One mentor can reset a life’s direction—and sometimes an entire community’s. We celebrate Make a Difference Day 2025 by telling the story of Rosemary Davis Kelly, the woman who turned teen volunteers into leaders and taught us to live service as identity, not a task. With my brother-in-purpose, Houston educator Dr. Bryan Williams, we revisit the Octagon Club years where food drives, senior visits, and real leadership training formed a blueprint for adulthood rooted in empathy, presence, and courage.

You’ll hear how Ms. Kelly’s “role motor” philosophy demanded motion, not perfection. She put us in rooms that stretched us—running meetings with Robert’s Rules, taking minutes, chairing committees, and mentoring middle schoolers. We explore unlikely growth engines like NYPUM mini-bikes, where adult riders taught us mechanics, discipline, and pride as we rolled through city parades. We also unpack Natural Helpers, the peer-led program that used skits, raps, and poetry to confront drugs and alcohol, pulling shy kids to the mic and turning them into confident communicators.

Our civic awakening arrived when she pulled us from school to walk with Jesse Jackson’s get-out-the-vote tour, proving that democracy is a classroom too. That day knit together service, citizenship, and the belief that youth deserve proximity to power and a reason to use it. Through laughter, gratitude, and honest reflection, we trace how a surrogate mom filled gaps with love and high expectations, then stood close while we failed forward. The throughline is clear: mentorship multiplies impact, and service becomes who you are.

Stay for the preview of part two, where we bring the SALT model into action and show practical ways to mentor, organize, and lead with heart. If this story sparks a memory of your own role motor, share it with someone who needs the nudge. Subscribe, leave a review, and pass this along to a friend who’s ready to make a difference today.

The SALT Talk with Jermine Alberty
Service. Affirmation. Love. Transformation.

Thank you for tuning in to The SALT Talk, where we inspire transformation through honest conversations about faith, healing, and purpose.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement today.

To learn more about the SALT Initiative or to book Rev. Alberty for training or speaking engagements, visit www.jerminealberty.com.

Until next time, remember:

Serve with humility, affirm with compassion, love with courage, and live a life of transformation.