“There are a lot of drugs and violence right here on our corner [the west-end of Charleston, WV]” states Kim Creel. “Our children are at-risk, a lot of them are running the streets and our juvenile crime rates are high” (2002). With these facts, Creel was determined to find a way to keep an after school program, on the verge of closing, open and available for children at no cost. Creel is the executive director of the Bob Burdette Center, which is a free Christian based after school program for underprivileged children.

In 1993, this after school program was started and known as the James Paige Learning Center. However, in 1995 the center was going under financially and something needed to be done in order for it to remain in operation. Creel and other church members from Emmanuel Baptist came to the rescue to form the Bob Burdett Center. Creel wrote grants and started a fund-raising campaign, while Emmanuel Baptist Church scraped together money to help keep it running. Within no time, it became a stable and beneficial non-profit organization to many (Tranum, 2000).

The Bob Burdette Center is open on weekdays from 2:30pm to 6pm. According to Creel, it benefits approximately

While at the Bob Burdette Center, Creel teaches the children to become more responsible and to have more self-control. One student remarks, “The center has helped me concentrate more on my grades. It has taught me to be more disciplined because of the good role models at the center.” For these reasons, Creel has had a significant impact on the lives of many others. Without her willingness and leadership ability, these underprivileged children might not ever have a positive example or role model in their life. The Bob Burdette Center teaches the children the importance of an education, while instilling in them they can overcome any statistic or label that is put on them. Creel has helped the community become aware of the issues of drug abuse and violence in the area; she puts forth much aspiration in helping change the community and the welfare of the people (Holmes, 2002).

Volunteers come in from the community to help the children who attend the Bob Burdett Center. The tutoring and mentoring offered helps in building academics, esteem, and relationships. It additionally provides inter-racial experiences to help overcome stereotypes and prejudices. These children need someone to look up to, a role model, which they do not have at home. The center helps provide things that are missing in theses children’s lives. Its mission is to “provide a healthy environment for individual growth that enables youth to experience person success and become a positive influence in the community” (Holmes, 2002, pg. 4A).

Creel inspires a shared vision by managing the Bob Burdette Center. Without her motivation to run the center, it would have shut down, and the children would not have an option to attend the constructive after school program. Additionally, by being a demonstration herself, Creel is again able to inspire a shared vision to the children. For the simple fact that these children attend the after school program, shows they are willing to make positive changes in their lives. By being an example, she is able to prove to the students what they can become by just changing their attitude toward life and developing new lifestyles (Tranum, 2000).

In conclusion, Kim Creel is a contemporary leader who has created a great impact in the community of Charleston, WV. The West Side of Charleston was in desperate need of prevention programs in which set goals to target and reduce violence statistics and help strengthen protective factors. This is where the Bob Burdette Center comes into action. Creel would like to reach as many children as possible by supporting and nurturing them. She wants to instill the significance of an education while showing/helping them to overcome any statistic or label. She definitely has the heart of a leader. Without Creel, her program, the children would have no other safe and sheltered environment in which they can go to and receive help with homework and other every day problems (Blanchard, 1999).

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