Eikon Ministries: Shaping Memphis leaders, one child at a time
Willie Baldwin met Roy Campbell, who goes by the nickname 'Soup', when he was only 10 years old. Willie was outside playing basketball, Soup was just starting Eikon Ministries.
'If this man hadn't saw the potential for me in my life enough to take me under his wing and to mentor disciple to my life, I wouldn't be here,' said Baldwin.
Recycling ehances economic opportunities with on-the-job training program
'I pulled up on that tree, and I had Jesus paint across the tailgate. And when they looked like they were really hot and thirsty, I called them over to my truck and I said, 'Hey, would you like some donuts and some juice?' They said, 'Yes,' and I said, 'Well, can I share the most important thing that ever happened in my life?' And they allowed me to share that,' said Soup.
Fast forward 36 years — Willie is still with Soup as his assistant director of Eikon Ministries. Eikon Ministries has grown into an organization that builds leaders who will change their communities from the inside out.
'I began to see a void in the training of the next generation of leaders. And I said, 'We've got to do something about that,'' Soup said.
Strategically located in Binghampton, Soup has done just that with numerous programs that serve boys and girls ages 4-18.
Willie created 'Club Nathan' as part of the Nathan Street Ministries.
'It's a safe haven for kids to come and hear the gospel, different relationships are being developed. We feed them,' said Baldwin.
Team Eikon is a basketball team that uses the game to mentor, share the gospel, and encourage good grades.
They also offer a summer job program, which is a way for students to earn and learn.
'We hire about 30 kids every summer here in the neighborhood. We paid them $225. We teach them life skills, cutting grass, going into the community, cutting debris down from people's backyards. We teach entrepreneurship, interview etiquette, checking and savings accounts,' said Baldwin.
📡 for Memphis and the Mid-South.
📧 and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.
Marcus Mcree's son and daughter grew up attending Eikon Ministries. He was so impressed with the organization, he ended up becoming the assistant coach of Team Eikon.
'When kids are with other kids, they learn faster when you start talking about things that they see. So if you have one kid, man is cool to come to our Eikon Ministries and do the things we do, all the kids want to join,' said Mcree.
That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to Eikon/Nathan Street Ministries. Because when all the kids want to join, you are building a stronger community from the inside.
Eikon Ministries is currently in need of a reliable suburban or a similar SUV to transport kids to their programs. If you can help them out or would like to learn more about the group, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
18-07-2025
- Associated Press
South African cooks join forces to make 67,000 liters of soup to fight hunger on Mandela Day
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Dozens of South African chefs, community cooks, caterers, and culinary students joined forces Friday in Johannesburg to make 67,000 liters (17,700 gallons) of soup to feed the hungry, in celebration of Nelson Mandela Day. First officially recognized by the United Nations in 2009, International Nelson Mandela Day encourages people to commemorate the birthday and legacy of South Africa's first Black president by volunteering for 67 minutes, which is equivalent to his 67 years of public service. To mark the birthday of South Africa's former head of state, who was born in 1918, cooks all over the country made soup in their own kitchens to contribute toward reaching the target. At the Johannesburg-based HTA School of Culinary Arts, cooks chopped vegetables, added legumes and sprinkled in a kaleidoscope of seasonings to make hearty soups. They braised their broths from early morning until 5:30 p.m., when the final soup tally began. 'The 67,000 liters, it's our take on 67 minutes,' said executive chef and chairman of NGO Chefs with Compassion, James Khoza. 'I did a lentil soup with vegetables and a bit of chicken pieces inside. It's not your normal kind of soup where you boil everything, then you make the soup out of it. For me, I look at flavor and is it quality as well. 'I know the guys are on the streets sometimes, or the beneficiaries, people tend to just give them whatever they feel like giving, but .... guys like us who come from hotel business, we understand that what we must feed people must be of that level, highest quality, that they feel like they are worthy because indeed they are worthy, " he added. Every year, South Africans volunteer their time on July 18, cleaning up public spaces, helping at schools or hospitals, or performing humanitarian work and making donations. For Chefs with Compassion, a non-profit organization that works to combat hunger and food waste, the food drive is 'a war against throwing away food and wasteful cooking,' Khoza says. This year marks the sixth consecutive year that they've rescued excess food from farmers and shops that would otherwise have been thrown out. Instead, the chefs use it to make large quantities of soup to offer to the thousands of Johannesburg residents who are food insecure. As part of her school's effort to add 300 liters of soup to the 67,000 liters that the collective aims for, Tyra Nyakudya, an 18-year-old college student, spent most of the day cutting vegetables and monitoring the soup pots. Although she was only six years old when the statesman passed away in 2013, she said his legacy of compassion and service remain in the memory because 'he did everything in his power to give back to the community, which is why we're doing this today.' South Africa is among Africa's leading food producers, but the 2024 National Food and Nutrition Security Survey (NFNSS) report found that 63.5% of South African households were food insecure, which translates to over 20 million people going without food every day and about 10.3 million tons of food being wasted annually. This is primarily driven by poverty, unemployment, and rising food prices, which are exacerbated by factors such as climate change and inequality. Hanneke Van Linge, head of Nosh Food Rescue, said the figures illustrated that food waste and food surplus is a huge problem, which should concern citizens every day. 'There's a lot of beautiful energy around Mandela Day specifically,' she said. 'But we would like to implore people, don't just let your involvement stay on Mandela Day.'
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Yahoo
The Longer Table rises to battle food insecurity in Arnprior
In the spacious but un-air-conditioned kitchen at the Christian Education Centre in Arnprior, Ont., no fewer than four soup pots were simmering on Sunday. There was minestrone, potato and leek, coconut curry and a broth that would eventually become a "stone soup." That's an old tradition where the soup is concocted by friends and neighbours who contribute whatever ingredients they can spare to the broth. Sunday's stone soup served as the launch for a newly registered non-profit called The Longer Table. Chef and board member Paul Helm said the history of the dish captures what the group is trying to achieve. "Canadians have generations of helping each other get through the rough times, and that's where these stone soups come from," he said. The Longer Table brings together chefs and volunteers with the shared goal of reducing food insecurity in Arnprior, a problem which locals tell CBC has become worse in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 'Getting a lot worse' The Longer Table started back in 2023, when Helm and other chefs made around 400 meals for the local food bank. But they couldn't secure a dedicated kitchen space. Jennifer McGuire, who said she was motivated by worsening food insecurity, spent a year-and-a-half hunting for a new kitchen space, building the board and registering the group as a non-profit. "I've calculated ... if our organization could produce 6,000 meals a day, we would start scratching the surface of what's needed in this area," said McGuire, who is now the board chair. At the Arnprior & District Food Bank, manager Pat Tait says demand has more than doubled in the last five years. In 2020, the food bank served 1,022 families, or about 2,800 people. In 2024, it served 2,261 families, or nearly 5,900 people. She noted those numbers don't include other local initiatives that feed the community, including one that delivers meals to seniors in their homes. "Five years ago, of course, we were going into this horrible time when everybody had to stay home or wear a mask," Tait said. "And now we're free of all of that, but things aren't getting any better. They're getting a lot worse." On Monday, the food bank received the leftovers from The Longer Table's launch dinner: specifically, 117 litres of soup. It will all be gone by the end of the day, Tait said, noting the food bank had already seen 55 families before noon on Monday. "The Longer Table is going to just grow," she said. "There will be a need everywhere, not just the food bank. We will be crying for their help, I'm sure, as soon as other people know that The Longer Table is making food." Cooking and teaching The Longer Table will continue to cook meals for the food bank using community donations and leftover produce from farmers' markets. In April, the non-profit donated around 200 meals. But The Longer Table would also like to teach people the skills they need to feed themselves, like growing vegetables and cooking. "The less people cook themselves, the more expensive it is to go out and buy pre-made products ... and if you go to fast food, which unfortunately a lot of people do, then it's really expensive," Helm said. "Eventually, we would love to have a kitchen enterprise where we could provide food full-time for all sorts of needy people." On their way toward that dream, Helm and McGuire hope to work with Arnprior's town council and other local charities. McGuire believes the council should declare a state of emergency due to food insecurity, as Brockville and Smiths Falls have done. "The more municipalities do, the more pressure that puts on the provincial and federal governments to help us all with the problem," she said.
American Press
01-07-2025
- American Press
Tommy Richard Hymel
Tommy Richard Hymel, 95, of Lake Arthur, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Lafayette. Born on June 23, 1930, in Lake Arthur, he was the beloved son of the late Willie and Melissa Richard Hymel. A proud graduate of Lake Arthur High School, Tommy furthered his education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, receiving a bachelor's degree, and McNeese State University, receiving a master's degree in education. He honorably served in the United States Air Force and is a Korean War Veteran. Tommy dedicated his life to learning and education. He was Principal of Lake Arthur Elementary School, Assistant Principal at Lake Arthur High School, served as a guidance counselor, and taught adult literacy. He was a skilled gardener like his father and an avid genealogist who was always proud to share a story about his family's origins. Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Willie and Melissa Hymel, and his siblings, Willie Hymel Jr., Sidney Hymel, Joyce Stagg, and Gloria Crochet. Tommy is survived by his sisters, Patsy Gauthier and Roberta 'Bobbie' Wade, and generations of nieces and nephews who will cherish his memory. In accordance with his wishes, no formal services are scheduled. Cremation has been entrusted to Johnson & Brown Funeral Home of Iowa. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at Facebook: Johnson & Brown Funeral Home.
