Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s Tony Taglavore takes to lunch a local person – someone who is well-known, successful, and/or influential, and asks, “What’s Your Story?”
By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services
Suddenly, the woman in her early 50’s was homeless.
Her husband – the father of her two children – had kicked her out of the house.
Suddenly, the woman in her early 50’s was desperate.
She had never worked, being totally dependent on the man who now didn’t want her. She didn’t even have a bank account.
“I really think her confidence had tanked. At that point, she was like, ‘I don’t know what else to do.’”
So, the homeless, desperate woman sought help at the Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission. There, she was given a place to sleep and food to eat. But that’s not all. The woman was given an education. She enrolled in the mission’s financial literacy curriculum. Remember the woman didn’t have a bank account, much less know how to manage money.
“She went through our class. Our team started working with her. She gained more confidence. She was able to get a job, her own apartment, and opened her own bank account. I will never forget, she sent me a picture of her holding up her debit card. She was so proud to finally have her own account.”
And that is why Sarah Ardis does what she does.
The 41-year-old, who was born in Shreveport but now lives in Bossier City, has been with the mission for 13 years. She told me that story, and her story, during lunch at a place Sarah chose, BeauxJax Crafthouse. She enjoyed a cup of gumbo “I’m a sucker for good gumbo” and a side salad. I had a cup of gumbo, and the Bourbon Chicken Bowl. Our beverage of choice was water with lemon.
“If we look through the Bible, God uses people to do miraculous things . . . . I think God uses us to be a part of these miracles – changing people’s lives.”
In college, Sarah thought she could change lives by being an attorney. Sarah planned on going to law school, and went so far as to earn a double major in Criminal Justice and Political Science from LSUS.
“I think I’ve always had a desire to make a difference, so I looked at that as an opportunity to do just that.”
But a funny thing happened on Sarah’s way to the courtroom.
“I met a boy, got married, had a kid (Sophie), and we really wanted to establish roots here in Shreveport.”
Something else happened, which would lead Sarah down the path she now walks.
Growing up, Sarah and her family (she has a younger brother) were “church nomads.” They went from one house of worship to another, hearing the Gospel, but not necessarily listening to the Gospel.
“When my husband and I had our daughter, we went to church to get her baptized, because that’s what you do. You have a kid, and you get them baptized.”
But during the service, the preacher had the audacity to ask the new parents a couple of questions.
“Are you going to raise this child in church? Are you going to teach her about God?”
Of course, the answer was, ‘Yes.” But . . . .
“I could feel the weight. My husband had never gone to church before.”
On the way home, the recent newlyweds had a heart-to-heart talk.
“I don’t know how you feel about this,” Sarah told her husband, “but I really want to start going to church more consistently with Sophie.”
They did, and the young family “started diving into our faith and finding out what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus.”
It wasn’t until after working a few odd jobs, and staying home with her newborn, that Sarah got serious about her career.
“I really thought the skills I had would translate well to the non-profit (sector).”
Sarah applied for, and got, a job with the mission.
“When I first started, it was definitely a learning process. I had to learn how to not take everything so personal, and how to not wear my heart on my sleeve.”
You see, Sarah pours everything she has into helping people – people who need help in the worse way, and when they are at their worse. Some are accepting. Some aren’t.
“The majority of people we help are almost like couch surfers. Something traumatic has happened in their life, and they’ve bounced from home to home, friend to friend, family to family. They basically have burned all their bridges. We are the last stop before they hit rock bottom.”
For example, there was this guy named Paul.
“We always joke that when he came in, his name was Saul, because he was an atheist with the filthiest mouth. To say he cussed like a sailor might be an insult to sailors. It got to a point where his attitude was terrible. We said, ‘This isn’t working for you. Here are some other resources.’”
Paul went down the road. Two weeks later, he returned.
“He was like, ‘I’m done with the world. I need change.’ He is now on fire for God.”
Paul is also a full-time employee at the mission, in charge of its kitchen.
“He is pouring into other men and does a great job.”
Sarah became emotional when talking about those turn-your-life-around stories, and thinking about so many other stories of which she has been a part.
“God is performing miracles every day. I’ve seen people at their worst, and I’ve seen people at their best. It’s amazing, and I am humbled to get to be a part of it – a part of truly helping change our community. I want my kids to grow up in a place where they don’t look at Shreveport like it’s Ratchet City. I want them to say, ‘My mom was part of something good in our community. She didn’t sit on the sidelines. She actually helped change people’s lives.’”
Sarah, now a mother of two and a wife of 15 years, is the mission’s Director of Development and Community Relations. So, when she is not working hands-on with mission “guests”, Sarah is asking people and corporations for money. All of the mission’s nearly two-million-dollar budget is dependent on donations, which means the mission is dependent on Sarah’s success.
But she isn’t one to make a “hard sell”.
“I just like to tell people what God is doing at the mission. God will do the rest. The Holy Spirit will stir their heart. If they want to give. If they want to get plugged in. That’s God’s job. I just love to tell people what God is doing at the mission, and God takes care of the rest.’”
Having a newfound appreciation for the mission’s work, and Sarah’s work in particular, I decided to ask my final question. As always, what is it about Sara’s life that she would like to pass along to others?
“It’s really easy in the world we live in, especially with social media, to sit back and complain. I want people in our community to be agents for change. Don’t just sit on the sidelines and complain. There is a place for everybody to get plugged into whatever you’re passionate about . . . . We’re all called to make a difference. God did not give us gifts and talents to keep them to ourselves and use them for our own benefits. We all have things we can do to make our community a better place. That’s what I hope people will take away from my story. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Be a part of change in our cities.”
In other words, write your own success story.
Do you know someone with a story? Email SBJTonyT@gmail.com.
The Journal’s weekly “What’s Your Story?” series is sponsored by Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers.