My Job Helps… Area Director

Maybe you didn’t know, but Joni and Friends has offices all around the United States. We call them Area Ministries and they get to do lots of cool things. Today we are interviewing the Area Director of our office in Philadelphia about how his job helps others. Listen in!

Thank you for joining us, Mr. Borton. You haven’t always been the Area Director of our Greater Philadelphia office. What job did you want to have when you were a kid?

The first thing I can ever remember wanting to be was a major league baseball player. It didn’t take too long in the back yard to realize that it wasn’t a realistic career for a kid who used a wheelchair! But when I was older, I coached Little League and that helped me to realize I liked working with kids. And that helped me to eventually start talking to churches about ministering to people with disabilities.

So is that what you do now? You talk to churches about ministering to people with disabilities?

I get to do lots of things in my job, but I do spend a lot of time telling people why it’s important to reach out to people with disabilities.

What can Kids’ Corner readers do now to prepare for a job like yours?

Make friends with people who have disabilities and tell your friends what you like about your friends with disabilities.

Earlier you said that you used a wheelchair when you were a kid. Why was that?

I was born with cerebral palsy. What that means is the messages don’t get through clearly from my brain to my legs so I use a power wheelchair to get around.

Is there anything you wish you had known as a kid?

I wish I had learned sooner how much Jesus loves me even with my disability!

Thanks, Mr. Borton! That is something we hope all of our Kids’ Corner readers learn! Before we end, can we ask you to share a fun little story?

Yes! Every year our town has a Christmas parade and we make my wheelchair look like I’m driving a sleigh. It’s pretty cool!

; margin-right: 15px; border: 5px solid thistle;” title=”Mr. Borton” src=”https://old.joniandfriends.org/media/uploads/kids_corner/1510-kc-blog-jerry.jpg” alt=”Mr. Borton” width=”300″ height=”439″ />Maybe you didn’t know, but Joni and Friends has offices all around the United States. We call them Area Ministries and they get to do lots of cool things. Today we are interviewing the Area Director of our office in Philadelphia about how his job helps others. Listen in!

Thank you for joining us, Mr. Borton. You haven’t always been the Area Director of our Greater Philadelphia office. What job did you want to have when you were a kid?

The first thing I can ever remember wanting to be was a major league baseball player. It didn’t take too long in the back yard to realize that it wasn’t a realistic career for a kid who used a wheelchair! But when I was older, I coached Little League and that helped me to realize I liked working with kids. And that helped me to eventually start talking to churches about ministering to people with disabilities.

So is that what you do now? You talk to churches about ministering to people with disabilities?

I get to do lots of things in my job, but I do spend a lot of time telling people why it’s important to reach out to people with disabilities.

What can Kids’ Corner readers do now to prepare for a job like yours?

Make friends with people who have disabilities and tell your friends what you like about your friends with disabilities.

Earlier you said that you used a wheelchair when you were a kid. Why was that?

I was born with cerebral palsy. What that means is the messages don’t get through clearly from my brain to my legs so I use a power wheelchair to get around.

Is there anything you wish you had known as a kid?

I wish I had learned sooner how much Jesus loves me even with my disability!

Thanks, Mr. Borton! That is something we hope all of our Kids’ Corner readers learn! Before we end, can we ask you to share a fun little story?

Yes! Every year our town has a Christmas parade and we make my wheelchair look like I’m driving a sleigh. It’s pretty cool!