South Bay Minister Building Future For Young Sudan Refugees

SAN JOSE (CBS 5) - Dozens of immigrants, orphaned in Sudan, call a South Bay man their father and its not because he's a retired priest, but because he is helping give them a future. Sharon Chin reports on this week's Jefferson Award winner.

When Reverend Jerry Drino finished his 30- year ministry to San Jose's multi-ethnic community at St. Phillip's Episcopal Church he certainly did not retire! Instead, Jerry continued his ministry with the inspiration of the Lost Boys and a trip to Sudan.

They were once "Lost Boys" who escaped war-torn Sudan as children, but thanks to Reverend Jerry Drino of San Jose they found hope. "They actually call me 'Abuna,' which means 'father' in Arabic. 'Abuna Jerry' is what they call me," Drino says.

Jerry founded Hope with Sudan in 2003 as a nonprofit that helps raise money to educate children who fled Sudan's civil war.

"He mean a lot to me. He mean like my father. That's why we give him that name," Joseph Akoon says.

Bol Deng Bol also spent years at a refugee camp like Joseph. Bol says, "We are very appreciative. We are very happy and we are very glad for the assistance that he gave to us."

Jerry has helped not only these two men, but many others rebuild their lives, and hopefully one day their country. With Jerry's help Bol graduated from San Jose Sate and Joseph from USF. Today these men are on the staff at Hope with Sudan to not only help others in their position, but they are also able to support their families thanks to the job Jerry has provided.

"I came to know their story and be touched by the tremendous suffering they've gone through and then to discover these incredibly bright, articulate, humble young men, I was just drawn in to their lives," Jerry says.

Jerry recruits volunteer tutors and mentors plus collects donations to fund scholarships for more than fifty students; first grade through college. Hope with Sudan has helped educate more than one hundred Sudanese students. A tenth have earned college degrees.

Board member Barbara Rice says Jerry's commitment and caring anchor the students' success. "They're refugee kids and any family they have are left in the Sudan somewhere so they look to him like their father and what makes it work is that they can rely on him."

Jerry sums up his work simply saying, "The joy is knowing a new generation is being prepared to lead a new country."

For helping young Sudanese immigrants build new lives this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Reverend Jerry Drino.

WEBSITE: www.hopewithsudan.org