WATERLOO - In the mid-1970s, a few years out of high school, Cheryl Faries enlisted in the Navy as a way to get out of Waterloo.

In 1996, armed with a master's degree and years of counseling experience in San Diego, she returned and is doing all she can to make a difference in her hometown.

Now working as the community development coordinator for Family & Children's Council of Black Hawk County, Faries' last job in California was working as a parent outreach coordinator through San Diego State University.

A driving force to return to Waterloo was "to use the knowledge I gained there (San Diego) and use it here," Faries said. "I would be thinking, 'This would work in Waterloo,' or 'Gosh, Waterloo could use this.' I never forgot about Waterloo."

Upon her return, Faries' perception was that Waterloo hadn't progressed all that much during her years in California. "It may have taken a step backward," she said.

So she dove right in. Faries' list of community involvement is a long one, but there are a couple of projects for which she is especially proud.

That includes a hand in the creation of the Women's Empowerment Program and the Waterloo Neighborhood Coalition.

The women's group began about four years ago.

"It's just a space where we affirm each other, set goals and try to follow them up," Faries said. "There are programs that help in getting access to resources, but I didn't see anyone addressing the issues of emotional need and support."

Ashley Wachal, 23, completed the 12-week program.

"It was what I needed after what I had been through," said Wachal, a young mother who said she had been in an abusive marriage. "I went in with low self-confidence and low self-esteem. I handle situations totally different now. There were other women in similar situations. It's a way to heal yourself and help others heal themselves."

Meeting with Faries on parenting issues led to Wachal's joining the Women's Empowerment Program.

"Cheryl is truly amazing," Wachal said. "She works so hard for these women to see they get what they want to get out of the program."

Wachal landed a job while in the program, and now hopes to earn a college degree in the future.

Also, about four years ago, Faries was hired through a grant by Allen Hays, director of the UNI Graduate Program in Public Policy. They worked to form the Waterloo Neighborhood Coalition, an organization bringing neighborhood associations together to work toward the betterment of their communities.

One of the main tasks was working to get quality redevelopment of vacant land in east Waterloo.

"The neighborhoods have to come together with a plan on how they want to see their community," Faries said. "If the residents don't come together, developers come in and do what they want to do - like putting in cheap housing."

Though the grant for the project has run out, Faries still works with the coalition.

"She's still around so much, I have to remind myself she's not getting paid for that position," said Hays, who's quite appreciative of Faries' dedication and talents.

"She's able to work very concretely with the neighborhoods and at the same time see the larger implications," Hays said. "Her dedication is total. She was really critical in having the project succeed."

Faries said all of her work - in her career and her volunteer community work - is interrelated.

"People have to come to the table and get organized," she said. "Then they can make a difference. These days, the quality of your life literally depends on it."

Terry Hudson can be contacted at (319) 291-1405 or at terry.hudson@wcfcourier.com.