Empowering the Future
Walter & Odessa Allen Legacy Fund, Inc.
Empowering Futures, One Scholarship At A Time.
While in NJ, they united with the St. Luke Baptist Church where they became actively involved in many church programs. Walter was ordained as a deacon and later a minister and Odessa devotedly served as a deaconess and member of numerous church committees. While in New Jersey, Walter became a lifetime member of the Masons and participated faithfully with Integrity Lodge # 51, Jeremiah 13 and Holy Royal Arch Masons and Odessa, his lifetime partner, joined The Order of the Eastern Star Chapter #137, upholding spiritual values and noble principles.
Although the Allens made a home in New Jersey for many years, they never forgot their genesis or the importance of heritage and returned to Camden, South Carolina to continue to build a legacy. There they would become pillars in the community. Walter became a faithful member of the Kershaw County Prayer Warriors, where he often stood in the gap as an advocate; praying selflessly for the community and the world.
Walter later answered God’s call to the ministry becoming an ordained minister at his home church of Sanders Creek Baptist Church in Camden, SC. With God and education as priorities, Reverend Walter Allen, enrolled in Morris College Seminary Program and he and his wife, Odessa became members of Sanders Creek Baptist Church. The couple were later called as Senior Pastor, and first lady of Parker Baptist Church were they proudly committed to God’s calling and the needs of their parishioners. Their legacy of faith, family and education will continue to live on.
Walter and Odessa Allen
Rev. Walter Allen Jr. and Odessa (Belton) Allen were born and educated in Kershaw County, South Carolina. Both were reared in God fearing household and accepted Christ early in their lives. As life continued and while Walter joined the Civil Conservation Corporation and was later drafted in the United States Navy, where he fought and served honorably in World War II, Odessa attended and graduated from Jackson High School in Camden, SC.
After marrying and relocating to Paterson, NJ, through their blessed union, they nurtured four beloved children with a love for God, family, and education. As Walter began a more than forty-year career at Inmont Corporation in Hawthorne, New Jersey, Odessa assisted him by taking on one of God’s most important callings to parents, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it”. This vital role along with creating a Godly home environment, managing the day-to-day operations of the household, and providing emotional support for the family grounded the roots of the Walter and Odessa Allen Legacy.
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Help us make a difference in the lives of underrepresented children. Your support can provide scholarships and opportunities for a brighter future. Whether through donations, volunteering, or sharing our cause, your involvement is invaluable. Together, we can create lasting change. Join us in our mission today!