A Moment in Time

Most of us have moments in all our lives that shape who we are and will become. Throughout the last 50 years, Operation Shoestring has specialized in creating these moments for the children and families we serve. We’ve done this in various ways from opening a free medical clinic and several daycare centers to developing high-quality afterschool and summer camp programs. Since our inception, we’ve sought to find ways to provide the members of our community, especially children, opportunities for growth.

Several years ago, we managed a program in partnership with ChildFund International. The program connected kids from our community to people all over the country. Back then Dr. Nke

nge Ransom-Friday was only five years old…and not yet a doctor. But being a part of that program and Operation Shoestring’s family would leave an impression that still impacts her life today.

Her assigned ChildFund sponsor, kind of like a pen-pal on steroids, was a travel agent from Michigan who would send Nkenge letters and postcards from her travels. “These postcards and letters sparked my passion for reading and travel. My mother would find books about the places on the postcards, so I could learn more,” Nkenge said. Beginning with these exchanges, Nkenge’s life was guided by her desire to expand her horizons and explore what the world had to offer.

After graduating from Tougaloo College, she attended graduate school in Naples, Italy, as a part of an international relations program at the University of Oklahoma. She went on to obtain her doctorate in higher education administration at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. And now she is the Associate Dean of Students and Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.

The time spent at Operation Shoestring as part of the ChildFund sponsorship program manifested in a career in international studies and lifelong learning. She said, “I remember loving to go to Operation Shoestring not only to receive letters, but everyone was so nice. Nkenge’s mother discovered Operation Shoestring on her search to find something her children could be engaged in that would expand their outlook. They really showed interest in me and how I was doing in school. It was such a warm and welcoming place.”
Nkenge’s advice to our current kids is to engage fully in all aspects of Operation Shoestring’s programs because the experiences gained here can lead to a greater understanding of how to apply your education to your future endeavors. For 50

years Operation Shoestring has made it our business to ensure the safety and well-being of kids and to help them expand their horizons. No matter what programming we use, we strive to see our kids – like Nkenge – learn, grow and blossom into productive and self-aware people they are meant to be. And that’s good for everyone.