By E. Ann Clemons, 9th Episcopal District
“Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I, therefore, command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.” Deuteronomy 15:11 (NRSV)
Bishop Harry L. Seawright, Presiding Prelate of the Ninth Episcopal District, recognized his calling to serve the people of Alabama upon his election at the 50th Quadrennial Session of the African Methodist Episcopal Church General Conference. So, Bishop Seawright hit the southern soil running! The Daniel Payne Legacy Village Foundation (DPLV was established under the Servant leadership of Bishop James Levert Davis, prior to the appointment of Bishop Harry L. Seawright to the Ninth Episcopal District. Mr. Brandon Cleveland served as a consultant for the Board of
Trustees and consequently hired as Executive Director by the Board of Trustees of Daniel Payne College to conduct its mission to assist with community growth through education, technology, economics, and wellness throughout Alabama.
The DPLV foundation houses The Legacy Prep Charter School within its community plaza, one of the first of its kind in Alabama with the capacity for four hundred students from kindergarten to fourth grade. In addition, the Foundation’s Job Readiness Program provides computer skills to participants who need to learn or improve computer skills for job readiness and employability in a new workforce and for entrepreneurs seeking to become self-sufficient with their business practices in this age of technology.
Since COVID-19, hundreds of families have incurred unexpected hardships and difficulty in putting food on the table. In addition to providing information for healthy living and COVID-19 awareness, DPLV’s wellness program utilizes Daniel’s Pantry as a component to addressing these issues facing the community. The Reverend Alphonso Colvin operates the Food Pantry along with Brandon Cleveland and various committed volunteers minister to the social, spiritual, and physical development of local families who have suffered hardships during this pandemic.
Historically, the AME Church has always been a champion of social justice. The United States Department of Agriculture recently reported that 13.8 million people in households were food insecure. National studies indicate that children growing up in food-insecure families are vulnerable to poor health and stunted development from the earliest stages of life. The Ninth Episcopal District has joined the fight to impact food insecurity and obesity by establishing Rolling Food Bank grocery bags from the community plaza’s pantry. Each Rolling Food Bank bag includes 8-10 canned vegetables, fruit, rice beans, pasta, soup, cereal, canned meat, peanut butter, jelly, and a variety of condiments including sugar, flour, and other miscellaneous food items.
The Rolling Food Bank distributions include the Tuskegee, Camden, Mobile, and Dothan Districts. The Reverend Dr. Ronald Sterling, Pastor of St. John AME Church, downtown, is also grateful to Daniel Payne Pantry for the food donations, which also helped St. John’s Feed My Sheep Ministry in distributing food within an hour directly to people in parts of the city’s most concentrated homeless areas. Brandon Cleveland said, “When we have a significant overflow of donations into the pantry, in addition to donations to St. John’s “Feed My Sheep Ministry, we assist other organizations with food to provide to the community. Our donations also extend to local schools to prevent food from going to waste and ensure that our efforts go toward helping schools’ lunch programs. The most recent recipient of Daniel’s Pantry donation was the Inglewood School children. Bishop Seawright said, “I am grateful for the leadership and management of all the work being carried out at the Daniel Payne Legacy Village Foundation by the staff there. Mr. Cleveland said, “It is such rewarding work to see the daily plans and decisions we make as a foundation positively affect the community we serve every day.”
