Little Rock, AR
2008 Director’s Community Leadership Awards
Little Rock | Reverend Hezekiah D. Stewart Executive Director Watershed Human and Community Development Agency |
On December 29, 2007, 6-year-old Kamya Weathersby was shot to death as she lay in her bed watching cartoons. For Reverend Stewart, it was a cry for help not only from the victims, but it was time to reach out to the youth committing this senseless violence and offer them a safe haven to change. He has proclaimed the Watershed as a “neutral territory” where gang members who want to change are welcomed. Now located in the former Gillam Park School Building, the Watershed Agency serves all people who come to its doors. The philosophy of the agency and its many programs exemplify an unyielding commitment to educate and inform the public about crime, drugs, gangs, and violence prevention. Reverend Stewart describes his agency as “the World’s First Social Hospital, which is a portrait of service to God and Humanity.” |