"It has been one of my greatest rewards to be associated with the Harrelson Center.  The people, the mission and the needs are critically important to our community.  Bobby Harrelson and Mike Queen had the vision, and the leadership of Executive Directors, Joe Capel, Vicki Dull and Meade Van Pelt built on their vision.  I am honored to have played a small role in the development of the Center."

“Before the doors of the Center ever opened it was my prayer that it would become a place where needs are met, dreams are fostered and hope abounds. Thanks be to God for answered prayers!!”

“10 years ago at my first meeting as a board member, I distinctly remember the tour that Mike Queen took the board on. I remember looking at the facility and praying for the vision that others had. I could not even imagine the potential that the Harrelson Center had. Fast forward 10 years. It is amazing how far the Center has come in such a short period of time. I look at our new improvements and am thankful for God’s hand in our project! The impact we are making is substantial…and the best is yet to come!!”

“Beth and I are so proud to be in a position to support the Jo Ann Carter Harrelson Center. We choose to support the synergistic approach that the Harrelson Center is able to provide to numerous nonprofit organizations, We feel that our resources are able to go further to support individuals that are working diligently to improve their lives.” 

"Working with The Harrelson Center is always fun; never a chore," she says. "I love how you reach out to give a hand up, not a hand out to our neighbors. I believe in supporting the community and helping our own."

“My special memories include being a part of the startup of something that God continues to purpose and bless. I remember the 78 year old woman doing community service and the kids running up the lobby stairs in excitement for an afternoon program in CIS; I remember men and women working on resumes and making ‘cold calls’ which resulted in jobs and the provision of clothes for the workplace received through Philippians 3. Most of all I see God at work through the Harrelson Center and these partners who continue to positively impact the lives of those with special needs.”

"The Harrelson Center is God's Project and He shows up every day in the eyes and hearts of all who work and volunteer here to help those in need in our community. It is a true blessing in my life to be able to serve in His presence and I have no doubt that our God is present here."

“Bobby Harrelson called me one afternoon and asked if Mike Queen and I would be available to have lunch with him the next day. As we ate outside at a riverside café, Bobby told us of his conversation with his wife, Jo Ann, in which they committed to each other to play a significant role in helping to acquire the former Law Enforcement Building if it became available to the First Baptist Church for the purpose of becoming a mission outpost to the people of Wilmington. He then proceeded to tell us that it was his intent to provide all the money needed to purchase the building and hoped it could be named for his wife.”

"When Don was asked to serve on the board, we could tell that this was going to be a commitment that was close to his heart. It wasn't long before he came to love everything about the Harrelson Center -- the purpose, the partners, the staff -- and even the facility itself! He truly believed in the hope of the Harrelson Center meeting the needs of the community." 

“When the sheriff’s department and jail had moved out and we took possession I walked through the place wondering what have I gotten my church into. I was so overwhelmed with what I saw and what was ahead for us but I didn’t want anyone to know my fear because we were a team and I needed to stay positive. There were many days I prayed that we would make it.”

"From the beginning the center has been about helping people and memorializing the heart of Jo Ann. This truly exemplifies who she was. Only with the help and support of many others has this vision become a reality."

“Bobby Harrelson, Evelina Williams, Claude Arnold, Carlton Fisher, Berry Trice, David Swain, Joe Capell, Vicki Dull, the good people of First Baptist Church and so many more have been an integral part of the story of the Harrelson Center. But in the end it was the working of the Holy Spirit that guided this whole miracle. If there is any pride in this story, it is that the Harrelson Center has become what we said it would be…a place of hope and of healing.”

"The plans of those Board members and others before me came together and I witnessed both well established and newly formed nonprofits come together in the Harrelson Center. Miracles happened and continue to happen for those receiving services, for those serving and for our community as a whole. The Holy Spirit is truly present here."

“During the process of acquiring and creating the Harrelson Center, God’s hands and power were so evident. Almost every time we encountered an obstacle a miraculous solution would reveal itself. The Harrelson Center is truly a blessing from God. “