A year or so ago, Jessie came to Lubbock Impact as a single mom of two, feeling overwhelmed and in need of community. She and her children began coming to our weekly Community Meal, eating together with others before heading upstairs for Women’s Ministry and Children’s Ministry. What started as simply showing up each week slowly became something much more meaningful. They weren’t just coming to a meal anymore; they were becoming part of a community.
For Jessie’s daughter, Lilly, that took a little time. Quiet and timid on the outside, the high-energy environment of Children’s Ministry was a lot to take in at first. But week after week, she began to warm up. She built relationships, found her place, and became more comfortable. Today, Lilly is a crucial member of our weekly ministries, and they have become a core part of her week. Whether she’s here for Tuesday night ministries or joining us for spring and summer camps, Lilly has found a place where she feels at home.
Her brother, Tyler, has had a slightly different approach. Full of spitfire energy, he’s often the first one upstairs and ready to jump into the preschool portion of Children’s Ministry. Along the way, he’s found one of his favorite people in our Core Volunteer, Veronica. Every week, he looks for her and runs full speed ahead when he finds her.
While her children have found their place, Jessie has found hers, too. Over the past year, Jessie has grown from someone who came to Lubbock Impact looking for support into someone who is now deeply invested in the community around her. She has become an important member of the Women’s Ministry, built meaningful relationships, and experienced the encouragement and empowerment that comes from being known, supported, and surrounded by people who care.
Perhaps the most meaningful part of Jessie’s growth is what she wants to do with what she’s received. The community she’s found at Lubbock Impact has given Jessie greater confidence in her own ability to make an impact. Recently, she shared an idea with a staff member that’s been on her heart: starting a mentorship program for teen girls.
She envisions a safe space where girls can learn, grow, build relationships, and find a community of their own called “Rooted.” It’s a fitting name for a dream that has grown out of Jessie’s own story.
Jessie came to Lubbock Impact needing community. Along the way, she found relationships, encouragement, and a place to belong. As she has become more rooted herself, she’s begun looking outward, thinking about how she can help other young women become rooted, too. That’s the kind of growth we love to see at Lubbock Impact. Not simply people coming through our doors to receive help, but people discovering their God-given ability to contribute, encourage, lead, and pour into others. Jessie came looking for a community to help carry her, now, she’s dreaming about how she can help carry someone else. Full circle impact.