps you onlydribble to the wall twice, then
(08:30):
you have to pass it.
I know anybody listening tothis will probably say this is
crazy, you know.
But I mean that's, that'sreally the way it was.
We did that, but anyway, it'sjust so.
You know all of those things insports and so, and then I ran
track when I was in school Okay,so I've always been busy and
athletic, you know.
And then I got into the healthyeating thing, and I'm not even
(08:52):
sure where that started.
I used to be very heavy.
I used to weigh like 167 poundsand all growing up I was heavy,
even though I was active, Okay.
But when I turned 18 and movedto Chicago with my aunt, you
know, it was hard for me to finda job because in those days
they really discriminated If youwere heavy.
They didn't want me to be thereceptionist.
(09:14):
I'm serious.
And I had one gentleman say youneed to lose some weight and I
said excuse me.
And he says well, you know youdon't want to.
A boss doesn't want a real heavyreceptionist sitting at the
desk.
And it was like wow.
So I went on a diet.
I went on a diet although Ineeded to lose weight because it
(09:37):
wasn't healthy, you know Right.
But I lost the weight and Iliked the way I looked.
I said, well, I do look better,I do feel better.
But how dare you say you won'thire me because I'm heavy?
But in those days you could doit and get by.
Couldn't do that today,discriminate.
But I lost the weight and I keptit off and then I really got
into eating healthy and saying,oh, I shouldn't be eating this
(10:01):
and oh, this is really.
Oh, I need to eat more fruit.
Oh, I need to drink more water.
Okay, and that's kind of beenpart of me, you know, from like
age 18.
Now, that doesn't mean that Idon't sometimes eat French fries
or a piece of cake or something.
You know I'm not that strict.
(10:23):
A lot of people today arereally strict and I'm not.
No, no, I do moderation, youknow, in what I eat and try to
keep my weight down.
But I'm active and I'm glad Iam because, see, because now I'm
working with these children andthe drum line, and I marched
with the drum line.
So I told him.
I said I always try to be theexample.
I said now I'm 84.
And I said if I can do this,you can do this.
(10:43):
Don't let me out, do you?
And sometimes I still can withthe young people.
You know, I worked out withthem when they were practicing
for the grand parade and some ofthem they were winded and I'm
like, wait a minute, I'm nothuffing and puffing, come on,
young people.
But see, our young people todaydon't take care of themselves
(11:05):
the way they should.
They don't eat healthy, they doa lot of fast foods, they do a
lot of sugar, these energydrinks terrible, it's just
terrible.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Horrible.
Yeah, I don't let my kids touchthem, right.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
No Good for you, they shouldn't.
So you know, I just give backwhat I have.
I use the experiences that Ihad when I was growing up and
things, and just try to maketheir life better.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Well, you were disciplined.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
You know, yeah, yeah, and I did it.
I had a wonderful mother, youknow.
She worked very hard and sheinstilled good values in us and
I remember she was domestic andI used to go to work with her
and we'd be on our hands andknees scrubbing floors and
cleaning toilets and stuff andshe always say, oh, you missed a
spot, go back and do it again,any job worth doing is worth
(11:52):
doing it right the first time.
So she taught me so much, somuch from her, you know, and she
only had 10th grade education,but she was very wise, very wise
woman and she taught us thatliving is giving.
I love that, yeah, and I say,mom, you can't afford to do that
(12:12):
.
She said God will give it backto me, don't worry, we can feed
another person, I can help thisperson.
And she never wanted to doanything, she just didn't.
So that's instilled in me and alot of my siblings.
You know you, you give and godwill give it back to you.
You know you might, and so thisis from from a young child up
(12:32):
to me now, at this age and stillworking with young people, and
I love it.
It keeps me young.
You know, even when I had myhealth issues and everything, I
bounced back Because I said mywork's not finished.
I'm still there.
It's about your outlook?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yes, Definitely.
You know.
When you mentioned how you wentto Chicago to live with your
aunt, that's where a lot of thisoriginated.
Isn't that correct, where youjust started doing a lot of
these things in Chicago?
I mean, what exactly were youable to start there?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Well, you know, some of it started when I was in my
hometown of Logan Sport, indiana, working with the youth in the
choir.
I played piano and the littlesmall organ for my church and
you know I had theadministrative skills that I
didn't even realize what I had.
I always loved to play school.
(13:30):
After school was out, I set upmy own school and my mom always
said what are you doing?
I said I'm playing school, I'mgoing to have the kids over and
we're going to have math, I'mgoing to do English and I'm like
and I, you know, I had fun,right, you know, again, that was
another thing that prepared mefor where I am.
So when I moved to Chicago at18, then I got involved with a
(13:52):
small church at the time and Igot involved with their choir.
The church had less than 100members and the church grew and
grew and I was able to work withthe church and with the pastor
and I learned so much aboutmusic and about administration
more than what I ever thoughtI'd learn.
Our church grew to 25,000members.
(14:15):
Oh my gosh, less than 100 to25,000.
Bishop Arthur M Brazier, may herest in peace.
He was like my father.
My mother said take care of mydaughter.
She's young, she's here inChicago and he became like my
father and his family becamelike my family.
But we went to 25,000 membersoh my gosh Built a mega church.
(14:39):
It's still there.
He's passed away.
His son pastors it now and Itell you, I've had so much
experience in there, workingwith the choir, working with the
.
We worked with a group calledthe Sinfonietta.
They were part of the ChicagoSymphony and I got to work with
(14:59):
them.
I got to meet the person thatstarted it.
I had so much exposure.
I had a television show.
I started a recovery home inChicago for women that had
children and they were on drugs.
I started that.
I became a model for the statecalled Forever Free and I worked
(15:20):
with Catholic charities for 28years and we had a major
department there where I workedwith children.
I worked with CatholicCharities for 28 years and we
had a major department therewhere I worked with children.
I worked with senior citizens.
They gave me full range tocreate programs and they said
now you have to raise the money,you can create them.
And I did that and I did that,like I said, for 28 years and it
(15:44):
was just phenomenal.
I was still working with mychurch and I worked with young
people in my agency.
The city gave us money in thesummer and I might have 200 kids
working for me.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
I had a senior program.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I had 150 seniors that worked for me and the
biggest program I had.
It was under what they calledCETA Comprehensive Employment
Training Act and I remember onenight my boss called me and it
was like 10 o'clock.
He said, betty, I'm going to goafter a contract, but it's
going to be major if we get itand I need to know, think you
(16:20):
can handle it because we'll haveto hit the ground running and
get it set up in 30 days.
And I said, of course I can,you know.
So sure enough, he got.
It was like 1.2 million.
We had 1100 people that workedfor us.
I set up 110 work sites and Ihad I had 40 staff and I put
(16:44):
that together in 30 days.
I worked day and night and puttogether a dynamite staff.
We had 1,100, I'm telling you1,100.
And it was just for a shortperiod of time, in the summer,
and I look back now and I'm likewe do it, but I had a great
staff.
I'm still in touch with some ofthose people today.
(17:05):
That's amazing.
Yeah, that worked with me.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Great people follow you, it seems like.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I mean, you're a miracle maker.
You know what?
God is the head of my life andI love people.
I love working with people, Ilike challenges, I like to be
able to be creative and surroundmyself with people that are
creative and just want anopportunity to work and have
good work ethics.
Right, don't know everything,so you find people that know
(17:38):
what you don't know and then youmake a team, then you come
together and you could do somuch.
My person can't do it all.
Some people think, oh, I can dothis.
No, no, you can't and you'llsoon burn out, which I went
through.
That too burnout.
But when you surround yourselfwith people that know things
(18:00):
that you don't know, then youmake a team.
That's what good management is.
It's building the team ofpeople around you that have
skills that you don't have, andthat's what I've always done.
I can always learn fromsomebody else.
I don't know it all.
I don't pretend to know it all.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Could you tell my nine-year-old that right now,
because she tells me don't knowit all.
I don't pretend to know it all.
Could you tell my nine-year-oldthat right now, because she
tells me that she knows it all,isn't?
It funny the older you get, theless you know, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
You know, I tell my young people I said I'm still
learning.
I say every day I'm going tolearn something new, I want to
challenge myself.
I said you never know too muchand there's so much knowledge
out there that you can acquire.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I'm always researching, learn from other
people, yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Learn from other people.
So you know, I told her yeah,do that.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
So that's been my life, you know when you talk
about people that you'vesurrounded yourself with, not to
name drop, but I think one ofthe people that you know might
be Oprah Winfrey.
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Well, you know, when I opened my recovery home, I
remember I was, I was I wasvisiting with my mother and I
got a phone call from my staff.
They said we got a call fromOprah Winfrey's office and she
wants to put some of the ladiesfrom our recovery home on TV.
Can you get back here?
So I went back and I talkedwith the producer of her show
(19:33):
and she said we were not exactlysure how Oprah wants to
construct this whole show, butI'll be in touch.
So they did, and so we got on.
I went on the show and thenOprah was there and she had the
ladies on the show and I got,you know, talk with her and I
met with her and so she was verynice, very, very nice, very,
(20:03):
very nice and she kind ofchanged some of the things from
what we were doing and, um, Isaid, wow, this is really
phenomenal, we know what she'sdoing.
And it was on that particularshow where over said you know, I
tried a little drugs when I wasyounger.
And that was the first time shesaid she had ever told anybody
that she tried drugs.
It's because the women on myshow, you know, were recovering
(20:25):
from drugs.
Yeah, they were so transparent,yeah.
And so afterwards we got achance to shake her hand and to
talk with her.
But I tell you, the person thatI met, who I'm still friends
with today, was Michael Jordan'smother, dolores.
She came by the recovery homeand she fell in love with the
(20:45):
children.
She fell in love with thechildren, she fell in love with
the children and we just hit itoff.
She was just wonderful.
I was invited to a party thatMichael had and I talked with
him.
I talked with Michael and Isaid you know you're, I admire
you, you're such an awesomebasketball player.
(21:07):
I said, but I'll tell you who Iadmire more your mom.
I said she's the mom.
I said she's so wonderful, shecomes by the recovery home and
everything.
And then at that, then at thatat time, his sister was in my
choir.
I said and your sister sings inmy choir, he says, oh good,
that's good for her.
(21:28):
And I said, well, you need tocome by sometime.
And so that was my encounterwith my.
And so when I moved to Canton,mrs Jordan, she came several
times to support me in theprograms that I have.
Oh, wow, okay, yeah, she's beenhere.
And then I saw her in June.
I saw her in June when I was inChicago and I hadn't seen her
(21:52):
in a while and I hadn't spokenwith her, and so I said, oh wow.
I said this is just wonderful.
So anyway, she said, betty, I'mstill working over in Africa
and she's building this I thinkit's a medical center and I
think she was just aboutfinished with it.
And I said, well, you know, wekind of lost touch.
(22:14):
So she made sure I got hernumber, so, if I can call her,
but she's just a wonderful woman.
And then Michael Jordan was justhere for the enshrinement, I
think one of his friends wasbeing inducted into the Pro
Football Hall of Fame.
Okay, so Michael was just here,you know, okay, but I hadn't
reached out to him or anything.
I don't even know if he wouldstill remember me, because it
(22:35):
was some time ago Now.
His mom, of course, just sawher, but that was some time ago
Now.
His mom, of course, just sawher.
But I've been able to meet somewonderful people, you know, in
doing this work.
Well, let's Halle Berry too.
I think I told you a man calledHalle Berry and she's from Ohio
, she's from Cleveland.
Yeah, when I did my recoveryhome.
I remember one day walking intothe conference room and this
(22:58):
little, tiny, little cute personwith a little cap on stood up
and she says hi, my name isHallie and I'm like Hallie, I
didn't recognize her and shetook the cap off.
She says Hallie Berry.
I'm like oh my gosh.
She said I hope it's okay thatI'm here.
She says I'm getting ready todo this movie called Losing
Isaiah and she said I told themI wanted to do the research.
(23:18):
And they said well, you need togo see Betty.
My name was McDaniel.
Then Go see Betty McDaniel.
She has a recovery home.
So that's why she came.
Well, the women in my programread the script.
They say we need to change somethings.
First of all, we don't talklike this.
She said change it.
She said I told them I want itto be real.
So some of the ladies in myrecovery home Forever Free.
(23:40):
They changed part of the scriptand then she showed them her
wardrobe.
They said we don't dress likethat.
We're druggies.
We don't dress like that.
She says well, which I wear?
So they had input on that.
That's great so when it was timeto film.
Part of the women from myrecovery home were in the first
scene of the movie Losing.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Isaiah.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Okay, and my name is in the credits Okay, betty
McDaniel in Forever Free, andthat was an awesome movie.
If you haven't seen it, orwhoever's watching it, watch
that movie about a mother wholost her child because she was
on drugs and it's a real story.
It's a real story, so I had abig part in that, so it was
(24:25):
wonderful.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
That is amazing.
That is just amazing.
Yeah, you know, you started alot of organizations now in
Canton, ohio, and one of themwas multi-development services
Of Stock County and that was anarts program, am I right?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Well, you know what it started out, when I, you know
and I always say that God hashad his hand on my life, all my
life and I remember that when Igot married to Reverend Smith
and moved here, my minister saidto me Betty, you have a work to
do at Canton.
(25:05):
And I said, no, I'm retired.
I said my husband has a littlesmall church and I'm going to
work in his church.
He says, oh, I'll give you justa little short while and you'll
be working.
And you know, it was threemonths and it and I it was like
I really heard this voice or itwas in my spirit it said you
can't retire, there's too muchwork to do.
(25:27):
And I'm like I don't even knowwhere I am.
I just gotten there, and so Italked to my husband and he said
, well, there's a school downthe street.
Why don't you go down and seeif there's something you can do?
Long story short, on that Iopened up what I called Minority
Development Services of StarkCounty, okay, and so I started
working with a lot of minorityfamilies and helping the mothers
(25:49):
and with the children, and thenmy population kind of changed
on me and I said, oh, I'mworking with all kinds of
families, I'm working withHispanics and I'm working with
the Caucasian family, I'mworking with this and I'm
working with that.
And so I said, well, I said weand my board said we need to
(26:09):
change the name because we'renot just working with minorities
.
So we changed it tomulti-development services, Okay
, okay, that's how that cameabout.
And I tell you, ann, in threemonths I had 71 clients Three
months time.
There was such a need formothers and children, similar to
(26:30):
what I did in Chicago withCatholic Charities.
And so someone said well, whydon't you open up a recovering
home?
I said, no, you have one herecalled ComQuest and I can refer
moms to them if they need thatkind of service.
And so that's what I did.
But I had children's programs.
I started after school youthprogram.
(26:51):
That's where the arts came in,and I had music, I had choir and
I had sports, we had soccer, wehad swimming, we played a
little basketball and we didtheater.
So you see, that was preparingme for something later.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
And I didn't realize that at the time.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
you see, so I did all of that and then I opened a
homeless shelter and I opened uptransitional housing.
In one year I had five piecesof paid tour property.
I didn't know these foundations, I had never written a grant
because Catholic Charities wroteall of my grants, and so I
(27:31):
started just writing from myheart because at that time the
grants were pretty easy to write.
The requirements were not likethey are today, the requirements
weren't not like they are todayand they started funding me and
I had five pieces of property.
I mean it was the HooverFoundation, it was the Timken
Foundation, sisters of Charity,I mean it was just all of the
(27:51):
major foundations.
And people were like, how didyou get this money?
I said I just wrote a proposal,I want to help people.
And they loved my passion forthe community and for the people
in the communities,particularly families and
children, and so we opened thisbeautiful.
(28:12):
I took an old.
Really the house was on demolist and I was able to get the
house and I believe it was theStark Community Foundation
bought that house for me andthen I got money from the city
of Canton to renovate the house.
Wow.
And then it was the DougalFoundation gave me money to buy
(28:34):
all the furnishings.
And it was a beautiful home.
I rebuilt it, I put in all newflooring, carpet, drapes, it was
beautiful.
And so I asked the mayor hisname was Watkins.
Then I said why don't you comeand cut the ribbon?
So he said I'd be happy to.
Well, when he saw the home hesaid oh my gosh, this is
(28:58):
beautiful.
He said I can live in a homelike this.
This is wonderful.
I said well, I'll tell you what.
If you ever become homeless,give me a call.
But you know what it wasbeautiful.
I mean it really was.
Then, a couple of years later, Isaid well, I need a
transitional house for once,these homeless people, they need
a place to go.
Once, these homeless people,you know they need a place to go
(29:19):
.
So I need transitional,something they can transition
into.
So a young a person named TomSherry he's passed away he said
Betty, I've got an apartmentbuilding.
If you could fix it up, youknow you could just use it.
So I was able to get somepeople to come and fix it up
Once again.
I fixed it up really, reallynice, and so the women could go
from there into transitionalhousing.
(29:41):
Okay, and my final place was.
I had a nice home down thestreet and I said if a mother
can get through the homelessshelter to transitional, then
she'll need a place of her own.
So then she went into thisother home with her family.
She stayed there two years.
Then we found her her own home.
So it takes time, it's like athree-year.
(30:04):
You know, I did this even inChicago with recovery home.
You can't recover in 30 days.
They'll say go to 30-day detoxor 30.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
You can't recover right.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
So I would keep those mothers up to a year in Chicago
in my recovery home that'samazing.
And then I had a transitionalhouse there and then we found
them home.
So I knew the process.
So you see, that was getting mestarted in Chicago to work at
in-camp, you know, except itwasn't a recovery home but it
was a home with shelter.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
But you got it and I have so many you know.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Except it wasn't a recovery home, but it was a home
or shelter.
But you got it.
You.
You understood these stories.
We would talk for days aboutall the stories and the places
where god, you know, put me tohelp.
It's all about what my mom toldme living is giving and good.
You know, when you're in thiswork, you you can't be in this
work for money.
You make very little money insocial work and for years I made
no money, I just did it andright now I just get a small
(31:01):
stipend.
But if people think they'regoing to open up a 501c3 and
work with families and make alot of money, they're mistaken
and a lot of people go into itfor that and that's the wrong
reason.
You have to have that passion,you have to have that love for
people and you want to do goodby them.
It's not about a paycheck.
(31:21):
I don't hire people that say,well, I need a job.
No, do you need this kind ofjob?
Do you have a passion for thekids?
Do you love it?
If they don't, they can't workhere.
You can never work for me.
If you didn't have a passion,you couldn't do it Right.
You just couldn't do that.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Well, I used to be a director of a battered woman's
shelter, and we too had theexact same kind of setup, but it
wasn't as long, and I reallyappreciate your passion and your
knowledge for knowing that andallowing the women to be set up
for success.
you know, because that's whatyou really want to do.
(32:02):
I mean, if somebody is standingin front of you and they are
homeless, or when I worked inthe jail system and they really
want a second chance, you knowyou have to help set them up for
success and that's what you'redoing them up for success and
that's what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Yes, and you know another thing we're doing now I
met with the staff that workwith juvenile court and the
probation department.
These are young people thatjust do dumb stuff and they have
misdemeanors.
And so I said send me some ofthose young people for community
service that have to docommunity service and let me
(32:38):
give them something, aneducation, and get them involved
in the arts and they can worktheir hours off here while we're
educating them so they don'tcome back into your system.
So I've been wanting to do thatfor quite a while, but now that
we've got the facility and wehave more programs and things
but we just started this lastweek- oh, wow.
(33:00):
In fact, we just got our firstreferrals yesterday to young
people and we'll work with them.
Oh, how wonderful.
And we work with the jobspeople.
Yeah, we work with the jobspeople and those who are
receiving a check, and you knowyou have to work to get your
check, and so we've got three ofthem working here now.
They're doing a wonderful job.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
these are talented young people just giving you a
chance and you're teaching themthe skills, because there's
nothing more important than youknow young people learning life
skills and job skills and allthe things that make them an
independent, productive adultright and and the discipline.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
You know we have to be there, you have to be on time
, you have to dressappropriately you know, these
are the things that we teachthem, we instill in them the
values and things, the lifeskills, so that when you leave
here and you go to a job you'llbe ready.
But someone very talented onceyoung lady, she's very good with
the computer, so she's helpingus.
So that's what it's all about.
(33:54):
One One young man said well, Ireally like to clean, so maybe I
could help you clean thebuilding I'm like well, of
course, we always need somebodyto help us keep the building
clean.
He said but you have to train me.
I don't know how to doeverything.
And I said well, that's whyyou're here and he's worked out.
So he was with me this summerand they let me keep him over
(34:18):
now because he's still got sometime that he needs to work on
and they pay him, so that helpsme too.
But he's learning and he and heloves it here and we love him.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Yeah, it's honing in on those skills that they love
and be able to teach them new,new skills and how to do it out
there in the world.
I mean, oh my gosh, what you'redoing is amazing.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
I love it, I love what I do.
I mean, you know, and this iswhy I get up in the morning, you
know, and I always say, god,what are you going to do today?
And what challenges am I goingto have today?
That I know I'll meet themBecause you know, like I say, I
have a strong faith and I justlook forward to coming here and
working with the kids.
(34:54):
And now we have an affiliationwith the Bluecoats.
I could remember a couple ofyears ago I went to foundations
for money.
I said I really need someinvesting, building money.
See, I've been workingbasically with part-time staff
and college students.
College students.
They helped me put this programtogether.
That's all I had, and I used tojust do everything the
(35:15):
bookkeeping I was.
Every I wore about 10 hats, andso then, when I went to the
foundations who've always beengood to me they said Betty, you
need a couple of things you needsustainability and you need a
succession plan.
And so this is where theBluecoats was always there to
try to help me out, because wehave Dromline.
And so we talked about how theycould help me, and what we came
(35:39):
up with was an affiliationagreement where they would put
some of their board members onmy board and vice versa, and
then I'd be a non-voting memberon their board and their CEO and
CFO, coo, would be non-votingmembers on my board, and then
they would help me withfundraising so that this program
can be around a long time whenI'm no longer working in this
(36:03):
program or here.
This program has to go onbecause it's so valuable to the
community.
So then I talked with Mr TedSwaldo who is the founder of
Javazi Vineyard and he is alsoconnected with the Bluecoats.
His son was in the Bluecoatswhen he was younger and I told
him I said for five years I'vebeen praying for a building.
(36:24):
I want one story with a lot ofwindows, because the building I
had been in we're kind of in achurch basement and there was
not any windows per se.
So I tell you, in a shortperiod of time he found the old
Ziegler Tire Building on thecorner of Dyson Market and he
says I've got the perfectbuilding for you.
And I tell you he transformedthis building into just a
(36:46):
state-of-the-art fine artsbuilding.
Is it all done?
It's all, yes, it's completedand you'll have to come by for a
tour.
Oh, I want to.
Another show where we just takea tour of this facility and show
the two art rooms that I have,the two dance studios, a huge
(37:06):
drumline room and astate-of-the-art kitchen for our
creative cooking class, and wecan feed the kids a
well-balanced meal after school,and we did it this summer for
camp.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Do you have a garden too?
Speaker 2 (37:20):
We have a garden on the corner of 7th and Fulton
Road, the kids grow vegetablesand then we have lots of flowers
, we have a butterfly garden andthen we use some of that food
out of the garden for cookingand the young lady that does the
cooking she uses that, you know, the food out of the garden and
(37:42):
she teaches them about eatinghealthy and all that kind of
good stuff.
You know, it's just wonderful,it's just, it's just wonderful.
So we have the creative cookingand that's a very popular class
.
Even I've had parents say Ididn't be in that class, you
know, because our kids, justthey eat a lot of junk, right,
right, you know, and we givethem fruit and vegetables when
they were having the lunch here.
(38:02):
Then we'll do after school,because I get some of the kids
as early as 3.30.
Well, they haven't eaten sincelunch.
So now we'll be able to givethem a full course course dinner
and then they'll go to studyhall and then they will go to
their class and I have them toabout 6.15.
So before, when I had themafter school, we only had snacks
(38:23):
because we didn't have akitchen and they would say, miss
Betty, I'm still hungry, andsometimes I'd have to buy food
and it got to be very expensivepizza and stuff like that,
sandwiches, and then sometimespeople would donate and we
always take donations for foodbecause kids are always hungry
when they come here hungry.
You can't function if you'rehungry and some of the kids are
(38:43):
like, betty, I'm hungry and,like I said, kids stay hungry
all the time.
They want to eat.
But I want to give themsomething healthy and give them
something healthy, and thenevery now and then we'll do a
treat.
You know we'll do ice cream orwe'll we'll have some cookies or
something like that.
But I want them to know thatyou know you need to start young
, taking care of your health.
So very important to take careof your health when you're
(39:06):
younger, to work out, tocondition your body.
You know I teach them all ofthat.
I did that in the recovery homein Chicago.
We had workouts and we orChicago, I took them over by the
lakefront, we walked along thelakefront and some of them had
never even seen the lakefront inChicago.
And we take the kids.
We give the kids experiencesthat they would never be able to
(39:26):
have if they didn't have thisprogram.
We expose them.
Exposure is everything.
We expose them to a lot ofdifferent things that they can
do to make it in life.
Life.
We expose them to a lot ofdifferent things that they can
do to make it in life.
Life skills are so important.
Etiquette classes.
Last year and we're going to doit again this year Mr Swaldo's
wife, linda Swaldo she's such asweet, lovely lady she did an
(39:46):
etiquette class.
We took them to Jervasi firstclass and she taught them how to
properly sit in the napkin.
I said I learned some thingstoo.
Sometimes I don't know whichfork to use if we have a lot of
these forks and spoons andknives and things Right.
And she did that and the kidsjust they'll never forget it.
So she said she would do it forme again.
Probably this fall We'll haveanother etiquette class at Japan
(40:10):
.
What better place right thanJavazi?
Some of them said, wow, I'm atJervaisi, I'm like such a
disposal, you know Sure sure.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
And this all falls under enrichment.
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Enrichment and on Facebook we're known as
Enrichment of Stark County.
Okay, and enrichment is spelleddifferently because it's all
capitals and it's got dashes init E-N, dash, r-i-c-h, dash,
m-e-n-t, because someone had itwithout the dashes.
So we have the Enrichment ArtsEducation Center at 901 Market
(40:45):
North in Canton, ohio.
You can't miss this.
I mean we just light up thatcorner and at night there are
lights.
On our name, mr Swalder, we hadthe lights underneath the word
enrichment.
We got lights on thelandscaping outside.
It's just beautiful.
I can't wait to see it.
I mean people just ride by andadmire you know, the beacon of
(41:07):
light.
Someone said you're a gem onthe corner of 9th and Market.
Oh, wow, that's amazing.
Yeah, so we're a part of acampus really, because Arts and
Stark is next door and you knowthey have the ballet, they have
the museum and they have SingStark over there.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
So we're part of that .
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Now they have a park next to us, so we have a park.
The drum line wants to go overthere and practice and you can
go over there and practice inthe park.
So it works out really well.
Again, it's for the community.
You know, we just work together.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
And all this?
Wasn't it like a $1.75 millioncampaign that made this happen?
Speaker 2 (41:48):
That's exactly right.
And then, as Mr Swaldo got inhere, he saw other things.
He said oh, we need this, Ineed a little more money, we
need this.
And you know, god just blessedhim.
I think we raised up to.
He raised up to $2.1 million.
Oh my gosh, oh my goodness.
I mean, when you see thebuilding you'll see.
I mean this is just state ofthe art.
(42:08):
It's just, he had the finest ofcontractors and some of them
donated their time, you know, ordonated materials.
It was a community,collaborative effort, even with
contractors and foundations.
And of course, we still needmoney because we have a
beautiful building.
But I need more classes now, Ineed more teachers and it takes
(42:32):
money, you know, to do all ofthat.
So that's very important.
So we're constantly doingfundraisers.
You know that's real important,that I, you know, still do that
and raise the money.
Sometimes our drummers will goout and we have a big sign that
says drumming for dollars.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Oh geez, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Yeah, and the people love the drumming, so they'll
come out and put money in thebucket.
I remember this summer six ofthe Blue Coats drummers came out
on their day off and theydrummed with our drummers on a
corner and in 35 minutes we had$255.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
See you're still, you're just miracles.
Follow you, Miracles follow you.
Oh, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
I'm telling you I am blessed and highly favored.
I'm blessed but, you know,because I have a passion and a
love for people.
It's particularly the kids.
Right, we have to, we have totake care of our young ones.
And you start, and we start atage five.
Sometimes kids have alreadyformed their own opinions and
what they're going to do whenthey're that young.
So you have to start puttingthe good stuff in them and
(43:38):
letting them know they're lovedand they're cared about.
You know, and keep them on theright foot.
You know, and we work with theparents and we work with
autistic children.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
That's what I was just going to say I saw that you
have a space for autism, kidswith autism, and I've got three
autistic kids and you know itwould be amazing to see what you
have there, what the facilityis like yes, we have a sensory
room, that's just that wasdonated to us.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
A young lady named Ms Schumacher.
She has an autistic son and shetold Mr Swallow I know what's
needed in that room.
And it told Mr Swallow I knowwhat's needed in that room and
it's solid, it's soundproof andit's got different lights in the
room.
It's got heavyweight thingsthat they could sit on.
She said everything and we useit this summer.
(44:26):
But I want to work with allkinds of all children.
We're all God's children and weget along and they all love one
another and they take care ofone another and that's what it's
all about.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
And this is all free for everybody, is that?
Speaker 2 (44:40):
correct, it's free.
They pay for no classes.
Our drum line, color guarddance line, they don't pay for
anything.
We buy their uniforms, theirshoes, their socks from head to
toe, Because most of these youngpeople cannot afford it.
We're probably about 95% low tomoderate income.
Yeah, we are, and this summerwe had 192 in camp and if I had
(45:08):
more teachers and more money Icould have had another 30 kids
in camp.
We had to put them on a waitinglist, but you know, yeah, and
we had 77 schools kids in camp.
We had to put them on a waitinglist, but you know, yeah, and
we had 77 schools represented inour program this summer.
Last year it was 55.
This year, 77 schools and thisyear this is the first year they
even came from other counties.
(45:30):
You know, we're primarily ourbase with Canton kids, but they
come from different schools.
We had them from Malvern andMarlborough and Carrollton and
Louisville and they just, youknow, and they had a great time.
You know you can tell who wasfrom what school.
You know you don't give up on achild, do you?
(45:52):
You do not.
I never do.
There's no such thing as a badchild.
I don't even like for people tosay, oh, you're bad, and you
never put that in a child's headbecause they'll think they're
bad and then they'll do badstuff.
You know, we had one young lady.
She came to the very quiet,very reserved, and then she
found out that she liked drums.
(46:13):
And then she posted somethingon Facebook and she says it's
like I have a reason now to goout of the house every day.
I have enrichment, I have thedrum line, I have.
Miss Betty, it was justheart-wrenching, yeah, and I
said that's what I do.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
You're changing lives , yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
And we have signs all over that say enrichment, the
arts, save lives.
We put those everywhere.
I want enrichment to become ahousehold name.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
You know, it was the same with me growing up.
I mean, the things that helpedme were the arts drawing and
being creative, and music, mymusic, the music I listened to,
and I also was in the band and Iplayed clarinet too.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
And I played piano.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
Yeah, and you know I have my kids in different music.
They play piano and guitar andthings like that.
But I mean.
I really believe for one thingit's a universal language and it
brings people together.
It brings people together thatwould not have been together,
that's correct.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
That's correct.
So I commend you, Ann, on yourpodcast and the things that you
do and the experiences thatyou've had and still trying to
help people.
It was so much different thanthe kids that you have now.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
What are the biggest differences that you see with
our kids today and the biggestyou know?
Speaker 2 (47:52):
I think we had problems before COVID.
But COVID hit and the kids wereisolated and they were at home
and they had no social life.
That that's.
That's a carryover, and some ofthe kids are still being
homeschooled and I find thatthey have no social skills.
So that's been a problem.
But enrichment brings that outof them.
(48:14):
That's why I was telling youthe story about the young girl
and she's down Now.
Wow, I found why I need to comeout every day and do something.
But the kids are just hardcore.
You know, the gang activity isreal out there and not just
Canton, it's everywhere.
And so that's why programs likeEnrichment are so important to
steer these kids in the rightdirection.
(48:35):
So they don't want to get itbecause gang members are always
recruiting kids.
I've had young people tell meone was seven years old and he
said they were recruiting himbut he had a bad life at home
and they know how to recruitthem.
They're very kind to them, theywant to buy them things, take
them, you know.
So the kids latch onto that andhe told me he's Miss Betty, I
(48:58):
was seven, and he said theyrecruited me, you know, and like
, oh wow, he ended up going.
He ended up going to jail.
You know, and you know he was.
I think he was in jail maybethree or four years.
When he got out he came back tosee me.
He says I'm a changed personnow.
I want to be on the straightnow I want to do the right
things, betty, but I didn't knowwhat I was doing.
(49:22):
I was young and so we have towatch that.
And then some of the kids todaythey have no respect for adults
.
But I think sometimes theparents are so young and some of
the parents are afraid of theirchildren.
And one thing in Richmond we'redisciplinarians and I let them
know that you will not come inhere and be up in anybody's face
(49:44):
and tell me what you're goingto do and what you're not going
to do, because then you won't behere, you know.
And so they want to be here.
So I said we have rules and wehave regulations and I even had
a few young people that I washeard them just talking very
disrespectfully to their parentsand I, I said, wait a minute.
(50:05):
I said I can't control what youdo when you're out of here, but
when you're here you willrespect your mom.
You will do that.
And then later I talked to himand you know, and he's well, of
course, he wants to blameeverything on mom.
Right, mom, mom, mom, I said.
But you know that's still momand you must respect her.
But we do have some of that, youknow, where the kids are just
(50:27):
not respectful of their parentsand sometimes the parents can't
control them.
But we do have some parentsthat say I do need help, you
know, and I'm thankful for yourprogram because my son or my
daughter love to be here.
They feel safe and they knowMiss Betty is a strict
disciplinarian and some of themsay I think I need that.
(50:49):
Kids don't want to be bad.
I don't believe that.
No, I had a group come to methis summer, ann, and they said
Miss Betty, we want to do better.
And this was a spokesperson forabout five middle school kids
and she said we want to dobetter, we want to be respectful
, we want to be here and we'resorry, you know, if we've caused
(51:11):
you any problems.
I was very touched, wow.
But you know I did.
I put them with a behaviorspecialist so every week they
would have a session, a groupsession, and they were able to
just talk.
Sometimes we don't give youngpeople an opportunity to express
themselves.
You have to let them talk, youknow.
So they got an, we had anopportunity to talk about things
(51:33):
that were bothering them, andthen they have this person that
knew how to you know how tointeract with them in the
appropriate way.
So that's needed.
We'll do that again this fall.
So it's like, whatever thesekids need to make it, that's
what I want to do here atEnrichment.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
And if gangs are trying to recruit them, it's
really important that you arethere, because then they have
another place to go when thesepeople are trying to bring them
in.
So there's another place that'soffering them a different kind
of love.
There you go.
Speaker 2 (52:08):
That's exactly right, and some of the children come
here very broken.
Some of them are very sad, someof them don't want to be here
at first.
The parents just feel like thisis a good place for you, and
I've had some of them and I haveto talk to them too and I
always let them try differentthings.
(52:29):
Okay, try working in a cookingclass, or let's go to an art
class and I'll let them do threedifferent things.
And they usually find theirniche.
They usually find it, but artand cooking are very good.
And gardening my autisticchildren love the garden, they
just have a wonderful time inthe garden.
And a lot of my kids withbehavior problems I send them
love the garden, they just havea wonderful time in the garden.
And a lot of my kids withbehavior problems I send them to
(52:51):
the garden and they love it.
In outdoors, you know nature,get their hands in the dirt.
There you go, that's right, andthey love that.
They love it.
Speaker 1 (53:03):
Yeah, my three autism kids love dirt, they love dirt.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Yeah, my three autism kids love dirt.
Speaker 2 (53:08):
They love dirt, see.
Oh.
So that's why the garden, thegarden, takes a lot of work.
We need more volunteers in thegarden.
A couple of times I talkedabout closing it down.
Then I was like no, this isreally good for the kids, it's
healthy.
I'll get some volunteers out.
I'll figure it out.
I'll figure it out.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
One of the other things besides COVID is.
I really do think is socialmedia.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
I mean, I didn't have social media, you didn't have
social media and the things thatit's doing.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
I mean, people can even be bullied, you know, 24
hours a day, where it used to bejust in the schools.
But now people can reach otherkids and, you know, be violating
A lot of it.
It on social media.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
Yes, we've talked that.
See, I told my young people oh,I'm on your facebook page, so
you better be careful whatyou're putting out there and
don't block me.
You know, and some of them theyput things out and I'll call
them and I'll say no, take thatdown, take that post down.
You don't do.
You don't go at one another onsocial media, calling them names
and stuff and kids do that.
(54:08):
It's bad.
Speaker 1 (54:11):
I tell my daughter when she starts acting out with
all of her behaviors.
I say to her you're toobeautiful for this, you're too
beautiful on the inside for youto be able to do things like
this, and there's just a lot ofugly out there.
Speaker 2 (54:28):
Yes, there really is, and it's very tempting.
And then if young people don'thave support at home, it's even
more enticing, you know.
So parents have to spend timewith their children and talk to
them, find out what's going on.
Who are you hanging out with?
Where are you?
You know we get so I thinkadults get so busy.
(54:50):
And of course moms.
Sometimes moms work one, two,three jobs Trying to make ends
meet, right, but you have toremember you've got a child that
needs you and you have to setpriorities and your child has to
be a priority, you know.
Let them know that you lovethem and that you're there for
them.
That's so.
Kids just want to be loved.
Yeah, and just a hug, you know,and someone will come up and
(55:15):
just grab me and just Miss Betty, I need a hug today, right, you
know, and I give them hugs, youknow I hug our kids.
Speaker 1 (55:20):
I know you have to be very careful you know sensitive
about that, but they feel thelove.
They know I love them.
Great, and really isn't thatall that we want.
Speaker 2 (55:31):
Isn't that all that's right?
I had one of my teachers cometo them.
Betty, I just need a hug today.
Yeah, I said you got it.
Speaker 1 (55:38):
Yeah, adults, we need hugs too well, you, you really
did touch on a lot, especially,especially what us adults could
do for kids, because we want togive them a chance in life, and
it's not the world that we grewup in, you know.
And so we want to be able togive them a great start in life.
(55:58):
I can't stand that.
I see kids that are alreadytainted and broken at such a
young age that by the time theyreach adulthood you know it's
already been set, and I, toodon't believe in a child that
doesn't have a chance.
Every kid has hope and a beliefin them.
(56:19):
If we believe in them, theywill believe in themselves
eventually, and it might taketime.
Speaker 2 (56:25):
Yes, that's true, that's true, but we just we have
to do what we have to do tomake the lives of these children
better.
We have to do that and we knowthat there are some parents that
won't do it.
But that's why we haveenrichment, because we have
people here that love thechildren, in spite of where
they've come from and all thethings.
But we've also been able toturn some parents around to get
(56:49):
involved in their children'slives.
Speaker 1 (56:51):
You know.
I have to mention that you werenamed one of the eight over 80
who make a huge difference inthe community.
Yes, you know.
Speaker 2 (56:59):
I mean that's amazing .
Yeah, I was very I'm alwaysjust, you know, very humble when
something like that happens.
That was Crane's BusinessMagazine, Okay, and it was eight
over 80 and they picked eightpeople and I was nominated and
you know it made me feel verygood, Made me feel good.
(57:19):
You know, we don't do this kindof work to get awards and
things, but it's nice to beappreciated.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
Well then they learn more about your program too.
Speaker 2 (57:28):
That's right.
I mean, and I do a lot ofthings for exposure to give us
you know, so people will knowabout us, so more so parents
will know.
So there's still a lot ofpeople don't know about
enrichment, that they can bringtheir kids here and it's free,
and so we need that kind ofexposure to to bring about
awareness to the families thatwe're here.
(57:50):
We're here for your children.
Speaker 1 (57:52):
You know, I know that you have some talent thing,
like I went to Canton Idol likeyears and years ago and I mean
it was such a fun thing.
And also I mean you have like ahousing program think I mean
you have lots of different.
Is there any other?
Speaker 2 (58:08):
well, I did, I did canton idol, for I did canton
idol for maybe 12, maybe 15years.
Then I had my own televisionshow with canton city schools,
gone on track with betty mack,and I would keep the community
updated on things that weregoing on.
So that was it, and so we'regoing to do a little.
(58:30):
Our kids are going to havetheir own little podcast and do
some things, because youth canreach youth, you know.
So they'll talk to theirlanguage and things that they
can do, and that's important.
And we also have a YouTubenetwork that we're going to
revive and the kids are going torun that.
They're going to run that andit could become a job eventually
.
Everything we train them to dois so that eventually they could
(58:53):
make some money and have a jobthat's worthwhile, instead of
selling drugs or something likethat.
You're just a beautiful person.
You really are.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate this interview andtalking.
I love to talk about the kidsand the families and the things
God has done in my life to helpothers.
Speaker 1 (59:16):
Well, thank you so much for being on Real Talk with
Tina and Ann.
Miss Betty, I am inspired byyou every single day and, as
usual on Real Talk, we say thatthere is purpose in the pain and
there is hope in the journey,so thank you so much for
listening world changers aren'tpleasing everybody, they're just
(59:45):
not.
Welcome to Real Talk with Tina and Anne.
I am Anne, and Tina will beback soon.
Today, we are having Miss BettySmith on our program, and she
is not like any other woman thatI've ever met or heard of
before.
Honestly, miss Betty, I amhonored to have you on Real Talk
.
This is a place where we talkabout uplifting stories, and
(00:44):
yours is definitely one.
I've met you before and I wasable to interview you, but it
was years and years ago and Ihave to tell you, though, I
never forgot you.
You really, really left animpression on my heart and me
wanting to make a difference inother people's lives, so I want
(01:09):
to thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
You're welcome.
Thank you for having me on yourshow.
I feel very honored andprivileged to be on your show.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
You know, I saw you in a parade the other day and
your energy was like off thecharts and I saw a post that you
put up that said that you madeit.
You know 2.2 miles and I wouldsay that you actually danced 2.2
miles.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I had so much fun and you know what, and I was so
blessed to be able to do it,because I didn't know if I could
, because I had the emergencyopen heart surgery in February
and then I broke a toe and thenJuly I was in ER for dehydration
(01:56):
and I said I am going to dothis parade.
So that's why I put the post up, that I made it the whole time
with the kids and dancing to thecadences and just had a great
time.
Yeah, I could tell.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I could tell you have such a childlike spirit and
your energy is so infectious.
I mean, what has made you thisway?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
And I've always been very involved in athletics and
exercise and everything.
From a small girl I used toturn cartwheels I don't know
what the kids call them today,we call them cartwheels and my
mother used to say every timeI'm looking for you, you're
upside down.
And I had all this energy andshe's trying to corral me with
(02:44):
all this energy so I used a lotof that energy to work with the
young kids in my neighborhood.
I mean we were very poor andgrowing up I mean we were dirt
poor.
I didn't know we were so poorbecause we had a lot of love and
my mother's house was open toany and everybody.
She had seven children.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
My dad died when she was.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
She was a widow at 28 .
And God did bless her with ahusband five years later.
He was 20 years older than herbut he was wonderful to us and
there were seven of us.
But to say all that, we justhad a lot of people in our yard
and you know, we only had a twobedroom home.
But I told mother, every pieceof furniture is a bed.
(03:27):
We could pull out the chairsand the sofas and then in those
days you could sleep outside youknow it was warm and it was
safe.
So in the summer we just putblankets outside and sleep
outside, and so I just had.
I always had a lot of energy.
You know, probably in that daythey might have said I was ADHD
(03:47):
or something.
You know, ADD because I had somuch energy.
But I was always wanted to bebusy and I always worked with
the young people, even though Iwas young, Right, but I always
gathered them together, you know, and did something, not
realizing this was going to be.
This was the calling on my life.
Yeah, I just feel like God waspreparing me for what I'm doing
(04:08):
now.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
Really, you know, yeah, I was just going to say
how you always had a connectionwith kids.
I mean, I can remember it yearsago and I can definitely see it
now.
I mean they respect you, theylook to you, they listen to you
and you know that's reallysaying something in this day and
age.
So I mean, what makes it sothat connection is there with
(04:33):
the young people?
Where did it originate, wouldyou say it happened when you
were younger.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
When I was younger and I would gather all the kids
together.
I just wanted to be busy, andso they were doing nothing and
I'm like, okay, let's do this.
And I would plan little thingsand I'd make little invitations
on cards and pass them out tothe kids in the neighborhood and
then I'd say, well, what do youwant to do?
And we just did a lot of thingstogether, some of the things
(05:03):
the kids don't even do together.
We played something calledjacks you know where you have
these jacks and then you throwthe ball and you catch them and
all that stuff.
And then we made our own littlescooters and we had boxcar
racing.
You build your own boxcar.
So we didn't have money, so wehad to do the best we could with
what we had and a lot of thisteamwork, you know, with the
(05:25):
kids and imagination.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Imagination I mean most definitely what a lot of
kids are lacking today becauseof social media and everything
else that's going on.
That's exactly right.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
And then you know also, um, I loved music, I
always loved music.
And so I remember I started mymother, like I said, my mother,
she just she was a domestic kid,she would just get extra jobs
and she bought me a pianobecause I'd be taking my
fingernails and clicking onglass and you know, trying to
sing with that, you know thatsound of the glass.
(06:01):
And so I heard her say I wantto get her a piano, that sound
of the glass.
And so I heard her say I wantto hear a piano.
So she took an extra job tomake $50 to buy me this upright
piano.
And so I played by ear.
I could hear a song and then Iwould sit down and play it and
the kids would come in and sing.
And so we belong to church.
And so I started a little choirat the church and so this music
(06:25):
has been part of me all my life.
And then, when I started takinglessons, I played clarinet, I
was in the orchestra, I was inthe marching band, I was also in
a choir and we had a littlegroup called Four Jacks and I
was Jill.
So it was Four Jacks and a Jill.
That's awesome, listen, ann.
(06:45):
We were good.
We even eventually joined theunion, and at that time the
union was.
We played three hours and ourrate of pay was $3.33 an hour.
Oh my, goodness.
But with that little money, youknow, I could help mother buy my
school books and things likethat, you know.
So music, that's why I'm inmusic now.
(07:06):
It's been a part of me, it keptme grounded and it got kids off
the street and we sing and webelonged, you know, with every
kind of.
There was a talent show orsomething at the school.
We participated, you know, andwe just did fun, yeah, yeah.
So it all started.
See, I always tell young peopleyou don't know sometimes why
(07:26):
you do what you do, but it'syou'll be planning.
I think God is planning to seefor what's going to be happening
later in your life, amen.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
So just embrace those things you know, I say it all
the time Absolutely, I mean.
Everything is a stepping stoneto where we're going.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I believe that most definitely.
And so that's you know, that'show, from a young girl, you know
, 10, 11 years old, and thengoing into music, getting to the
high school and the band andswing band, and all you know, we
had swing band too.
I forgot about that, but I wasin all the music things.
And then I also was in sports.
I love basketball, but you know, and in those days women played
(08:05):
on a half court and you couldonly dribble the ball two times,
you know, because women are notsupposed to be doing sports,
right, right.
So you get a half court and Isaid I'll play the full court
and they said no, no, no, youcan only do half.
And so it was reallyfrustrating for me, you know,
because two steps you onlydribble to the wall twice, then
(08:30):
you have to pass it.
I know anybody listening tothis will probably say this is
crazy, you know.
But I mean that's, that'sreally the way it was.
We did that, but anyway, it'sjust so.
You know all of those things insports and so, and then I ran
track when I was in school Okay,so I've always been busy and
athletic, you know.
And then I got into the healthyeating thing, and I'm not even
(08:52):
sure where that started.
I used to be very heavy.
I used to weigh like 167 poundsand all growing up I was heavy,
even though I was active, Okay.
But when I turned 18 and movedto Chicago with my aunt, you
know, it was hard for me to finda job because in those days
they really discriminated If youwere heavy.
They didn't want me to be thereceptionist.
(09:14):
I'm serious.
And I had one gentleman say youneed to lose some weight and I
said excuse me.
And he says well, you know youdon't want to.
A boss doesn't want a real heavyreceptionist sitting at the
desk.
And it was like wow.
So I went on a diet.
I went on a diet although Ineeded to lose weight because it
(09:37):
wasn't healthy, you know Right.
But I lost the weight and Iliked the way I looked.
I said, well, I do look better,I do feel better.
But how dare you say you won'thire me because I'm heavy?
But in those days you could doit and get by.
Couldn't do that today,discriminate.
But I lost the weight and I keptit off and then I really got
into eating healthy and saying,oh, I shouldn't be eating this
(10:01):
and oh, this is really.
Oh, I need to eat more fruit.
Oh, I need to drink more water.
Okay, and that's kind of beenpart of me, you know, from like
age 18.
Now, that doesn't mean that Idon't sometimes eat French fries
or a piece of cake or something.
You know I'm not that strict.
(10:23):
A lot of people today arereally strict and I'm not.
No, no, I do moderation, youknow, in what I eat and try to
keep my weight down.
But I'm active and I'm glad Iam because, see, because now I'm
working with these children andthe drum line, and I marched
with the drum line.
So I told him.
I said I always try to be theexample.
I said now I'm 84.
And I said if I can do this,you can do this.
(10:43):
Don't let me out, do you?
And sometimes I still can withthe young people.
You know, I worked out withthem when they were practicing
for the grand parade and some ofthem they were winded and I'm
like, wait a minute, I'm nothuffing and puffing, come on,
young people.
But see, our young people todaydon't take care of themselves
(11:05):
the way they should.
They don't eat healthy, they doa lot of fast foods, they do a
lot of sugar, these energydrinks terrible, it's just
terrible.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Horrible.
Yeah, I don't let my kids touchthem, right.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
No Good for you, they shouldn't.
So you know, I just give backwhat I have.
I use the experiences that Ihad when I was growing up and
things, and just try to maketheir life better.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Well, you were disciplined.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
You know, yeah, yeah, and I did it.
I had a wonderful mother, youknow.
She worked very hard and sheinstilled good values in us and
I remember she was domestic andI used to go to work with her
and we'd be on our hands andknees scrubbing floors and
cleaning toilets and stuff andshe always say, oh, you missed a
spot, go back and do it again,any job worth doing is worth
(11:52):
doing it right the first time.
So she taught me so much, somuch from her, you know, and she
only had 10th grade education,but she was very wise, very wise
woman and she taught us thatliving is giving.
I love that, yeah, and I say,mom, you can't afford to do that
(12:12):
.
She said God will give it backto me, don't worry, we can feed
another person, I can help thisperson.
And she never wanted to doanything, she just didn't.
So that's instilled in me and alot of my siblings.
You know you, you give and godwill give it back to you.
You know you might, and so thisis from from a young child up
(12:32):
to me now, at this age and stillworking with young people, and
I love it.
It keeps me young.
You know, even when I had myhealth issues and everything, I
bounced back Because I said mywork's not finished.
I'm still there.
It's about your outlook?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Yes, Definitely.
You know.
When you mentioned how you wentto Chicago to live with your
aunt, that's where a lot of thisoriginated.
Isn't that correct, where youjust started doing a lot of
these things in Chicago?
I mean, what exactly were youable to start there?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Well, you know, some of it started when I was in my
hometown of Logan Sport, indiana, working with the youth in the
choir.
I played piano and the littlesmall organ for my church and
you know I had theadministrative skills that I
didn't even realize what I had.
I always loved to play school.
(13:30):
After school was out, I set upmy own school and my mom always
said what are you doing?
I said I'm playing school, I'mgoing to have the kids over and
we're going to have math, I'mgoing to do English and I'm like
and I, you know, I had fun,right, you know, again, that was
another thing that prepared mefor where I am.
So when I moved to Chicago at18, then I got involved with a
(13:52):
small church at the time and Igot involved with their choir.
The church had less than 100members and the church grew and
grew and I was able to work withthe church and with the pastor
and I learned so much aboutmusic and about administration
more than what I ever thoughtI'd learn.
Our church grew to 25,000members.
(14:15):
Oh my gosh, less than 100 to25,000.
Bishop Arthur M Brazier, may herest in peace.
He was like my father.
My mother said take care of mydaughter.
She's young, she's here inChicago and he became like my
father and his family becamelike my family.
But we went to 25,000 membersoh my gosh Built a mega church.
(14:39):
It's still there.
He's passed away.
His son pastors it now and Itell you, I've had so much
experience in there, workingwith the choir, working with the
.
We worked with a group calledthe Sinfonietta.
They were part of the ChicagoSymphony and I got to work with
(14:59):
them.
I got to meet the person thatstarted it.
I had so much exposure.
I had a television show.
I started a recovery home inChicago for women that had
children and they were on drugs.
I started that.
I became a model for the statecalled Forever Free and I worked
(15:20):
with Catholic charities for 28years and we had a major
department there where I workedwith children.
I worked with CatholicCharities for 28 years and we
had a major department therewhere I worked with children.
I worked with senior citizens.
They gave me full range tocreate programs and they said
now you have to raise the money,you can create them.
And I did that and I did that,like I said, for 28 years and it
(15:44):
was just phenomenal.
I was still working with mychurch and I worked with young
people in my agency.
The city gave us money in thesummer and I might have 200 kids
working for me.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
I had a senior program.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
I had 150 seniors that worked for me and the
biggest program I had.
It was under what they calledCETA Comprehensive Employment
Training Act and I remember onenight my boss called me and it
was like 10 o'clock.
He said, betty, I'm going to goafter a contract, but it's
going to be major if we get itand I need to know, think you
(16:20):
can handle it because we'll haveto hit the ground running and
get it set up in 30 days.
And I said, of course I can,you know.
So sure enough, he got.
It was like 1.2 million.
We had 1100 people that workedfor us.
I set up 110 work sites and Ihad I had 40 staff and I put
(16:44):
that together in 30 days.
I worked day and night and puttogether a dynamite staff.
We had 1,100, I'm telling you1,100.
And it was just for a shortperiod of time, in the summer,
and I look back now and I'm likewe do it, but I had a great
staff.
I'm still in touch with some ofthose people today.
(17:05):
That's amazing.
Yeah, that worked with me.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Great people follow you, it seems like.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
I mean, you're a miracle maker.
You know what?
God is the head of my life andI love people.
I love working with people, Ilike challenges, I like to be
able to be creative and surroundmyself with people that are
creative and just want anopportunity to work and have
good work ethics.
Right, don't know everything,so you find people that know
(17:38):
what you don't know and then youmake a team, then you come
together and you could do somuch.
My person can't do it all.
Some people think, oh, I can dothis.
No, no, you can't and you'llsoon burn out, which I went
through.
That too burnout.
But when you surround yourselfwith people that know things
(18:00):
that you don't know, then youmake a team.
That's what good management is.
It's building the team ofpeople around you that have
skills that you don't have, andthat's what I've always done.
I can always learn fromsomebody else.
I don't know it all.
I don't pretend to know it all.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Could you tell my nine-year-old that right now,
because she tells me don't knowit all.
I don't pretend to know it all.
Could you tell my nine-year-oldthat right now, because she
tells me that she knows it all,isn't?
It funny the older you get, theless you know, you know.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
You know, I tell my young people I said I'm still
learning.
I say every day I'm going tolearn something new, I want to
challenge myself.
I said you never know too muchand there's so much knowledge
out there that you can acquire.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I'm always researching, learn from other
people, yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Learn from other people.
So you know, I told her yeah,do that.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
So that's been my life, you know when you talk
about people that you'vesurrounded yourself with, not to
name drop, but I think one ofthe people that you know might
be Oprah Winfrey.
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (19:07):
Well, you know, when I opened my recovery home, I
remember I was, I was I wasvisiting with my mother and I
got a phone call from my staff.
They said we got a call fromOprah Winfrey's office and she
wants to put some of the ladiesfrom our recovery home on TV.
Can you get back here?
So I went back and I talkedwith the producer of her show
(19:33):
and she said we were not exactlysure how Oprah wants to
construct this whole show, butI'll be in touch.
So they did, and so we got on.
I went on the show and thenOprah was there and she had the
ladies on the show and I got,you know, talk with her and I
met with her and so she was verynice, very, very nice, very,
(20:03):
very nice and she kind ofchanged some of the things from
what we were doing and, um, Isaid, wow, this is really
phenomenal, we know what she'sdoing.
And it was on that particularshow where over said you know, I
tried a little drugs when I wasyounger.
And that was the first time shesaid she had ever told anybody
that she tried drugs.
It's because the women on myshow, you know, were recovering
(20:25):
from drugs.
Yeah, they were so transparent,yeah.
And so afterwards we got achance to shake her hand and to
talk with her.
But I tell you, the person thatI met, who I'm still friends
with today, was Michael Jordan'smother, dolores.
She came by the recovery homeand she fell in love with the
(20:45):
children.
She fell in love with thechildren, she fell in love with
the children and we just hit itoff.
She was just wonderful.
I was invited to a party thatMichael had and I talked with
him.
I talked with Michael and Isaid you know you're, I admire
you, you're such an awesomebasketball player.
(21:07):
I said, but I'll tell you who Iadmire more your mom.
I said she's the mom.
I said she's so wonderful, shecomes by the recovery home and
everything.
And then at that, then at thatat time, his sister was in my
choir.
I said and your sister sings inmy choir, he says, oh good,
that's good for her.
(21:28):
And I said, well, you need tocome by sometime.
And so that was my encounterwith my.
And so when I moved to Canton,mrs Jordan, she came several
times to support me in theprograms that I have.
Oh, wow, okay, yeah, she's beenhere.
And then I saw her in June.
I saw her in June when I was inChicago and I hadn't seen her
(21:52):
in a while and I hadn't spokenwith her, and so I said, oh wow.
I said this is just wonderful.
So anyway, she said, betty, I'mstill working over in Africa
and she's building this I thinkit's a medical center and I
think she was just aboutfinished with it.
And I said, well, you know, wekind of lost touch.
(22:14):
So she made sure I got hernumber, so, if I can call her,
but she's just a wonderful woman.
And then Michael Jordan was justhere for the enshrinement, I
think one of his friends wasbeing inducted into the Pro
Football Hall of Fame.
Okay, so Michael was just here,you know, okay, but I hadn't
reached out to him or anything.
I don't even know if he wouldstill remember me, because it
(22:35):
was some time ago Now.
His mom, of course, just sawher, but that was some time ago
Now.
His mom, of course, just sawher.
But I've been able to meet somewonderful people, you know, in
doing this work.
Well, let's Halle Berry too.
I think I told you a man calledHalle Berry and she's from Ohio
, she's from Cleveland.
Yeah, when I did my recoveryhome.
I remember one day walking intothe conference room and this
(22:58):
little, tiny, little cute personwith a little cap on stood up
and she says hi, my name isHallie and I'm like Hallie, I
didn't recognize her and shetook the cap off.
She says Hallie Berry.
I'm like oh my gosh.
She said I hope it's okay thatI'm here.
She says I'm getting ready todo this movie called Losing
Isaiah and she said I told themI wanted to do the research.
(23:18):
And they said well, you need togo see Betty.
My name was McDaniel.
Then Go see Betty McDaniel.
She has a recovery home.
So that's why she came.
Well, the women in my programread the script.
They say we need to change somethings.
First of all, we don't talklike this.
She said change it.
She said I told them I want itto be real.
So some of the ladies in myrecovery home Forever Free.
(23:40):
They changed part of the scriptand then she showed them her
wardrobe.
They said we don't dress likethat.
We're druggies.
We don't dress like that.
She says well, which I wear?
So they had input on that.
That's great so when it was timeto film.
Part of the women from myrecovery home were in the first
scene of the movie Losing.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Isaiah.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
Okay, and my name is in the credits Okay, betty
McDaniel in Forever Free, andthat was an awesome movie.
If you haven't seen it, orwhoever's watching it, watch
that movie about a mother wholost her child because she was
on drugs and it's a real story.
It's a real story, so I had abig part in that, so it was
(24:25):
wonderful.
Speaker 1 (24:26):
That is amazing.
That is just amazing.
Yeah, you know, you started alot of organizations now in
Canton, ohio, and one of themwas multi-development services
Of Stock County and that was anarts program, am I right?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Well, you know what it started out, when I, you know
and I always say that God hashad his hand on my life, all my
life and I remember that when Igot married to Reverend Smith
and moved here, my minister saidto me Betty, you have a work to
do at Canton.
(25:05):
And I said, no, I'm retired.
I said my husband has a littlesmall church and I'm going to
work in his church.
He says, oh, I'll give you justa little short while and you'll
be working.
And you know, it was threemonths and it and I it was like
I really heard this voice or itwas in my spirit it said you
can't retire, there's too muchwork to do.
(25:27):
And I'm like I don't even knowwhere I am.
I just gotten there, and so Italked to my husband and he said
, well, there's a school downthe street.
Why don't you go down and seeif there's something you can do?
Long story short, on that Iopened up what I called Minority
Development Services of StarkCounty, okay, and so I started
working with a lot of minorityfamilies and helping the mothers
(25:49):
and with the children, and thenmy population kind of changed
on me and I said, oh, I'mworking with all kinds of
families, I'm working withHispanics and I'm working with
the Caucasian family, I'mworking with this and I'm
working with that.
And so I said, well, I said weand my board said we need to
(26:09):
change the name because we'renot just working with minorities
.
So we changed it tomulti-development services, Okay
, okay, that's how that cameabout.
And I tell you, ann, in threemonths I had 71 clients Three
months time.
There was such a need formothers and children, similar to
(26:30):
what I did in Chicago withCatholic Charities.
And so someone said well, whydon't you open up a recovering
home?
I said, no, you have one herecalled ComQuest and I can refer
moms to them if they need thatkind of service.
And so that's what I did.
But I had children's programs.
I started after school youthprogram.
(26:51):
That's where the arts came in,and I had music, I had choir and
I had sports, we had soccer, wehad swimming, we played a
little basketball and we didtheater.
So you see, that was preparingme for something later.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
And I didn't realize that at the time.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
you see, so I did all of that and then I opened a
homeless shelter and I opened uptransitional housing.
In one year I had five piecesof paid tour property.
I didn't know these foundations, I had never written a grant
because Catholic Charities wroteall of my grants, and so I
(27:31):
started just writing from myheart because at that time the
grants were pretty easy to write.
The requirements were not likethey are today, the requirements
weren't not like they are todayand they started funding me and
I had five pieces of property.
I mean it was the HooverFoundation, it was the Timken
Foundation, sisters of Charity,I mean it was just all of the
(27:51):
major foundations.
And people were like, how didyou get this money?
I said I just wrote a proposal,I want to help people.
And they loved my passion forthe community and for the people
in the communities,particularly families and
children, and so we opened thisbeautiful.
(28:12):
I took an old.
Really the house was on demolist and I was able to get the
house and I believe it was theStark Community Foundation
bought that house for me andthen I got money from the city
of Canton to renovate the house.
Wow.
And then it was the DougalFoundation gave me money to buy
(28:34):
all the furnishings.
And it was a beautiful home.
I rebuilt it, I put in all newflooring, carpet, drapes, it was
beautiful.
And so I asked the mayor hisname was Watkins.
Then I said why don't you comeand cut the ribbon?
So he said I'd be happy to.
Well, when he saw the home hesaid oh my gosh, this is
(28:58):
beautiful.
He said I can live in a homelike this.
This is wonderful.
I said well, I'll tell you what.
If you ever become homeless,give me a call.
But you know what it wasbeautiful.
I mean it really was.
Then, a couple of years later, Isaid well, I need a
transitional house for once,these homeless people, they need
a place to go.
Once, these homeless people,you know they need a place to go
(29:19):
.
So I need transitional,something they can transition
into.
So a young a person named TomSherry he's passed away he said
Betty, I've got an apartmentbuilding.
If you could fix it up, youknow you could just use it.
So I was able to get somepeople to come and fix it up
Once again.
I fixed it up really, reallynice, and so the women could go
from there into transitionalhousing.
(29:41):
Okay, and my final place was.
I had a nice home down thestreet and I said if a mother
can get through the homelessshelter to transitional, then
she'll need a place of her own.
So then she went into thisother home with her family.
She stayed there two years.
Then we found her her own home.
So it takes time, it's like athree-year.
(30:04):
You know, I did this even inChicago with recovery home.
You can't recover in 30 days.
They'll say go to 30-day detoxor 30.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
You can't recover right.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
So I would keep those mothers up to a year in Chicago
in my recovery home that'samazing.
And then I had a transitionalhouse there and then we found
them home.
So I knew the process.
So you see, that was getting mestarted in Chicago to work at
in-camp, you know, except itwasn't a recovery home but it
was a home with shelter.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
But you got it and I have so many you know.
Speaker 2 (30:37):
Except it wasn't a recovery home, but it was a home
or shelter.
But you got it.
You.
You understood these stories.
We would talk for days aboutall the stories and the places
where god, you know, put me tohelp.
It's all about what my mom toldme living is giving and good.
You know, when you're in thiswork, you you can't be in this
work for money.
You make very little money insocial work and for years I made
no money, I just did it andright now I just get a small
(31:01):
stipend.
But if people think they'regoing to open up a 501c3 and
work with families and make alot of money, they're mistaken
and a lot of people go into itfor that and that's the wrong
reason.
You have to have that passion,you have to have that love for
people and you want to do goodby them.
It's not about a paycheck.
(31:21):
I don't hire people that say,well, I need a job.
No, do you need this kind ofjob?
Do you have a passion for thekids?
Do you love it?
If they don't, they can't workhere.
You can never work for me.
If you didn't have a passion,you couldn't do it Right.
You just couldn't do that.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Well, I used to be a director of a battered woman's
shelter, and we too had theexact same kind of setup, but it
wasn't as long, and I reallyappreciate your passion and your
knowledge for knowing that andallowing the women to be set up
for success.
you know, because that's whatyou really want to do.
(32:02):
I mean, if somebody is standingin front of you and they are
homeless, or when I worked inthe jail system and they really
want a second chance, you knowyou have to help set them up for
success and that's what you'redoing them up for success and
that's what you're doing.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
Yes, and you know another thing we're doing now I
met with the staff that workwith juvenile court and the
probation department.
These are young people thatjust do dumb stuff and they have
misdemeanors.
And so I said send me some ofthose young people for community
service that have to docommunity service and let me
(32:38):
give them something, aneducation, and get them involved
in the arts and they can worktheir hours off here while we're
educating them so they don'tcome back into your system.
So I've been wanting to do thatfor quite a while, but now that
we've got the facility and wehave more programs and things
but we just started this lastweek- oh, wow.
(33:00):
In fact, we just got our firstreferrals yesterday to young
people and we'll work with them.
Oh, how wonderful.
And we work with the jobspeople.
Yeah, we work with the jobspeople and those who are
receiving a check, and you knowyou have to work to get your
check, and so we've got three ofthem working here now.
They're doing a wonderful job.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
these are talented young people just giving you a
chance and you're teaching themthe skills, because there's
nothing more important than youknow young people learning life
skills and job skills and allthe things that make them an
independent, productive adultright and and the discipline.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
You know we have to be there, you have to be on time
, you have to dressappropriately you know, these
are the things that we teachthem, we instill in them the
values and things, the lifeskills, so that when you leave
here and you go to a job you'llbe ready.
But someone very talented onceyoung lady, she's very good with
the computer, so she's helpingus.
So that's what it's all about.
(33:54):
One One young man said well, Ireally like to clean, so maybe I
could help you clean thebuilding I'm like well, of
course, we always need somebodyto help us keep the building
clean.
He said but you have to train me.
I don't know how to doeverything.
And I said well, that's whyyou're here and he's worked out.
So he was with me this summerand they let me keep him over
(34:18):
now because he's still got sometime that he needs to work on
and they pay him, so that helpsme too.
But he's learning and he and heloves it here and we love him.
Speaker 1 (34:23):
Yeah, it's honing in on those skills that they love
and be able to teach them new,new skills and how to do it out
there in the world.
I mean, oh my gosh, what you'redoing is amazing.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
I love it, I love what I do.
I mean, you know, and this iswhy I get up in the morning, you
know, and I always say, god,what are you going to do today?
And what challenges am I goingto have today?
That I know I'll meet themBecause you know, like I say, I
have a strong faith and I justlook forward to coming here and
working with the kids.
(34:54):
And now we have an affiliationwith the Bluecoats.
I could remember a couple ofyears ago I went to foundations
for money.
I said I really need someinvesting, building money.
See, I've been workingbasically with part-time staff
and college students.
College students.
They helped me put this programtogether.
That's all I had, and I used tojust do everything the
(35:15):
bookkeeping I was.
Every I wore about 10 hats, andso then, when I went to the
foundations who've always beengood to me they said Betty, you
need a couple of things you needsustainability and you need a
succession plan.
And so this is where theBluecoats was always there to
try to help me out, because wehave Dromline.
And so we talked about how theycould help me, and what we came
(35:39):
up with was an affiliationagreement where they would put
some of their board members onmy board and vice versa, and
then I'd be a non-voting memberon their board and their CEO and
CFO, coo, would be non-votingmembers on my board, and then
they would help me withfundraising so that this program
can be around a long time whenI'm no longer working in this
(36:03):
program or here.
This program has to go onbecause it's so valuable to the
community.
So then I talked with Mr TedSwaldo who is the founder of
Javazi Vineyard and he is alsoconnected with the Bluecoats.
His son was in the Bluecoatswhen he was younger and I told
him I said for five years I'vebeen praying for a building.
(36:24):
I want one story with a lot ofwindows, because the building I
had been in we're kind of in achurch basement and there was
not any windows per se.
So I tell you, in a shortperiod of time he found the old
Ziegler Tire Building on thecorner of Dyson Market and he
says I've got the perfectbuilding for you.
And I tell you he transformedthis building into just a
(36:46):
state-of-the-art fine artsbuilding.
Is it all done?
It's all, yes, it's completedand you'll have to come by for a
tour.
Oh, I want to.
Another show where we just takea tour of this facility and show
the two art rooms that I have,the two dance studios, a huge
(37:06):
drumline room and astate-of-the-art kitchen for our
creative cooking class, and wecan feed the kids a
well-balanced meal after school,and we did it this summer for
camp.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Do you have a garden too?
Speaker 2 (37:20):
We have a garden on the corner of 7th and Fulton
Road, the kids grow vegetablesand then we have lots of flowers
, we have a butterfly garden andthen we use some of that food
out of the garden for cookingand the young lady that does the
cooking she uses that, you know, the food out of the garden and
(37:42):
she teaches them about eatinghealthy and all that kind of
good stuff.
You know, it's just wonderful,it's just, it's just wonderful.
So we have the creative cookingand that's a very popular class
.
Even I've had parents say Ididn't be in that class, you
know, because our kids, justthey eat a lot of junk, right,
right, you know, and we givethem fruit and vegetables when
they were having the lunch here.
(38:02):
Then we'll do after school,because I get some of the kids
as early as 3.30.
Well, they haven't eaten sincelunch.
So now we'll be able to givethem a full course course dinner
and then they'll go to studyhall and then they will go to
their class and I have them toabout 6.15.
So before, when I had themafter school, we only had snacks
(38:23):
because we didn't have akitchen and they would say, miss
Betty, I'm still hungry, andsometimes I'd have to buy food
and it got to be very expensivepizza and stuff like that,
sandwiches, and then sometimespeople would donate and we
always take donations for foodbecause kids are always hungry
when they come here hungry.
You can't function if you'rehungry and some of the kids are
(38:43):
like, betty, I'm hungry and,like I said, kids stay hungry
all the time.
They want to eat.
But I want to give themsomething healthy and give them
something healthy, and thenevery now and then we'll do a
treat.
You know we'll do ice cream orwe'll we'll have some cookies or
something like that.
But I want them to know thatyou know you need to start young
, taking care of your health.
So very important to take careof your health when you're
(39:06):
younger, to work out, tocondition your body.
You know I teach them all ofthat.
I did that in the recovery homein Chicago.
We had workouts and we orChicago, I took them over by the
lakefront, we walked along thelakefront and some of them had
never even seen the lakefront inChicago.
And we take the kids.
We give the kids experiencesthat they would never be able to
(39:26):
have if they didn't have thisprogram.
We expose them.
Exposure is everything.
We expose them to a lot ofdifferent things that they can
do to make it in life.
Life.
We expose them to a lot ofdifferent things that they can
do to make it in life.
Life skills are so important.
Etiquette classes.
Last year and we're going to doit again this year Mr Swaldo's
wife, linda Swaldo she's such asweet, lovely lady she did an
(39:46):
etiquette class.
We took them to Jervasi firstclass and she taught them how to
properly sit in the napkin.
I said I learned some thingstoo.
Sometimes I don't know whichfork to use if we have a lot of
these forks and spoons andknives and things Right.
And she did that and the kidsjust they'll never forget it.
So she said she would do it forme again.
Probably this fall We'll haveanother etiquette class at Japan
(40:10):
.
What better place right thanJavazi?
Some of them said, wow, I'm atJervaisi, I'm like such a
disposal, you know Sure sure.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
And this all falls under enrichment.
Is that correct?
Speaker 2 (40:23):
Enrichment and on Facebook we're known as
Enrichment of Stark County.
Okay, and enrichment is spelleddifferently because it's all
capitals and it's got dashes init E-N, dash, r-i-c-h, dash,
m-e-n-t, because someone had itwithout the dashes.
So we have the Enrichment ArtsEducation Center at 901 Market
(40:45):
North in Canton, ohio.
You can't miss this.
I mean we just light up thatcorner and at night there are
lights.
On our name, mr Swalder, we hadthe lights underneath the word
enrichment.
We got lights on thelandscaping outside.
It's just beautiful.
I can't wait to see it.
I mean people just ride by andadmire you know, the beacon of
(41:07):
light.
Someone said you're a gem onthe corner of 9th and Market.
Oh, wow, that's amazing.
Yeah, so we're a part of acampus really, because Arts and
Stark is next door and you knowthey have the ballet, they have
the museum and they have SingStark over there.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
So we're part of that .
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Now they have a park next to us, so we have a park.
The drum line wants to go overthere and practice and you can
go over there and practice inthe park.
So it works out really well.
Again, it's for the community.
You know, we just work together.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
And all this?
Wasn't it like a $1.75 millioncampaign that made this happen?
Speaker 2 (41:48):
That's exactly right.
And then, as Mr Swaldo got inhere, he saw other things.
He said oh, we need this, Ineed a little more money, we
need this.
And you know, god just blessedhim.
I think we raised up to.
He raised up to $2.1 million.
Oh my gosh, oh my goodness.
I mean, when you see thebuilding you'll see.
I mean this is just state ofthe art.
(42:08):
It's just, he had the finest ofcontractors and some of them
donated their time, you know, ordonated materials.
It was a community,collaborative effort, even with
contractors and foundations.
And of course, we still needmoney because we have a
beautiful building.
But I need more classes now, Ineed more teachers and it takes
(42:32):
money, you know, to do all ofthat.
So that's very important.
So we're constantly doingfundraisers.
You know that's real important,that I, you know, still do that
and raise the money.
Sometimes our drummers will goout and we have a big sign that
says drumming for dollars.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Oh geez, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Yeah, and the people love the drumming, so they'll
come out and put money in thebucket.
I remember this summer six ofthe Blue Coats drummers came out
on their day off and theydrummed with our drummers on a
corner and in 35 minutes we had$255.
Speaker 1 (43:09):
See you're still, you're just miracles.
Follow you, Miracles follow you.
Oh, I'm telling you.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
I'm telling you I am blessed and highly favored.
I'm blessed but, you know,because I have a passion and a
love for people.
It's particularly the kids.
Right, we have to, we have totake care of our young ones.
And you start, and we start atage five.
Sometimes kids have alreadyformed their own opinions and
what they're going to do whenthey're that young.
So you have to start puttingthe good stuff in them and
(43:38):
letting them know they're lovedand they're cared about.
You know, and keep them on theright foot.
You know, and we work with theparents and we work with
autistic children.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
That's what I was just going to say I saw that you
have a space for autism, kidswith autism, and I've got three
autistic kids and you know itwould be amazing to see what you
have there, what the facilityis like yes, we have a sensory
room, that's just that wasdonated to us.
Speaker 2 (44:06):
A young lady named Ms Schumacher.
She has an autistic son and shetold Mr Swallow I know what's
needed in that room.
And it told Mr Swallow I knowwhat's needed in that room and
it's solid, it's soundproof andit's got different lights in the
room.
It's got heavyweight thingsthat they could sit on.
She said everything and we useit this summer.
(44:26):
But I want to work with allkinds of all children.
We're all God's children and weget along and they all love one
another and they take care ofone another and that's what it's
all about.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
And this is all free for everybody, is that?
Speaker 2 (44:40):
correct, it's free.
They pay for no classes.
Our drum line, color guarddance line, they don't pay for
anything.
We buy their uniforms, theirshoes, their socks from head to
toe, Because most of these youngpeople cannot afford it.
We're probably about 95% low tomoderate income.
Yeah, we are, and this summerwe had 192 in camp and if I had
(45:08):
more teachers and more money Icould have had another 30 kids
in camp.
We had to put them on a waitinglist, but you know, yeah, and
we had 77 schools kids in camp.
We had to put them on a waitinglist, but you know, yeah, and
we had 77 schools represented inour program this summer.
Last year it was 55.
This year, 77 schools and thisyear this is the first year they
even came from other counties.
(45:30):
You know, we're primarily ourbase with Canton kids, but they
come from different schools.
We had them from Malvern andMarlborough and Carrollton and
Louisville and they just, youknow, and they had a great time.
You know you can tell who wasfrom what school.
You know you don't give up on achild, do you?
(45:52):
You do not.
I never do.
There's no such thing as a badchild.
I don't even like for people tosay, oh, you're bad, and you
never put that in a child's headbecause they'll think they're
bad and then they'll do badstuff.
You know, we had one young lady.
She came to the very quiet,very reserved, and then she
found out that she liked drums.
(46:13):
And then she posted somethingon Facebook and she says it's
like I have a reason now to goout of the house every day.
I have enrichment, I have thedrum line, I have.
Miss Betty, it was justheart-wrenching, yeah, and I
said that's what I do.
Speaker 1 (46:31):
You're changing lives , yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:34):
And we have signs all over that say enrichment, the
arts, save lives.
We put those everywhere.
I want enrichment to become ahousehold name.
Speaker 1 (46:45):
You know, it was the same with me growing up.
I mean, the things that helpedme were the arts drawing and
being creative, and music, mymusic, the music I listened to,
and I also was in the band and Iplayed clarinet too.
Speaker 2 (47:02):
And I played piano.
Speaker 1 (47:03):
Yeah, and you know I have my kids in different music.
They play piano and guitar andthings like that.
But I mean.
I really believe for one thingit's a universal language and it
brings people together.
It brings people together thatwould not have been together,
that's correct.
Speaker 2 (47:23):
That's correct.
So I commend you, Ann, on yourpodcast and the things that you
do and the experiences thatyou've had and still trying to
help people.
It was so much different thanthe kids that you have now.
Speaker 1 (47:47):
What are the biggest differences that you see with
our kids today and the biggestyou know?
Speaker 2 (47:52):
I think we had problems before COVID.
But COVID hit and the kids wereisolated and they were at home
and they had no social life.
That that's.
That's a carryover, and some ofthe kids are still being
homeschooled and I find thatthey have no social skills.
So that's been a problem.
But enrichment brings that outof them.
(48:14):
That's why I was telling youthe story about the young girl
and she's down Now.
Wow, I found why I need to comeout every day and do something.
But the kids are just hardcore.
You know, the gang activity isreal out there and not just
Canton, it's everywhere.
And so that's why programs likeEnrichment are so important to
steer these kids in the rightdirection.
(48:35):
So they don't want to get itbecause gang members are always
recruiting kids.
I've had young people tell meone was seven years old and he
said they were recruiting himbut he had a bad life at home
and they know how to recruitthem.
They're very kind to them, theywant to buy them things, take
them, you know.
So the kids latch onto that andhe told me he's Miss Betty, I
(48:58):
was seven, and he said theyrecruited me, you know, and like
, oh wow, he ended up going.
He ended up going to jail.
You know, and you know he was.
I think he was in jail maybethree or four years.
When he got out he came back tosee me.
He says I'm a changed personnow.
I want to be on the straightnow I want to do the right
things, betty, but I didn't knowwhat I was doing.
(49:22):
I was young and so we have towatch that.
And then some of the kids todaythey have no respect for adults
.
But I think sometimes theparents are so young and some of
the parents are afraid of theirchildren.
And one thing in Richmond we'redisciplinarians and I let them
know that you will not come inhere and be up in anybody's face
(49:44):
and tell me what you're goingto do and what you're not going
to do, because then you won't behere, you know.
And so they want to be here.
So I said we have rules and wehave regulations and I even had
a few young people that I washeard them just talking very
disrespectfully to their parentsand I, I said, wait a minute.
(50:05):
I said I can't control what youdo when you're out of here, but
when you're here you willrespect your mom.
You will do that.
And then later I talked to himand you know, and he's well, of
course, he wants to blameeverything on mom.
Right, mom, mom, mom, I said.
But you know that's still momand you must respect her.
But we do have some of that, youknow, where the kids are just
(50:27):
not respectful of their parentsand sometimes the parents can't
control them.
But we do have some parentsthat say I do need help, you
know, and I'm thankful for yourprogram because my son or my
daughter love to be here.
They feel safe and they knowMiss Betty is a strict
disciplinarian and some of themsay I think I need that.
(50:49):
Kids don't want to be bad.
I don't believe that.
No, I had a group come to methis summer, ann, and they said
Miss Betty, we want to do better.
And this was a spokesperson forabout five middle school kids
and she said we want to dobetter, we want to be respectful
, we want to be here and we'resorry, you know, if we've caused
(51:11):
you any problems.
I was very touched, wow.
But you know I did.
I put them with a behaviorspecialist so every week they
would have a session, a groupsession, and they were able to
just talk.
Sometimes we don't give youngpeople an opportunity to express
themselves.
You have to let them talk, youknow.
So they got an, we had anopportunity to talk about things
(51:33):
that were bothering them, andthen they have this person that
knew how to you know how tointeract with them in the
appropriate way.
So that's needed.
We'll do that again this fall.
So it's like, whatever thesekids need to make it, that's
what I want to do here atEnrichment.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
And if gangs are trying to recruit them, it's
really important that you arethere, because then they have
another place to go when thesepeople are trying to bring them
in.
So there's another place that'soffering them a different kind
of love.
There you go.
Speaker 2 (52:08):
That's exactly right, and some of the children come
here very broken.
Some of them are very sad, someof them don't want to be here
at first.
The parents just feel like thisis a good place for you, and
I've had some of them and I haveto talk to them too and I
always let them try differentthings.
(52:29):
Okay, try working in a cookingclass, or let's go to an art
class and I'll let them do threedifferent things.
And they usually find theirniche.
They usually find it, but artand cooking are very good.
And gardening my autisticchildren love the garden, they
just have a wonderful time inthe garden.
And a lot of my kids withbehavior problems I send them
love the garden, they just havea wonderful time in the garden.
And a lot of my kids withbehavior problems I send them to
(52:51):
the garden and they love it.
In outdoors, you know nature,get their hands in the dirt.
There you go, that's right, andthey love that.
They love it.
Speaker 1 (53:03):
Yeah, my three autism kids love dirt, they love dirt.
Speaker 2 (53:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Yeah, my three autism kids love dirt.
Speaker 2 (53:08):
They love dirt, see.
Oh.
So that's why the garden, thegarden, takes a lot of work.
We need more volunteers in thegarden.
A couple of times I talkedabout closing it down.
Then I was like no, this isreally good for the kids, it's
healthy.
I'll get some volunteers out.
I'll figure it out.
I'll figure it out.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
One of the other things besides COVID is.
I really do think is socialmedia.
Speaker 2 (53:32):
I mean, I didn't have social media, you didn't have
social media and the things thatit's doing.
Speaker 1 (53:34):
I mean, people can even be bullied, you know, 24
hours a day, where it used to bejust in the schools.
But now people can reach otherkids and, you know, be violating
A lot of it.
It on social media.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
Yes, we've talked that.
See, I told my young people oh,I'm on your facebook page, so
you better be careful whatyou're putting out there and
don't block me.
You know, and some of them theyput things out and I'll call
them and I'll say no, take thatdown, take that post down.
You don't do.
You don't go at one another onsocial media, calling them names
and stuff and kids do that.
(54:08):
It's bad.
Speaker 1 (54:11):
I tell my daughter when she starts acting out with
all of her behaviors.
I say to her you're toobeautiful for this, you're too
beautiful on the inside for youto be able to do things like
this, and there's just a lot ofugly out there.
Speaker 2 (54:28):
Yes, there really is, and it's very tempting.
And then if young people don'thave support at home, it's even
more enticing, you know.
So parents have to spend timewith their children and talk to
them, find out what's going on.
Who are you hanging out with?
Where are you?
You know we get so I thinkadults get so busy.
(54:50):
And of course moms.
Sometimes moms work one, two,three jobs Trying to make ends
meet, right, but you have toremember you've got a child that
needs you and you have to setpriorities and your child has to
be a priority, you know.
Let them know that you lovethem and that you're there for
them.
That's so.
Kids just want to be loved.
Yeah, and just a hug, you know,and someone will come up and
(55:15):
just grab me and just Miss Betty, I need a hug today, right, you
know, and I give them hugs, youknow I hug our kids.
Speaker 1 (55:20):
I know you have to be very careful you know sensitive
about that, but they feel thelove.
They know I love them.
Great, and really isn't thatall that we want.
Speaker 2 (55:31):
Isn't that all that's right?
I had one of my teachers cometo them.
Betty, I just need a hug today.
Yeah, I said you got it.
Speaker 1 (55:38):
Yeah, adults, we need hugs too well, you, you really
did touch on a lot, especially,especially what us adults could
do for kids, because we want togive them a chance in life, and
it's not the world that we grewup in, you know.
And so we want to be able togive them a great start in life.
(55:58):
I can't stand that.
I see kids that are alreadytainted and broken at such a
young age that by the time theyreach adulthood you know it's
already been set, and I, toodon't believe in a child that
doesn't have a chance.
Every kid has hope and a beliefin them.
(56:19):
If we believe in them, theywill believe in themselves
eventually, and it might taketime.
Speaker 2 (56:25):
Yes, that's true, that's true, but we just we have
to do what we have to do tomake the lives of these children
better.
We have to do that and we knowthat there are some parents that
won't do it.
But that's why we haveenrichment, because we have
people here that love thechildren, in spite of where
they've come from and all thethings.
But we've also been able toturn some parents around to get
(56:49):
involved in their children'slives.
Speaker 1 (56:51):
You know.
I have to mention that you werenamed one of the eight over 80
who make a huge difference inthe community.
Yes, you know.
Speaker 2 (56:59):
I mean that's amazing .
Yeah, I was very I'm alwaysjust, you know, very humble when
something like that happens.
That was Crane's BusinessMagazine, Okay, and it was eight
over 80 and they picked eightpeople and I was nominated and
you know it made me feel verygood, Made me feel good.
(57:19):
You know, we don't do this kindof work to get awards and
things, but it's nice to beappreciated.
Speaker 1 (57:26):
Well then they learn more about your program too.
Speaker 2 (57:28):
That's right.
I mean, and I do a lot ofthings for exposure to give us
you know, so people will knowabout us, so more so parents
will know.
So there's still a lot ofpeople don't know about
enrichment, that they can bringtheir kids here and it's free,
and so we need that kind ofexposure to to bring about
awareness to the families thatwe're here.
(57:50):
We're here for your children.
Speaker 1 (57:52):
You know, I know that you have some talent thing,
like I went to Canton Idol likeyears and years ago and I mean
it was such a fun thing.
And also I mean you have like ahousing program think I mean
you have lots of different.
Is there any other?
Speaker 2 (58:08):
well, I did, I did canton idol, for I did canton
idol for maybe 12, maybe 15years.
Then I had my own televisionshow with canton city schools,
gone on track with betty mack,and I would keep the community
updated on things that weregoing on.
So that was it, and so we'regoing to do a little.
(58:30):
Our kids are going to havetheir own little podcast and do
some things, because youth canreach youth, you know.
So they'll talk to theirlanguage and things that they
can do, and that's important.
And we also have a YouTubenetwork that we're going to
revive and the kids are going torun that.
They're going to run that andit could become a job eventually
.
Everything we train them to dois so that eventually they could
(58:53):
make some money and have a jobthat's worthwhile, instead of
selling drugs or something likethat.
You're just a beautiful person.
You really are.
Thank you so much.
I appreciate this interview andtalking.
I love to talk about the kidsand the families and the things
God has done in my life to helpothers.
Speaker 1 (59:16):
Well, thank you so much for being on Real Talk with
Tina and Ann.
Miss Betty, I am inspired byyou every single day and, as
usual on Real Talk, we say thatthere is purpose in the pain and
there is hope in the journey,so thank you so much for
listening world changers aren'tpleasing everybody, they're just
(59:45):
not.
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