Each month, we highlight one of our many InStepp Ambassadors that contribute their time, energy and talent to our important mission. Our InStepp Ambassador for October/November 2011 is Andrea Carter.
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October/November 2011 InStepp Ambassador
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| Andrea Carter |
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Andrea Carter’s passion for helping women began nearly 20 years ago at North Stelton AME church in New Jersey where she helped to develop a program that mentored young girls ranging in age from 13 to 18 years. She served as the director of this young ladies ministry for many years. “We had lively life discussions on topics like making hard choices, appropriate behavior, dating, school and church. We also took these young ladies on field trips and worked alongside them at food banks and other volunteer service activities,” says Andrea, “and that added to the sense of humanity that is so important in every community.”
She also had opportunities to mentor young adult interns through the Black Retail Action Group in New York and remains friends with the young ladies who are pushing successfully through college and entering their chosen fields as they become wives and mothers. “These young ladies are passing on the attitude and responsibility of reaching back to help others,” says Andrea. “These girls and young women have grown up to be energetic, thoughtful young adults with a wide variety of interests and I am happy and proud to stay in touch with many of them via several popular social and professional media networks.”
Although Andrea’s lifelong interest in high fashion has led her down many paths since her early years directly mentoring young women, she finally came full circle with mentoring earlier this year when she volunteered to serve as a Life Guide/Mentor to a female survivor of domestic violence who was enrolled in one of the adult programs at InStepp, Inc. She was determined to resume the important work of easing the burdens of other women. “I like to fix things and I like to fix them right away,” states Andrea. “I never felt that I had enough time and resources to do all the things I want to do but I can start with what I have.”
Andrea admits that although she knows some things just take time, developing the patience to deal with the issues and realities of everyday life has always been a challenge for her. She also found it difficult to sometimes maintain the proper boundaries with her assigned mentee and had to fight her impulsive nature. For example, during a period when her mentee was living in a shelter, Andrea states it was hard for her not to bring her client into her home. She was often at odds with her heart and sometimes conflicted in her faith but “I was especially glad that when I took a moment to breathe and review the basic training I received prior to being matched with my mentee, I realized that it emphasized the need to establish boundaries and there was actually no conflict with my faith at all. The sessions, notes, and staff support reminded me about my role and helped me make the best decisions for my mentee. After all, it’s not what I want but what’s best to help women begin to recover their confidence and strength and get back on track for themselves. I am reminded that a friend once told me, sometimes you can only plant the seeds and pray. You were not meant to always see the blooms,” states Andrea.
Andrea and her husband Leon have been married for 31 years and have two adult children. Wesley is a personal trainer who lives in Norcross, Georgia and Youssef is currently working on his doctorate at Berkeley. Youssef and his wife Rashida are expecting a baby in December, adding to the two grandchildren and three godchildren Andrea and Leon already have. They are new to the Durham area but quickly found a loving and nurturing church, White Rock Baptist Church, where they have worshipped since last year. The entire Carter family holds dear a heartfelt passion to help whenever and wherever they can.
Andrea currently works as a jewelry designer and stylist for her own business, Ngozi Design Group, LLC, a unique, up-scale jewelry, clothing and accessory collection she founded almost two years ago. You may have seen some of her pieces in Exotique in downtown Durham, NC or in boutiques in Atlanta, GA. Her jewelry was most recently included in a fashion show during Fashion Week in New York – in collaboration with one of her former interns. Andrea has worked in the fashion industry since graduating salutatorian from high school over 30 years ago. Studying Fashion Buying and Merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology, this straight A student who described herself as somewhat of a ‘renegade’, especially during and post her early high school years, climbed quickly from her first job as a sales assistant at a major jean company through fashion production ranks to Sourcing Director / Product Development, traveling throughout Europe and Asia and leading a team of production analysts at a fast and furious pace.
The vision of the Ngozi Design Group, LLC – a business built around transforming expectations and blending ideas, is not a far cry from the goals at InStepp, Inc. As a new resident of Durham and looking for volunteer opportunities, this was an easy match. Andrea had a ready reply when asked what she would like other people to know about the InStepp program. “This program is about people,” she says. "My mentoring background was a blessing but Gilda and the staff constantly reassure us that more importantly all you really need is an honest desire to engage with good people who were in bad situations. They promised to give me tools and guidelines and they did! At the same time, they also give you a great deal of latitude so you can use your common sense and good judgment and they are always just a phone call away to offer support and encouragement. I think I like the fact that my mentee, like my family and friends, described me as ‘tough but I really like her’,” says Andrea. “I wanted her to always know that I really care and will do whatever I can but won’t tolerate some stuff. Your honesty and integrity are so important in developing and maintaining trust.”
“My experiences with the InStepp program not only addressed some of the assumptions I had about people and problems involved in domestic violence situations but also enabled me to meet other women like myself - just regular folk who don’t always realize how much more we could do. InStepp helps to frame a wonderful way of connecting with people who need each other; people who may not otherwise ever cross paths. We are all one step away from making a bad decision that can propel you into making other bad decisions. Fortunately, the consequences from the not-so good decisions that I’ve made weren’t all that horrible, but may have had different outcomes had it not been for a strong support system. For some, it has become a life long journey to overcome a bad decision and strangers may be the only support system they have. We can all do a little something to help and stop passing the buck to somebody else. I, for one, plan to continue to work with InStepp for as long as I can and will encourage the women around me to support this organization.”
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