Johnson, 33, and Taylor, 24, made headlines recently when they agreed to a truce after years of gang activity. Speaking on behalf of the gang members, Johnson told the audience he made the decision to follow Jesus Christ and expressed his thanks to those who had been working with him and others to stop the violence. Also thanking the Ebenezer congregation for accepting him and his friends into the church, Johnson decided to join the Fort Washington church. I want to "keep it real and do he right thing," said Johnson.
Howard County students change law and lives
Over the years, the young women involved in Sister to Sister, a service learning organization at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, have constructed a quilt for an all-girls school in Afghanistan, staged a Jade Vaughn and Kim Sealy (both standing), members of Sister to Sister, helped passed a law that will enable minors in Maryland to donate bone marrow. Joslyn Wolfe, the group's advisor, introduced the idea to the group in 2003.peace vigil for victims of school violence and spearheaded a penny drive to provide stationary supplies for women victimized by sexual bondage in sub-Saharan Africa.
Now, the group can add changing public policy to their list of accomplishments.
Inspired by the story of a teenager in Washington State who helped pass legislation that allowed minors to donate bone marrow, the group decided two years ago to seek similar legislation in Maryland.
And after seeing their bill die in a House committee last year, the group saw their resubmitted bill approved by the Legislature this year, a change in law that may save the life of someone needing a life-saving bone marrow transplant.
"We didn't know anybody that needed a bone marrow transplant," said Kim Sealy, 18, a Sister to Sister member. "We just wanted to help people and make it easier for more people to find bone marrow matches."
The measure allows people younger than 18 to donate bone marrow as long as they have medical approval. The National Marrow Donor Program, the federally funded nonprofit that facilitates most of the marrow transplants that occur between non-related donors and patients, normally requires that donors be between the ages of 18 and 60.