By MJ Vieweg
Carla Dudley may be just starting the process of becoming a Passage House mentor but she’s especially suited for the role.
When asked what her ‘mentor superpower’ might be, her response was “just listening”.
As it turns out, Carla is an expert at listening.
Besides volunteering at Passage House now that she is semi-retired, Carla is a flutist with a flute choir, provides technical support during live-streamed church services and trains Stephen Ministers for area churches (including her own). Stephen Ministers are laypeople that provide support, both spiritual and emotional, primarily through listening, for people going through difficult times.
The fact that Carla is drawn to these particular activities underscore her listening skill. As a musician she listens for cues from not only musical scores but her fellow flutists, as livestream tech support she listens for any indications of audio glitching, and as a Stephen Ministry trainer she guides other volunteers in the art of listening with care and encouragement.
Carla also always has had a “heart for youth” which she followed in the past to serve on the boards of organizations that offer services to youth. But when she asked about volunteer opportunities with the young mothers at Passage House, she may have been speaking from the part of her heart that was shaped by her own mother.
“My mother was a single teen mother and didn’t have much in the way of positive adult support during a very difficult time,” she said. “I hope that I can provide some positive influence by just getting to know the girls.”
By participating in Passage House activities as fun as baking cookies, playing board games, or making different craft projects with the young moms, Carla is looking forward to getting to know each of them. “Baking cookies can be an easy way to start talking,” she said. “I’m still very early in this process (of becoming a mentor). However, my goal is to simply be present with the group and hope that someday one of them may look back to this time with fondness.”
