Flint is one of many “legacy cities” in America whose current economic woes can be traced back to rapid growth and the highly industrialized economy in the early part of the twentieth century. At its peak in the late seventies, the General Motors automotive industry employed up to 80,000 individuals. Thousands of former GM employees still exist in the area. Many of these workers and their families, having once flourished in the heavily industrialized and unionized culture, are now trapped in a cycle of generational poverty. As a result of the sharp economic decline, many daughters, mothers, and grandmothers in the Flint vicinity have been burdened by homelessness, poverty, the responsibility of raising many children from multiple generations, fragmented families, and domestic abuse. News of a mother who had given birth alone in an abandoned Flint home inspired Sister Carol Weber and Sister Judy Blake to found the St. (North End Women’s) Life Center in 2002. Storytelling soon became the most powerful component of the Center. By listening to those in need, the Sisters discovered that these individuals truly did not want charity or handouts; they wanted opportunities to work, to grow, and to be independent. What began as a loving, helping hand through food and clothing drives has now blossomed into a center for emotional and physical strength, fellowship, job training, employment, education, and hope. The women’s sewing program soon led to a men’s landscaping training program and business. Teaching women and men job skills empowers them to provide for their children, which in turn provides positive ripples through our community, both economically and socially. Adults, young and old, join together at the center every day to study for their G.E.D, exercise, cook, share a meal, and share the fortune that they have found in the heart of the north side, at the St. Life Center.
