Jesta Joined Open Door Ministries in July 2024 as the Program Specialist. However, her story with Open Door began 32 years ago, when she first came to the City of High Point in high school.
Photos Featuring: (Left) Jesta organizing hygiene donations with colleagues at Open Door Ministries. (Right) Jesta and Volunteer.
Growing up in a community-oriented family in Burlington, NC, Jesta was raised and taught by her grandmother to always keep a caring heart for the people in her community. Jesta was brought to High Point when she was 18. Enrolled as a Senior at High Point Central, she soon found herself alone in an unfamiliar city with no one to go to and a school where nobody looked like her; she had to start by learning the streets and how to ride public transportation.
Just as young Jesta celebrated her college acceptance, an unexpected pregnancy and the sudden end of her apartment lease shredded all her excitement apart. Furthermore, on top of being displaced due to her mother's increasing problem with addiction, Jesta's grandmother passed away during the same month. These series of changes crashed onto her already burdened heart one by one, Jesta became homeless.
Referred by the Housing Authority as her only option, Jesta received assistance from the Urban Ministries' shelter program (Now Open Door Ministries of High Point). During her one-month stay, she learned living basics that nobody had taught her how to do before, like how to apply for an apartment. She also discovered her passion for teaching. “I moved into my first apartment in May, when I called home and shared the news with them, my mom said: ‘I knew you would make it’,” Jesta shared.
Her journey at Urban Ministries led to a successful and fulfilling career and a loving motherhood. Young Jesta gradually established her support network, graduated college, and became an inspiring educator, head coach, paralegal, and much more.
Years later, Jesta came to Open Door Ministries for her job interview. A sense of odd familiarity arose as Jesta walked down the stairs. Memories struck, and Jesta realized that this was the same place where she took her first step toward independence. “This is surreal”, said Jesta: “I said to Orel that I am not supposed to cry during an interview, but if I do, that’s because I stayed here 30 years ago.”
Now, as the program specialist, Jesta works closely with volunteers and community members. She shares her compassion with every individual that she works with, regardless of their age and background. Besides coordinating schedules and responsibilities for volunteers, she also supports those who were completing community service hours by writing them encouragement cards. She wants the volunteers to not only be a part of Open Door’s effort, but also understand why they are doing it.
“You can’t tell someone who is going through rough times that you have walked in their shoes, but you have walked in the same path. If you have never experienced homelessness truly, never not knowing where your next meal is, not knowing if you will be alive in the next minute, not knowing who will help you, you can’t truly understand them. I always tell them that if you just keep walking and believe in God that he will make it happen, he will. My faith is strong. My experiences taught me that everything comes down to the understanding of things that are bigger than me. It is never about me, it is always about how I can serve somebody else. Just like it was never about Jesus, it was always about what he could do at that moment, in that moment, for that person. This is exactly what we do at Open Door Ministries with all of our programs. This organization is like a port, people come to us from all walks of life, needing resources and assistance. And if you come, you can trust that some needs are going to be met. And if it is something that we don’t do here, we always know where to guide you.”
To learn more about our programs, and the ways they impact those in need please visit, www.opendoorministrieshp.org
ABOUT OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES
Open Door Ministries is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people regain their lives through supportive services and emergency assistance. Our programs and services are solution-oriented, and ministry minded, including the operation of a homeless shelter, serving daily meals, distributing non-perishable and fresh food, obtaining permanent housing, providing emergency assistance and acquiring and maintaining permanent jobs.
Our mission is "to serve, empower, and minister guests in order to prevent and end hunger and homelessness through advocacy, education, housing, and coordination of services."
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