A New Chapter: We Talk with Ann Fowler About Her Legacy of Change at Emmaus House
Ann Fowler, the Director of Education Services here at Emmaus House, will be retiring at the end of this month.
As we celebrate her 12 years of service, we took the occasion to sit down with her one last time to discuss the relationship between education and poverty, the role of faith-based missions, and a few of the things she has learned throughout her tenure at Emmaus House.
Ann will be sorely missed, but her legacy of service will live on in all of our future work.
What are some of the programs you’ve helped develop at Emmaus House?
In the early 2000s, I helped develop the children’s Saturday Community Arts program with Bishop Frank Allan. With a team of volunteers, we offered classes in woodturning, woodworking, weaving, pottery, knitting, painting, and more. During the week, I taught art to the Senior Strollers and to people in recovery from substance abuse. I also established the After School All Star program, first for sixth grade boys, and then for elementary school students. Volunteers taught, tutored, and mentored the children in these programs with me.
In 2015, I created Homework Relief Bootcamp for parents and families of young children in Peoplestown. Volunteers and Road Fellows tutored students while adults worked on reading skills with an instructor from Literacy Action. Churches provided dinners for the families. Eventually, participants renamed the program Parent Power.
In 2018, Tavon Betts and I co-facilitated Fostering Family Leaders, a United Way program for parents and family members. It promoted family leadership as an essential element in engaging parents and guardians to take active roles in building strong healthy families.
I’ve been the project director of the Children’s Defense Fund’s Freedom Schools® program since its inception at Emmaus House in 2015.
During the pandemic of 2020, I created Vision 2020, a six-week online literacy program that served 40 elementary school students during the summer. Volunteers delivered meals and books to the scholars’ families during that time, and I continued to deliver meals, books, school projects, and supplies to them during the 2020-2021 Supports for Students program.
In 2021-2022, Support for Students transitioned into an in-person tutoring program. Volunteers from Church of the Epiphany, All Saints’, St. Michael’s and All Angels, and the Emmaus House Chapel served as weekly tutors for K-2nd grade scholars at Barack and Michelle Obama Academy.
During the past year, I taught Art in the Park for the 555 seniors’ group at Four Corners Park.
How do you think educational programming can help address poverty?
Good educational programming cultivates an appreciation of knowledge and learning. Educational programs—especially those that foster an interest in reading and creative problem-solving—help equip scholars for higher academic institutions and the workforce. They also provide training and experiences for young entrepreneurs, inspiring them to establish their own businesses.
Could you describe some of the mission trips you’ve been on outside of your role at EH?
My mission trips to Belize and the Mississippi Gulf Coast focused on emergency relief after hurricanes ravaged those areas. They involved cleaning up destroyed properties and helping to rebuild schools and homes.
The trips to Haiti were more about forming collaborative long-term relationships with people living there. My home church, Church of the Epiphany, partnered with the Bishop Tharp Institute of Business and Technology in Les Cayes. We taught classes and, following the wishes of locals, helped finance the construction of a guest house on the campus.
I’ve traveled to Iona, Jerusalem, and Ghana, but these were spiritual pilgrimages rather than mission trips.
How would you describe the connection between faith-based missions and community initiatives?
I try to follow the Baptismal Covenant from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, seeking and serving Christ in all persons, striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of every human being.
For me, the connection between faith-based missions and community initiatives is asking, “How can I make the world a better place? How can I help my neighbor… in my city, and in the world?”
I may not be able to do much, but I can do something.
What is the single most important thing you’ve learned during your time at EH?
I think Maya Angelou’s quote rings true, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
I’ve attempted to offer high-quality educational programming to the Emmaus House community, but it was just as important for me to care for—and give attention to—individuals seeking help or needing someone to listen to them. I’ve tried to treat people with compassion and love, and to provide a safe space for them to express their feelings.
Is there anything you’d like to say to the EH community?
I’ve had terrific jobs throughout my career, but it has been a true blessing to serve at Emmaus House. I’ve been grateful to hold a position here that is fulfilling and meaningful. Not everyone is so fortunate to experience that in their lives.
Being at Emmaus House has been more than a job to me, it’s been a ministry. I will miss the kind, welcoming Peoplestown community, and the brilliant, energetic Freedom School staff. But most of all, I will miss the bright, enthusiastic, sweet Emmaus House children. They are my heart.
Besides hiking the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail in August, do you have any other fun/relaxing plans?
Actually, I’ve already hiked a small part of the Appalachian Trail and plan to go beyond Georgia into other southeastern states this summer and fall.
I plan to travel more with my husband, Joel, to Canada, Mexico, Europe—anywhere would be fun.
I’ll devote more time to painting and other creative projects. I already have a free-lance job to complete in August.
I’ll volunteer. After taking a break, working part-time in a church or for a non-profit is a possibility. I love community organizing and working with children and adults!