A Monday evening in downtown St. Petersburg and the pizza has arrived.
Everyday Hero host Bill Murphy traveled to a temporary location for the St. Petersburg Free Clinic’s Women’s Residence as major work is done on the main home.
No matter the location each month these meetings are held with women staying at the residence and members of the volunteer group, the Naomi and Titus2 Covenant Alliance.
Teralyn “Terry” Hodge is founder and president.
The alliance’s mission: To honor women, offer hope, serve others, and transform generations.
They are called encouragers.
“An encourager is someone who has themselves overcome many life experiences,” Hodge said.
Quite simply, encouragers are people who are willing to pass along what they have learned to women whose life journey is traveling a difficult road at this time.
To listen and perhaps help point them in the right direction with personal development, work skills, and more.
A retired educator, Terry traveled a difficult road herself and survived thanks to the compassion of others.
Now she’s all about giving back.
“I want the women who don’t believe that they can be successful. I know they can be successful if put in the right environment and given the right support. The can be successful,” Hodge said.
For more than four years, Terry and her volunteers have hosted these meetings.
Along with pizza comes hope.
And understanding.
And encouragement.
“Encourage them! That’s what we need more of in our city and our country,” Hodge said. “Today in our society we need encouragement. Someone to say, ‘You can do it’. To say, ‘what do you need’? Let me help you along the way.”