Today we’d like to introduce you to Janice Freel.
Hi Janice, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story is a direct response to the call of God on my life. I knew that I had a purpose for being or living, but I did not realize or discover it until after devoting more than a decade of my life to nursing. Nursing is my ministry in the market, and my purpose is my mission to the world. Both are inextricably linked with the welfare of humanity.
My purpose was confirmed when my daughter became a teenage mother. Witnessing the ill-treatment, and culturally biased services rendered to teen mothers, especially those of color gave me the vision to establish an organization that would restore dignity, add value, and instills hope for females who are stigmatized because of the mistakes they made. This vision expanded to focus on an unsupported population… women impacted by the criminal justice system.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing worth having or doing comes easy.
The most difficult challenges I face, even now, are recruiting committed board members, building a strong donor base, and fundraising.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After devoting more than 45 years to diverse clinical nursing practice, I retired and returned to the profession in a different role. Currently, I serve as RN Care Coordination- Team Leader at TriCounty Behavior Health Care in Montgomery County. My core responsibility is to connect clients with community resources to help meet their needs.
Most often I’m recognized as a compassionate and passionate person. I’m easily moved by the suffering of others and usually go beyond the call of duty to alleviate the suffering that others experience.
I’m most proud of my accomplishments. At age 71, I reflect on and appreciatively applaud myself for achieving my childhood dream in the midst of adverse circumstances, for establishing a nonprofit organization, and for obtaining national certification as Anger Management Specialist-II.
Energetic, self-motivated, determined, disciplined, friendly, and humorous are unique to me.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
My parents divorced during my early childhood. As a result, my mother moved back into the home of her parents with her three girls.
My grandfather built the house that we lived in. We lived in a value-rich home, one governed by spiritual principles of reverence for God, and demonstrated love and respect for all. Living with my maternal grandparents provided a sense of love and belonging, and protection in a secure environment. They served as in-home babysitters while my mother worked outside the home.
Our mother (madear) was a domestic laborer. She earned $.50/hour and worked three hours a day, three days a week. She supplemented her income by babysitting for the family that she worked for, and she laundered clothes for various influential individuals. Madear was unceasingly industrious with applying her skills to the labor market to earn an income.
My childhood was the best part of my life. It was absolutely amazing. I had two siblings and a host of community neighbors that I used to play with. I remember very fondly the games we played outside, especially hide and seek, tag, hula hoop, “Simon Said,” and jumping rope. I have happy memories of playing checkers with my grandfather and challenging my mother and sisters at a game of dot-to-dot. But the fondest memories are washing my grandmother’s back and shaving my grandfather. These acts of service motivated me to pursue a career in nursing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wohad.org
- Instagram: WOHAD19
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-freel/
