Episode 131 Deidra Lewis-Robertson - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

I love sitting down with people who have taken their faith and made it their work and action. You can find my full discussion with Deidra Lewis-Robertson, Director of Friendship House for Community Renewal International, here.

 

Here are the questions I asked:

 

0:37 1. You are an integral part of Community Renewal International as the Director of Friendship House and Director of Operation H.O.P.E., Helping Our Pupils Excel.

 

Let’s start here today.

 

I believe there are currently 10 Friendship Houses in Shreveport-Bossier. What are these friendship houses and what types of programs do they offer?

 

4:02 2. How does Community Renewal determine where to place its friendship houses?

 

5:51 3. You once said, “The call had to go beyond just going to church every Sunday.”

 

Your husband Eric and you made a significant sacrifice by relocating your family to a less safe area of Highland so that you could run the Friendship House in Highland. Talk to me about that relocation process and some of what your husband, children and you went through (or still go through) as a result of making that significant transition?

 

10:37 4. As I mentioned earlier, you are the Director of Operation H.O.P.E. Tell me about this program and some of the important work it does.

 

13:53 5. Sometimes people think it is the sole responsibility of our school system to be our village and to ensure that our kids get all that they need to become responsible, productive adults. How do you see the role of schools, what can they do and what should they do, and what are the gaps that programs like yours need to fill?