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Barbara Turner – Practicing What She Preaches
Lisa Rigoni“We’ve got to take care of our kids,” said Barbara Turner, Director of Development and Communications for Sparc. “They are our future.” This statement doesn’t just casually escape her mouth. These words are said with thoughtfulness, and by her actions it’s easy to see these words actually define who she is.
“Turner grew up in Centerville, Iowa, then a town of about 3,000. “I became very active at an early age – cheerleader, cadets, band – if there was an activity, I was involved in it, and I am that way today as well.” Being a joiner has served her well, but more importantly, has served others well through the years. She left Iowa with her best friend after high school to take a job at Western Union Telegraph Company in downtown Chicago. It was a time, she says, when she was young and naïve and began learning more about life.
It Matters Who You Are The lessons she learned in the early years she brought to Springfield, beginning with what she learned at home. She is one of three children, having both a brother and a sister, all raised by a single/divorced Mom who later remarried. “I learned a lot from my Mother. Actually, I always said I was going to do the opposite of whatever she did.” For the most part, she says she did that. One of the positive lessons, though, that she took away from watching her Mother was that of work ethic and pride. “My Mom cleaned houses and would take me with her while my brother and sister were in school. Time after time, I would see her with a scrub brush, cleaning a floor. When she was done, she would get up, straighten her dress, hold her head high and we would walk on to the next house. She did that with such grace and charm that I learned from her it matters who you are, not necessarily what you do. It matters who you are deep within your soul.”
Making Our Communities Better Most of Turner’s professional and adult life, with two exceptions – a short stint in Indiana and a brief stay in Florida – has been in Springfield. “I was the Executive Director of Contact Ministries for a few years and loved it,” she said. “We made several trips to Florida at that time, where my daughter lived, and really enjoyed the area. Every time we visited we talked about how much we liked it … so decided to move there.” As a result, she left her job at Contact Ministries and took a job at the Sheriff’s office in Lee County. The job was inside the jail with men who were incarcerated because of drug and alcohol problems. “I loved that work, but I didn’t last long. I was too homesick for Springfield. So we came back. This is where I belong. This is the town I know, that I respect and that I want to make better. And I’ve been working toward that.”
And make it better she has. “We truly have to take care of our kids and (as a society) we are not doing that, and I don’t care what side of town you live on,” she said. “I know I feel guilty myself. I am involved in so many activities and I work a lot of hours, but my husband (Merrill) and I work it out (so they can give their time.)
“I have a real place in my heart for children. When I see a child I have to stop and say ‘Hi.’ We (society) really have to stop and look at them. We just have to.” In fact, she and husband have done more than that. They have fostered a number of children throughout their 30 years of marriage. “We always take in the babies. Gabby, now 8, and Abby, 7 ½ were two such babies. These two, beautiful girls are added to the Turners’ family of nine grown, adult children. “The girls know they are adopted, and they will each tell you that ‘Jesus gave me to my Mommy and Daddy, because He knew they would love me.’” How right those two little girls are. Many pictures of them are proudly displayed in Turner’s office at Sparc. And she lights up when she talks about them, just as she does when she talks about the various jobs she has had and how each has touched her life and allowed her to serve.
She went to Contact Ministries from the GM Truck Centers, a Freightliner dealership. At GM she said she hired the best technicians, mechanics, service managers, parts managers and sales people … the best in the industry. “I didn’t know anything about trucks! Still don’t,” she laughed. “I mothered them. I visited with them, provided baked goods, Easter baskets. When I wanted to talk with any of them, I’d get one of the scooters and slide under the trucks where they were working. You can learn a lot from men, and I did at that job. And we turned that store around. But I later felt led to go to Contact Ministries.”
Her time at Contact Ministries was an opportunity to help care for and nurture those in need, which seems to be Turner’s mission in life. “My purpose,” she says. While the organization was initially formed to help those who might fall through the cracks of a government system, it has become much more, which was one of Turner’s dreams. Initially, she was involved on the Board helping in a time of transition. “I was asked to consider the position at Contact Ministries by one of the Board members. I had been serving on the Board, helped write the job description. The more I learned about Contact Ministries, the more I was drawn to it. One of the Board members said, ‘We want somebody like you.’ The next thing I knew I was taking a significant pay cut to take the job. It was good for my spiritual side. I really did feel led to be a part of that organization.” She served in that capacity for three-and-a-half years.
Dreams Come Alive She had always wanted Contact Ministries to be able to provide shelter for women and children in need. “I am so proud of what they are doing today. They have those rooms now for the mothers and children. That Board and staff are making wonderful strides,” she said. “Those are the kinds of programs and projects that make a better community. And it’s better not just for the recipients and those who come, but it’s better because people open their hearts and wallets to care for others. Springfield is full of very generous people.”
She has also worked for the Salvation Army Shelter where she did case work and grant writing and she “listened, and listened, and listened. I was appointed chaplain for the women. I’d make dinner and we would talk over dinner. I learned so much from that! They have been through so much that I haven’t had to go through, and they have such good souls. For the most part, they just needed a place to stay.”
Her next opportunity was at Brother James Court, where they serve developmentally disabled men in need of intermediate care, another challenging job that she loved. “But I am an adventurous person, and the position at Sparc came up. I’ve known Carlissa (Sparc’s Executive Director) for a long time and was aware of the mission of the organization. It’s a good fit.”
According to the Sparc Web site, the organization “supports children, adults, and seniors with developmental disabilities, including autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and other conditions similar to those caused by mental retardation and require similar services and intervention. Such disabilities must have occurred during the developmental years, expected to continue indefinitely, and present substantial challenges.”
“Some people in my position (Development Director) might panic with all the talk about the down economy. I don’t! As I said before, the people of Springfield are very generous and come together to support what is important.” As someone working in Development for an organization, with fundraising as one of her primary responsibilities, she would certainly have first-hand knowledge.
Her list of volunteer positions and awards is lengthy, showing her willingness and commitment to serving others. She is the 2009 President of the Computer Banc Board and says “the organization is growing by leaps and bounds. Our Executive Director, David Fowler is very committed.” She also serves on the Our Savior’s Lutheran 50th Anniversary Committee, Board of Christian Education and as a Broken Promises Mentor. She has held positions with Communities in Schools, Community Child Care Connection and Crime Stoppers. Professional affiliations include Past Board President of the Professional Women’s Council of Illinois, member of Rotary South and Past Board President of Women in Management.
It is because of her active involvement in such community and civic organizations, in addition to her life work of reaching out to others, that she has earned such awards as Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit Director of the Year (2002), Rotary Community Services Award (2004), National Charlotte Danstrom Woman of Achievement title in 2002 and Woman of Achievement Corporate (1999) and Nonprofit (2002).
Facing the Tough Issues Fundraising in a down economy may be tough for some, but for Turner the passion comes not in raising the money, but rather, for whatever entity she is raising money. That is the key to fundraising, she says … one must believe in what they are doing. The passion that she shows for those involved in Sparc is clear. “I believe the individuals we serve deserve to have a great life and should be able to live life to the fullest of their ability. And they are so remarkable,” she says happily. “They are hard workers. And I would guess many people don’t realize that. They do catering, janitorial and contract work, and participate in vocational training. And when they are working their pride shines.”
We have group homes, service coordinators, the Epilepsy Resource Center, a senior site, a day training site and a success center. We have a total of about 200 employees. And the staff is dedicated.”
Her expression changes to a bit sullen and then very serious, as she adds, “Illinois is 51st in the nation in support of the disabled, and that makes me mad! How did that happen? How do we fix that?”
Part of the fix is in having people like Turner working on their behalf … supporting developmentally disabled, the homeless, women and children. “My heart reaches out to them, and I get pleasure from that. Probably the hardest lesson I have to keep in mind is to not get too involved. Sometimes that’s hard … I’m a fixer!”
Being ‘green’ is a big deal in today’s environment of global warming talk and energy efficiency. Turner agrees that the environment is important, and that we should in fact be aware and do our part to help take care of our world. But being responsible for the people in our world is more important. “There are large homes in Springfield that have empty nests. There are children who need families. There are people who need the peace and joy that a child can offer, and they keep you young,” she says smiling.
Another issue is that some people have never seen a family modeled, one that isn’t dysfunctional. She credits much of who she is to her husband. “He taught me about family. He taught me how to share and what a good marriage is about,” she said. “He crosses my t’s and dots my i’s. And I do the same for him. He’s my rock … I love him, my children, grandchildren (all 19 of them). And I believe there is a purpose for everything; I do what my heart calls me to do.”
Fortunately, that heart is called to be a part of the Greater Springfield community. Barbara Turner continues to make it a better place.
