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Hilary Mills also called 'Mother Debbie'
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Her words of
love have manifested itself threefold.
Thousands of other students will benefit because of her.
Photos by: Anthony Felix, Jr.
A Spiritual Baptist ‘mother’
who expressed her love for her fellowmen has opened the doors for thousands
of others.
This was the startling
discovery relayed to the Spiritual Baptist Online News Magazine by Donna
Atkins when she spoke about former student Hilary ‘Debbie’ Mills. Donna is
the Director of Communications & Outreach at The Allen School, located in
Brooklyn and in Jamaica, New York.
Last Sunday October 1,
(2006), Donna, on behalf of The Allen School presented Reverend Alfonzo
Maloney aka ‘Captain Bailey’ and the congregation of the St. Gabriel
Spiritual Baptist Church, Inc. at 339 New Lots Avenue, Brooklyn, with the
Guiding Light Award.
St. Gabriel’s Spiritual
Baptist Church, Inc. was founded in 2001 by Reverend Maloney and a couple of
members. He is assisted by two ministers, Reverend Fitzroy Mills and
Reverend Carlton Applewhite. The church’s Order of Service is Saturdays 8
p.m. with the exception of the last Saturday in the month when there is no
service. On First Sundays, Holy Communion is held and begins at 10 a.m.
Before the handing over of
the awards to the recipients, the guests, Donna Atkins, Dr. Vladimir Gotlieb,
and Office Manager, Araxi Gevoryan (who worship outside of the Spiritual
Baptist arena) had the privilege to observe how a Spiritual Baptist
thanksgiving service is conducted. A member of the church had a thanksgiving
earlier that morning.
Dr. Gotlieb is a
Hematologist Oncologist who practices at Brooklyn Hospital, Long Island
Jewish Hospital, and Forest Hills Hematology Oncology, P.C. It was he who
recruited the then newly graduated, Hilary, to work at his practice, Forest
Hills Hematology Oncology P.C., after her internship.
About Hilary, Dr. Gotlieb
said that he recognized that she had a special energy and was able to take
care of patients “the right way”. He also mentioned that she was always
willing to learn and has always been really co-operative.
Araxi Gevorgyan, Manager at
Forest Hills Hematology Oncology noted, “We wanted to see what type of
support produces a graduate like Hilary.”
In a telephone interview
with Spiritual Baptist Online News Magazine, when questioned about his
willingness to take time out of his busy schedule especially in the height
of the Jewish observance of Yom Kippur, Dr. Gotlieb said, “Hilary is a very
special person. She is doing a great job and the patients love her. We also
wanted to see which community she came from and we wanted to celebrate with
her.”
Also attending the award
ceremony were Leader Donald Hackshaw and his wife Mother Yvonne Hackshaw who
are visiting from Trinidad.
Leader Donald, Pastor Mills,
Reverend Maloney, Mother Yvonne and Mother Debbie are all spiritual children
of the late Spiritual Baptist Leader, Teacher George Mills of St. Uriah
Spiritual Baptist Church, New Village, Point Fortin.
But how was all of this
possible?
Bubbling with excitement as
she expressed herself, Donna recounted her memorable encounter with Hilary.
In the Spiritual Baptist arena Hilary is fondly called ‘Mother Debbie’.
She said, “Obviously I did
not know this lady before she attended the Allen School. One day while
speaking with her I enquired as to why she wanted to be a Medical Assistant
and I was astonished by her reply.”
Donna explained, “Hilary
just looked at me and said, ‘Because I have so much love to give.’ I
was highly surprised by the answer. I have worked at several schools before
but I have never had such a meaningful reply from a student. When I looked
at her face I felt assured that she was speaking from the bottom of her
heart. I felt that this reply was not just a rehearsed one.”
Sharing her strong personal faith and
appreciation, Donna said that sometime earlier in her life she had suffered
a serious accident and was bedridden for a while.
She explained, “I spent 5
years crippled and bedridden. Three years the first time, and two individual
years many years later. I was injured from a fall and although I sought
medical attention early, I was unfortunate to have received all the wrong
treatment.”
During this period of time
her kids were yet of a tender age. Donna added that as a result of this, the
children usually accompanied her to the emergency room whenever she had a
medical crisis.
She noted that these visits
were very stressful for both she and the kids. However, Donna said
that it was during these visits that she became capable of instantly
identifying what she described as angelic qualities in the some of the
members of the medical professionals in the hospital’s emergency rooms.
These very individuals she noted would be the ones who would be drawn to comforting both she and
her boys.
Donna explained that as a result of
her illness
and what she described as added reliance on the Almighty she was able achieve this greater
spiritual growth. This spiritual growth she explained later allowed her to
recognize particular qualities in Hilary, her student. She added that it
created a connection which was allowed to flourish.
She explained, “I knew nothing of Hilary’s
spiritual life but what I knew instantly was that this woman had something
special about her. When I heard the words ‘I have so much love to
give’ came from her lips I immediately saw a light in her face. "
Donna added that those
words, ‘I have so much love to give’ kept echoing in her head so hauntingly
that she recognized that she had to do something about it. She had to find a
way to get those words out of her head.
She explained, “I was
commuting one day when what can only be described as a revelation came to me
clearly about how I would be able to use technology to convey to potential
employers the essence of someone as remarkably as loving as Hilary.”
“Can you imagine this, me,
someone who has limited knowledge about technology wanting to use
technology to share such a great message?” Donna asked mimicking herself.
She continued, “I recognized
that a paper resume restricted the prospective employer as well as the job
applicant in the hiring process.”
Donna said that she was
aware that there were also many individuals who did not have the ability to
ace an interview and it had nothing to do with their intelligence or
conscientiousness in doing the job.
She added, “I recognized
that the love Hilary has was outpouring but it was not going to be seen on a
resume that is on paper.”
As a result, Donna said that
after careful planning with her employer, she was able to develop what she
described as a unique way in staffing. She called it the
Speed Staffing System. Donna revealed that this tool,
'allows human resource departments and physicians to meet top performing
potential' graduates on the School’s website. They can see them,
hear them speak, and review their qualifications and areas of
specialization'.
Donna emphatically described
Mother Debbie as a catalyst. She stated, “At times it takes a person to act
as a catalyst and in this case the catalyst was Hilary.”
According to Donna, Hilary
did not benefit from the online staffing solution. She said that when Hilary
graduated she received a number of job offers. However, many other students
continue to reap the benefit.
“All this has happened as a
result of the few words, ‘I have so much love to give’ which Hilary
spoke that day,” Donna reiterated.
Donna also noted that a
study was conducted by her institution and it was revealed that many of the
school's
top performers ascribed
their success to the support they receive from their houses of worship.
As a result of this, the
Spiritual Baptist Online News Magazine learned that the Allen School created the
‘Guiding Light Award’ to honor those houses of worship for their high
level of participation in the success of some of the school’s exceptional
graduates.
What more can Donna say
about her encounter with Mother Debbie?
She noted quite cheerfully,
“As a result of my interaction with her, I have become absolutely immersed
in this staffing project, which brings me, on an almost daily basis, deeply
meaningful rewards. I could never have imagined how gratifying it would feel
to help people gain employment. I truly feel as if I have found my own
purpose in life through my chance meeting with Hilary Mills.”
And what does Mother Debbie
have to say about the whole thing?
Stunned for words she
exclaimed, “I never believed that I would ever be awarded for my faith in
such a way. I feel great.”
Whoever says that the word
love does not work in today’s society tell them they are wrong. Ask
Mother Debbie, she has used it to open doors for herself and others.
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Photos
