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article is taken from our December 2005 newsletter. To subscribe
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SHOESTRING
PROFILE:
Naomi Carter
 First
impressions count, and you only get one chance to make one.
Ask any job recruiter. It's a lucky thing for Operation
Shoestring that we have Naomi Carter to create our
first impression for the people who walk through our doors.
Naomi
is the administrative assistant for Operation Shoestring,
which means that she does… well, everything. From answering
the phones, to helping with the financial record-keeping,
to driving the kids to and from piano lessons at Covenant
Presbyterian Church, Naomi is an indispensable part of the
Shoestring family.
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Perhaps
it's because Naomi grew up just two blocks away from Shoestring
headquarters, on Dewitt Street, that she seems to have such an
instinctive feel for what needs to be done. Or maybe it's because
she was an Operation Shoestring child herself.
"I
loved the parades and the s'mores we used to eat," Naomi recalls.
"Shoestring gave us something fun to do to stay out of trouble,
and also a place to meet different kinds of people. It was also
like having a tutor and a place to do homework. I always made
good grades, but Shoestring helped me keep them good."
Naomi,
who graduated from Galloway Elementary, Rowan Middle School, and
Lanier High School, still mixes academics with her job. In addition
to maintaining a nearly full-time work schedule, she also has
a full load as an accounting major at Jackson State.
"Naomi
is honest, nice, and most of all, she's passionate about serving
her community," says Shoestring executive director Robert Langford.
"She really cares about making this neighborhood a place that's
good for families and senior citizens."
For
her part, Naomi sees Operation Shoestring as a linchpin in that
effort. "Operation Shoestring has become an even better place
since I was a student here," she says. "Students get to explore
more cultural activities and see more of the world around them.
"When
Shoestring gets better, so does our neighborhood. That's why I'm
here."
If
I could pick another career: "I would love to own my own business.
That way, I could create jobs for people who don't have them.
I'd also be interested in being the director of a nonprofit organization
like Shoestring, but that also serves older kids from grades six
through twelve in addition to the younger kids."
Career
I wouldn't want: "I don't know… I like challenges of all kinds.
I guess I would say working in the fast food industry. I've done
it before, but I don't think I could handle the constant standing."
Role
model: "My oldest sister, Jean Carter. She was always very
independent and self-sufficient."
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