Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson.

Derrick Wilkerson from Fox 59 News will serve as emcee at the Prayer Breakfast, which begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Artsgarden in Indianapolis.  Mayor Bart Peterson and representatives from his office, members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and community and church leaders will be on hand as the recommendations of the Crime Prevention Task Force are outlined during the breakfast.  Several business and community leaders will lead a time of prayer.  Registration for the breakfast or any of the other FHL events by calling (317)372-0371 or online at www.fhlinternational.org.

Keynote speaker at the breakfast is Olgen Williams, Executive Director of Christamore House Community Center, nationally acclaimed community activist, and author (Healing the Heart Healing the Hood, Olgen Williams’ story of rebuilding his life & neighborhood). Olgen went back to school and has attained his Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and a Master of Arts in Urban Ministry with a concentration on social action in the urban community from Martin University Indianapolis and earned a Doctorate of Divinity from Muskegon Bible Institute. The one title that surpasses any other from his many years of volunteerism is that of  “community volunteer.”

Olgen Williams has a personal commitment towards producing a better community better for children and families and destined for economic prosperity. Elder Olgen Williams, affectionately known as the Mayor of Haughville, (a community once plagued with escalating crime and homicide rates-now with one of the city’s lowest under his leadership community, in which he works and lives, has been able to attain over $90,000,000 of redevelopment resources.

It is Olgen’s work in his community that has inspired and enabled him to help and serve others in the following:  elected to the Indianapolis Public School Board ,  past chairman of Westside Cooperative Organization and is currently President of Haughville Community Council.  Olgen serves on the Indiana University Purdue University Board Advisors and Diversity Council. He is an active member of the Westside Concerned Dads, which is a mentoring group of neighborhood males that work with youth groups in the Westside community and Wayne Township Schools.  He is one of the original members of the Indianapolis Weed & Seed Initiative that is very active in the citywide community-policing program and has served as the WESCO Weed & Seed chairman for several years. He is the past citywide director of the Indianapolis Weed & Seed Initiative. Olgen was invited to the Executive Office of the White House by President Bill Clinton to announce the White House’s Value-Base Initiatives in 1999. His Indianapolis community was one of sixteen sites chosen to receive funds.  . Olgen is alumnus of the first Indianapolis Diversity Leadership Academy. He has worked with “Indiana University-Purdue University COPC Program” to help plan the program and the program received a grant valued at more then $800,000 from HUD.  He is a consultant to several national organizations and is often asked to speak and facilitate at conferences. Olgen’s work has been featured in several publications such as:   HUD’s The Power of Partnership; the New Democrat, Blueprint, Indianapolis Monthly; City Journal.  (Published by the Manhattan Institute); Indy Black Page; Butler Alumni; and Who’s Who’s in Black Indianapolis and The Indianapolis Star.

Olgen is an ordained elder at Victory Tabernacle Church of the Apostolic Faith were he as served under the leadership of Bishop Dr. William L. Harris Sr. for over twenty-three years.  He has served as Sunday School Superintend, teacher workshop facilitator and lecturer for over thirty years. He is known national for his work in the faith-base community. Olgen has served as co-chairman of the Indianapolis faith-base Front Porch Alliance started by former Mayor S. Goldsmith and is a member of the Indiana Department of Correction Faith-Community Advisory Council and one of the founders of the Westside Community Ministries, Inc. a community base social service program. He is also the founded of the Westside Community Chaplains Program a program were pastor took to the streets of Indianapolis in 1997 to ministry to gang members and drug dealers.

Olgen has received several awards for his work such as: The Rev. Charles Williams “Putting Your Faith On The Line Award”, Indiana Jefferson Award 2000; Tiger Woods Foundation’s Sharing & Caring Award; Distinguished Hoosier (Governor Frank O’Bannon); Joseph Award, National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise; Indianapolis Police Department Community Recognition Award; National Weed & Seed Community Leader Award; FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award and Crossroads of America Boys Scouts of America “Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award” and Indiana Christian Leadership Conference Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Annual Drum Major Award 2002; Center for Leadership Development Neighborhood & Community Service Award 2002. He also was granted an Executive Grant of Clemency from President George W. Bush in December of 2002. He was one of seven people the President so honored and was the only one invited to the White House.

The Indianapolis community has acknowledged his outstanding contributions to the promotion of equality and acceptance, the elimination of discriminatory practices, and influencing and the improvement of human relations.

FHL is a two-year old ministry with the vision to mobilize the resources of government, business and faith-based organizations to bring about positive change resulting in communities that love God and love their neighbors.  Over 2000 volunteers joined in Faith, Hope and Love Week last summer participating in hundreds of different outreach projects in the greater Indianapolis area.  For more information on FHL or to register for any of the FHL events, call (317)372-0371 or www.fhlinternational.org.

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