By Betsy Lee
In one year, Ricky Smith has been transformed.
He went from an angry 11-year-old kid, with a quick temper and an even quicker tongue, to a diplomatic 12-year-old.
"He would get upset about the smallest things," Shakita McKenzie, Ricky's mother, said. "When he'd get upset, he'd start crying. He would just be uncontrollable. I'd have to try and hold him down. It would take all my strength to hold him. I don't ever have to do that anymore."
Not only has Ricky's behavior at home improved, he has also stopped fighting on the street, turning instead to his pastor for help.
"I used to have a real fast temper," Smith said. "But it's slowed down a lot."
McKenzie credits the change to Pastor Matt Maddix and members of the House of Prayer Pentecostal Church. The church, at 756 62nd Ave. N., adopted the Harbordale neighborhood one year ago. Since then, Ricky has been attending picnics hosted by the church and has spent time with many members of the congregation.
"He doesn't have any male role models, and they've given that to him," McKenzie said. "They've said to me, several times, that he really needs a male role model and that they were going to provide that for him."
Ricky describes Maddix as his friend—someone he can turn to in times of need. In one instance, Ricky recalls seeking help from the pastor when an older child in the neighborhood was threatening him. Maddix said God compelled him to make a difference in Ricky's life during one of the group picnics three months ago.
"He just didn't seem like himself," Maddix said.
So when Maddix needed to get something from the gas station, he asked Ricky to come with him. Maddix prodded the child to confide in him and Ricky burst into tears. Ricky confessed that he missed his dad, who is currently in prison, and that he had just witnessed the shooting death of a friend.
"It was heart-breaking," Maddix said. "You're down there, but you don't realize how much they are hurting. I went home and wept that day, and I promised God that I would make an impact on Ricky."
The House of Prayer was met with skepticism when it formally adopted Harbordale through the city's Adopt a Block program. Now, one year later, the impact of the church's ministry has been described as profound.
"We were primarily a white congregation then, entering a primarily black neighborhood," Maddix said. "People told us we were going to get cursed at, that people were going to tell us to leave. But in one year we have had absolutely no problems."
Hope Rodriguez, a congregation member, said she was a bit nervous when first entering the community but became much more comfortable.
Devina Ross, who moved out of Harbordale after eight years in the community, said she was surprised the House of Prayer decided to come to the neighborhood.
"There a lot of rude people there, a lot of people telling them to leave," she said. "Race wasn't an issue; it was manners."
The House of Prayer decided to adopt Harbordale after Maddix became pastor in late May 2003. In early June, Maddix and several members of the congregation went to City Hall and asked to adopt the neighborhood in St. Petersburg with the most need.
According to the 2000 census, 7 percent of the community was unemployed, compared with St. Petersburg's 3 percent unemployment rate. More than 34 percent of families in the community were living below the poverty level.
One of the issues the church focused on was the large percentage of single-parent households in Harbordale. More than 50 percent of families with children under the age of 18 are single-parent families with a female householder. McKenzie, Ricky's mother, appreciates the male presence in her son's life.
"It's something that he needed," she said.
Maddix decided the church needed to focus on being there for the kids. As a result of members' efforts, the weekly picnics—which include free food and entertainment—draw more than 200 people. A program called Advance, which focuses on young men, provides boys ages 12 to 18 a place to hang out, eat pizza and play video games on Friday nights. Then the boys break into groups and discuss issues they are dealing with in day-to-day life. In addition to these programs, between 40 and 50 kids are bused to a Saturday service at the House of Prayer.
Nathaniel Morris said his two daughters, ages 12 and 14, cannot wait to get on the church bus every Saturday.
"They're late for everything, but they don't be late for church," Morris said.
House of Prayer missionary Garrett Brown said the key to the success in Harbordale is no big secret. It's consistency.
"We just kept coming back," Brown said. "This is love in the proactive. This is love hands on."
Though the House of Prayer's impact on the neighborhood's children is evident, Maddix said the church has failed to truly reach the adults in the community. Theresa McEachern, president of the Harbordale Neighborhood Association, agreed.
"With the adults, I don't know what the problem is," McEachern said. "I think maybe they've become complacent."
The House of Prayer invites adults to attend the services and picnics. In addition, members of the congregation mow lawns and pick up trash every Saturday. McKenzie, Ricky's mother, said the group does wonderful things in the community; she just hasn't made it to a service yet.
"I guess I don't really have an excuse about not going," she said.
Morris said the demands of work keep him from attending services at the House of Prayer.
"I don't even have time for myself with these bills piling up," he said. "I've been telling my wife that we need to get back into going to church. Whenever I can get all my bills off my back, we'll try to go."
According to Maddix, 65 people from Harbordale have been baptized since the Adopt a Block program began. More than 45 have been children.
Despite the lack of adult participation in Harbordale, the church has seen membership growth. When Maddix became pastor of the church last year, an average of 100 people attended services. Currently, the church averages 280 members in the congregation each weekend. Aisha Ross, 26, from Clearwater, decided to join the because of the church's focus on helping others. For her, the 30-minute commute to church is worth it.
"They let you get involved," Ross said. "They give you that chance. A lot of churches don't have those opportunities."
Throughout the past year, more churches are beginning to offer their congregations a chance to perform community service. Since the House of Prayer became involved with the Adopt a Block program, 12 other churches have also decided to participate. House of Prayer has big plans for the community. Maddix said the congregation is currently negotiating to buy a bowling alley in the Harbordale neighborhood. It hopes to convert the space into a youth center for kids, while also creating a place of worship in the area.
Though Maddix believes the program to be a success, he said he is looking forward to the long term. By being there as mentors for the neighborhood kids, he hopes to see the church's efforts come full circle.
"Our impact will be when Ricky graduates from school, marries a good woman and raises good kids," Maddix said. "That's going to be our impact."