Stacey Smith Bell
Stacey Smith Bell used to live in New Orleans and now lives in Las Vegas. She has five kids, a husband and wonderful friends. She spends her time playing with her kids, volunteering, and making things such as flower centerpieces, wreaths and tutus. She volunteers at her children’s school, with two different organizations, and at the Veteran Center.
She answered these questions on March 16th, 2022.
How did you meet ATD Fourth World?
Through my role model: Sister Fara. She’s a nun. When I was living in New Orleans, she did outdoor Street Library. My daughter, Danielle, who is grown now, was 2 or 3 years old doing Street Library. I was sitting outside and I was watching Sister Fara teaching Danielle how to paint and stuff. And that’s how I got involved in the Fourth World Movement.
Sister Fara and them would knock on the door asking for kids to come out for Street Library. Kids would come out and read a book or pick up a book. And they would teach the kids how to read or read a story to them. I approached sister Fara and I asked, “What is the Fourth World Movement and what does it do?” She said they come out and do Street Library, have gatherings, meetings and stuff like that. I was skeptical of the meetings and the gatherings. One time she said there was a gathering in a park. So I went to that and I liked it, so I joined. I liked how people of different cultures were in New Orleans and it was the way they talked, different accents, and the way they were trying to help people that didn’t know how to get help. That’s what made me join. Now that’s been over twenty-some years.
What have you done with ATD Fourth World?
We did Street Library, then we did a nursery thing, with young kids, for people who were going to work, for their kids who needed help after school, getting on computers and stuff. Then we went to Washington DC, for the annual meeting, and I became a speaker. They were asking about the kid thing we started up. I spoke at a lot of things.I spoke at a college on October 17th.
The biggest one was being influenced by my other role model: Father Joseph. Father Joseph stuff keeps me going. Stuff that nobody knows about. That’s my drive. I want everybody to know about him, everybody, and to know what the Fourth World Movement is, not was, is. That was four years ago, I was invited to Paris. My dream. I love that big ol’ place (The International Center of ATD Fourth World). I met the mayor of Paris and I signed the book and gave it to her. I said to her, “Hi, my name is Stacey and I’m in the book, Not Meant To Live This about poverty.” It seems to be in the Fourth World Movement I'm a speaker. It seems to be that way.
I’m on the Board of Directors. I love being on the board because I get to hear different people’s thoughts about stuff. They ask you questions and I get to answer back. I’m the one that answers back right then and there, that’s the way I am, and I like that. I get different cultures. I love the way people talk. It’s fun.
When people from Haiti came to New Orleans, they came to my house. We went to meet them at the airplane, with a poster to welcome them. I became a speaker again then. We talked about poverty. The earthquake. Their experience was similar to ours after hurricane Katrina. We did interviews. I had to talk about what made me keep going and I was talking about Gospel music and it’s your family, your kids, that’s what gives you the will to keep going.
Why do you keep becoming a speaker?
It’s my will. If I don’t say nothing, who will? If I don’t speak up then who will? So that’s my drive, that’s what it is. The Fourth World Movement will get me talking. I’m a mother. That’s another thing that will get me talking. Mothers have a will to talk. A lot of people that’s in poverty, they have a will to talk but they are quiet. And if nobody says nothing, nobody will know nothing about it and nothing will get done. That’s what makes me talk.
Father Joseph left a legacy. I want to leave a legacy.
How have you changed as a person over the last twenty years?
It’s a thrive in me. It’s a thrive. Before I met Sister Fara, I was young. But I have a gift. I have gifts. And I want to get it out and I want other people to see my gift and the accomplishments I came from, from the past, to the present and the future. I don’t know what the future holds, but I know what the past holds and I’m dealing with the present. So if I can do it, other people can do it. I want people to see that it can happen. Even though you come from poverty, stuff can happen for you.
Before I met Sister Fara, I was young and I just was a mom, that’s all. I wasn’t doing too much. With the Fourth World Movement, I had a goal. I stopped saying, “Oh, I don’t know if I can do it.” I found out I can do it. That’s the difference.
What are the highlights of your work with ATD Fourth World?
Me and Sister Fara
Me and Maria Sandvik (An ATD Fourth World Corps member who was in New Orleans a long time).
Father Joseph
How have you shared your work with ATD Fourth World with other people?
I am attached to teenagers. With all my kids, I help their friends. Some of my children’s friends can’t do some of the stuff that I am in so I’d rather show them my organization. And they can see me doing it, so if they want to do it, they can see if that’s their goal or if that’s what they want to be in.
What are you looking forward to being part of next with ATD Fourth World?
I want to close the gap that the United States has with the Fourth World Movement. What the Fourth World Movement represents, what it’s for. There is a gap that has to be fixed.
People know about the Fourth World Movement but they do not know what started it and who started it. I will never forget, Father Joseph started it at a young age, I will never forget. If Father Joseph can do it, and come out of poverty and stuff, other people that’s in poverty can come out too. It depends on a mindset. I’m trying to say you don’t have to stay in there. Because I am one of them. You don’t have to stay in that mindset. Let people know what the Fourth World Movement is, who started it and what it represents. I want the gap to be closed. I want everybody to know in the United States what the Fourth World Movement is. If more people know about it, we’d get more help and get more people involved. That’s what I want. I want that gap to close.