We are thrilled to introduce you to our THREE newest Oak Tree team members: Clayton, Lisa, and Theaudra!
"I grew up my whole life around Birmingham, Alabama. I’m currently studying to become a Christian Counselor. I’m passionate about encouraging the men of my generation and the ones to come to pursue the Lord while learning to walk in the masculine role given to them. I’m so excited for the opportunity to serve these Teen Boys at Oak Tree! "
If you've hung out with our teen boys over the last few years, you've likely already met Clayton and know what a gift he has been to Oak Tree. Clayton first connected with Oak Tree coming to volunteer with friends as a teen himself and reconnected with us over the past few years as a consistent volunteer. When it came time to say our goodbyes to Mr. Aaron, I asked our boys what kind of person I should be looking for as we hired someone to take his place and without fail every boy said Mr. Clay! Our boys don’t dish out compliments often, much less all share the same opinions of someone, so I knew right away that this was something special that we should explore. Clayton has already built meaningful relationships with our boys through his time volunteering at Oak Tree and we are so grateful that he now has the opportunity to deepen those connections as he spends more time at the Tree House!
Lisa Yeager first fell in love with Birmingham as a Samford undergraduate 20 years ago. After graduate school in Massachusetts, Lisa returned to Birmingham in 2008 and has made it her home with her husband and two young sons. Lisa brings experience as a mother, volunteer, educator and non-profit program director to her new role as Director of Operations at Oak Tree. She longs to see God's shalom unfold more fully in Birmingham and amongst the neighbors we walk with in Gate City.
Lisa was a literal answer to prayer from our very first meeting. She walked into our “lunch and learn” in the fall just minutes after we stopped to ask the Lord to give us a meaningful connection and send the person we needed to help us grow. At the end of that lunch we just looked at each other in disbelief at how specific and immediate God seemed to be answering our prayers! It was clear from every conversation following that first meeting that Lisa not only clearly understood our vision and the complexity of the issues facing our community, but she also deeply shared our passion to be a part of the solution.
Theaudra Erskine got plugged in with Oak Tree when she moved in directly across the street from us in 2019 and she has been a huge blessing to us ever since! She is a mother to 6 incredible children, 5 boys and 1 girl ranging from K4 to 11th grade. Theaudra was one of our very first Community Advisory Board members who began dreaming with us about our next steps as a ministry, but we also started dreaming about what it would look like for her to join the team in a more official capacity. Through the generosity of Christmas in the Village sponsors we were able to make that dream come true quicker than we expected! She was instrumental in making this year’s event a success and even graduated from a partnering program, Hope Inspired Ministries, right in the middle of the week! You can hear more of her story in her powerful graduation speech below.
Theaudra will continue working with us part-time as Ministry Assistant, helping with community events and children’s programs, but we are praying for the resources to increase her role to full-time very soon (more to come about our entrepreneur dreaming in the months ahead, but if you just can’t wait to hear more and want to make a designated gift to cover start-up costs or her salary don’t hesitate to reach out). Theaudra has a heart to serve, faith that has been tested and proven countless times over, and is a mother figure to far more than just her own 6! It is an honor to have her join the Oak Tree team.
This is just the beginning, we hope to provide jobs for more of our neighbors in 2023 and for years to come! Thank you for your support and choosing to invest in Marks Village through Oak Tree!
