3 Inspired People Spring 2020
ANN SPARKMAN
Ann Sparkman rarely worked outside the home. Instead, she was a stay-at-home mom and homemaker, which turned out to be pretty good work training for the position she now holds.
“I only worked a little bit,” said Sparkman, 77. “Mainly, I was the mom that volunteered for everything, Girl Scouts, clubs, always running back and forth somewhere.”
Now, as co-president (with Nancy Smith) of Loaves and Fishes of Lowndes County, Sparkman finds herself in a very similar routine.
“Mainly, it's my job to keep everything going right, so I have a hand in pretty much everything we do.”
Founded in 2008 as part of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the nonprofit was established to serve hot meals to poor and homeless people of the community. Over the past 12 years, the organization has expanded to 25 groups, mostly area churches, growing two twice-a-week meal services to hot lunches five days per week.
“It takes about 10 people to serve a meal, so with 25 organizations, that's 250 people,” Sparkman said. “That means a lot of coordinating, a lot of phone calls. You don't know if you'll need to serve one day or two or more. The weather dictates that.”
Sparkman said the work is something she's naturally drawn to do.
“I just knew there was a need out here,” she said. “When you see what I've seen over the years, you know the work you are doing is important,” she said. “That's what motivates me.”
JESSICA JEREMIAH
Since it opened three years ago, PediaTrust, a daycare center for children with serious disabilities, has been a godsend to dozens of parents and children, but few of those clients were as enthused at the center's arrival in Columbus as Jessica Jeremiah.
Jeremiah's interest in the arrival of the clinic was both professional and personal. As an instructor in pediatric nursing At Mississippi University for Women, Jeremiah felt the center would be a great clinical study opportunity for her students. Personally, the clinic's presence meant even more – her own daughter, then 11 years old– was in need of the unique services provided by the center.
With a staff of six pediatric nurses and five certified nurse practitioners, PediaTrust is equipped to provide care for children from newborn to age 21 with the skilled care needed for children with severe physical and cognitive disabilities. The center, the only one of its kind in the Golden Triangle, is funded through Medicaid at no cost to the families it serves.
Jeremiah reached out to PediaTrust officials before the center opened. One thing led to another. When the clinic opened in June 2017, Jeremiah, now in her 34th year in nursing, had accepted the role of director of nursing for the center.
“I see all these kids as my children," Jeremiah said. "I work every day to get for them what I want my child to have. All of the children can progress. We want them to have the best life they can have.”
STEPHANIE HALBERT
Stephanie Halbert does not measure the success of her debut book by sales, but by tales.
“The best part is when someone comes to me and shares their stories, how the book has helped them,” said Halbert. “I've had very positive feedback.”
For Halbert, who has worked with the city of Starkville for 10 years (the last two as the city's assistant human relations director), her 2018 book, “No Longer Trapped: Pushing Forward,” was not the fulfilled of a long-held dream as much as it was a response to the challenges of life.
Drawing from her own experiences and those of others, Halbert's book focuses on a faith-based approach to circumstances that can be overwhelming.
“I wanted to share with people that there is a way out,” said Halbert, 42. “It's pretty easy to get to the point where you start to think things won't get better. I wanted to encourage people through real-life examples.”
The first, most important step is one of faith.
“It's trusting that Jesus is with you and nothing is impossible for Him. You can get so side-tracked by what's going on that you lose your peace. But if we keep our minds on Jesus, we'll know perfect peace. You have to have peace to move forward to better things.”
Although she never aspired to be a writer, Halbert says she's pretty sure she'll be writing another book, although she doesn't yet know the topic.
“I'll know it when it comes to me,” she said.
STORY BY SLIM SMITH
PHOTOS BY CARL RUTHERFORD
