Charleszetta Waddles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charleszetta Waddles
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| Born |
Charleszetta Lena Campbell
October 7, 1912 |
| Died | July 12, 2001 (aged 88) |
| Occupation | Minister |
| Employer | Mother Waddles Perpetual Mission |
| Title | Founder |
| Spouse(s) |
LeRoy Wash
(m. 1933; div. 1945)Payton Waddles
(m. 1950) |
| Children | 7 |
Charleszetta Waddles (born Charleszetta Lena Campbell; October 7, 1912 - July 12, 2001) was a caring African-American minister and activist. She was also known as Mother Waddles. She started the Mother Waddles Perpetual Mission in Detroit. This church helped many poor people by giving them food, clothes, and other important services. Mother Waddles is honored in the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame for her amazing work.
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Early Life and Challenges
Charleszetta Lena Campbell was born on October 7, 1912, in St. Louis, Missouri. She was the oldest of seven children. Sadly, only three of them lived to be adults. Her father, Henry Campbell, was a barber. He lost his business after a customer with a skin infection spread it to others.
When Charleszetta was 12, her father passed away. Even though she was a good student, she left school in eighth grade. She started working as a housemaid to help her family.
In 1933, at age 21, she married LeRoy Wash. He was a truck driver. They had six children together. The family moved to Detroit in 1936. She later divorced LeRoy Wash in 1945. Charleszetta had more children. In 1950, she married Payton Waddles. He worked at Ford Motor Company.
Helping People in Detroit
For over 40 years, Reverend Charleszetta Waddles, or "Mother Waddles," helped people in need. She gave food, hope, and respect to those who were struggling in Detroit. She founded the Mother Waddles Perpetual Mission, Inc. This was a non-profit group run by volunteers. It depended on donations from people.
Mother Waddles believed that churches should do more than just teach religion. She felt they should focus on helping people with their real-life problems.
The Helping Hand Restaurant
After studying the Bible, Charleszetta Waddles became a minister. In 1950, her beliefs led her to open the Helping Hand Restaurant. It was in a tough part of Detroit. Here, people could buy meals for as little as 35 cents.
This was different from typical "soup kitchens." Mother Waddles' restaurant had white tablecloths and flowers on every table. Waitresses wore uniforms. People who couldn't pay could eat for free. Those who could afford it often paid more, like three dollars for coffee. At first, Mother Waddles did all the cooking and cleaning herself. Later, many volunteers joined her. The restaurant stayed open until a fire forced it to close in 1984.
Mother Waddles Perpetual Mission
In 1956, Mother Waddles got a landlord to let her use an empty store for free. This is where she started the Mother Waddles Perpetual Mission. It was in a high-crime area of Detroit. The mission's goal was to help people.
Over the years, the mission had to move several times because of fires or money problems. But its goals never changed. Thousands of people in need came to the mission. Sometimes, over 200 volunteers helped out.
Innovative Programs
Mother Waddles also created special programs for people who needed help. They offered classes in things like typing, sewing, and cooking. The mission also had a free medical clinic. They provided job counseling and helped people find work.
Mother Waddles once told Newsweek magazine, "We're trying to show what the church could mean to the world if it lived by what it preached." She added, "I read the Bible. It didn't say just go to church. It said, 'Do something.'"
She worked long hours, even into her eighties. She was always ready to help. "We give a person the things he needs, when he needs them," she told Reader's Digest. "We don't turn anyone away."
