Light of the Village

At first glance, John Eads sticks out like a sore thumb in Prichard's Alabama Village. That is, until you hear him speak and watch him work.

The former hospital administrator is working to replace the sound of sirens with laughter and cries of pain with joy in one of the Gulf Coast area's most violent neighborhoods. Believe it or not, he's making ground.

Eads' Christian ministry, Light of The Village , is a beacon of hope to the people who call Alabama Village home. It helps them fight addiction, educate their children, and live better lives.

Graffiti, old shoes and discarded liquor bottles are all signs you are entering Alabama Village. An area once known for housing shipbuilders in the 1940s is now plagued with gun violence, drugs, and poverty.

However, when it comes to the Village, it's not all bad. There is some hope and goodness, you just have to know where to look. Eads has spent the last eight years working to polish the village's image and shed a positive light on the people who live here.

"I can't do it, but I know Christ in me allows me to do it," said Eads.

What ignited the fire to help was a video produced by the Mobile County District Attorney's Office.

"This one inmate stood out, and I knew I had to do something," he said.

Before, Eads and his wife were mainly involved in prison ministry and helping adults.

That inmate is Michael Duren, who is serving a life sentence at Holman Prison for murder.

"Where were you when I was little, when I needed you? God, I wish I knew you then. Go out into the projects you will see me everywhere. I am hurting by the millions out there," Duren said on the video.

With Duren's words in his ears, Eads did just that. He set off for Los Angeles where he met a brother in arms; Agustin Lizama of Homeboy Industries.

Homeboy Industries assists at-risk and formerly gang-involved youth to become positive and contributing members of society through job placement, training, and education.

"I got to a point in my life where I was just tired of being tired. This lifestyle that I led, it just dragged me to the floor and took me to hell and back," said Lizama.

Lizama is an ex-gang member who lost his little brother to gang violence. That violence also led to him losing his hand.

"I also got shot, at the age of 12, that's caused me to lose my hand and that is what turned me on to the gang lifestyle," added Lizama.

A friendship blossomed between the unlikely pair: the former hospital administrator and the gang banger. With a permanent reminder at his side of how hard gang life can be, Lizama visits Village kids. Lizama makes the trip East three times a year to counsel the children.

"I remember the first time I ever passed through here (Alabama Village). It was dark already and I remember just driving through this neighborhood, I never seen anything like this before," said Lizama. "I mean, I grew up in poverty in LA, but it is nothing compared to the poverty that is over here."

Eads hopes for a brighter, better tomorrow sits in the heart of the Village. It's a safe haven in an otherwise troubled patch of Prichard. Light of the Village is a grass roots Christian ministry.

Eads describes his mission as an opportunity "to be in a place to reflect Christ to some folks that may not have had the chance before."

Driving through its winding overgrown streets, Eads sees beyond the trash and dilapidated homes and sees hope.

"I can see growth, I can't see it in the buildings, but I see it in the kids, teens and adults," said Eads, as he sits behind the wheel.

It's a typical Thursday and the dozen or so kids who attend Light of the Village Christian Academy take part in a game of pick up. Laughter escapes them, along with their worries.

Delores Eads, who is the teacher at the school, resigned from public schools after 15 years to open this ministry with her husband. The Volunteers of America heard that Dolores was teaching for free and has set up a fund to pay her minimum wage and benefits.

"For which we are grateful," said her husband.

One of those kids Delores teaches is Dacino Dees.

"Mr. John is like a father to me," Dees said.

The 17-year-old has been a student of Light of the Village since he was ten. Dacino said Light of the Village is a beacon of hope that's helped him foster a love for helping others.

"I want to start something like Mr. John, I won't be as good as Mr. John," smiled the teen.

What Mr. John started is growing in what was once a run down drug house. Folks told him he'd be burned out and wouldn't be able to relate to the people.

This ministry gave Victor Miles a second chance at being a father.

"I was an ex-drug addict walking the streets, and me and my kids weren't together. This place brought me and my kids together," said Miles.

Miles was given a one-way ticket to Texas, and a spot at a drug rehab center. What he chose to do after that was up to him. Victor chose sobriety.

"Some of the people I know are coming in and they sent them to San Antonio also," said Miles.

He spends