Inspire Atlanta

Success isn't about what you accomplish in life, it's what you inspire others to do!

Growing up I watched my mother work multiple jobs and struggle to put herself through college while also raising two daughters. My mom always had a full-time job and a side gig to make extra money so she could make sure my sister and I always had what we needed. But, at the end of the month when it was time to pay the bills, we were frequently “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” We were often one car breakdown away from falling off the edge of stability into the pit of poverty. Lucky for me, my mother was a strong powerful woman, surrounded by strong powerful women who leaned on each other to make sure all their kids thrived. 

My mom ensured I was able to attend college, but even after graduating I was also still living from paycheck to paycheck and unable to afford more than a studio apartment attached to a friend’s garage. In 2017, 8-months before my planned move to Atlanta, a drunk driver plowed through my apartment, destroying most of my possessions and leaving me homeless. I had no money to pay for apartment fees, no rental insurance to cover the damages, and was questioning where I would sleep for the night. Once again on the edge of the poverty abyss, my support network came through and provided me with the resources I needed to get me back on my feet. Without them supporting me, that one stroke of back luck could have easily spiraled out of control, and I wouldn’t be where I am today. I was truly fortunate, but many women and girls don’t have a support system like mine to give them a hand up when life goes wrong.

There are hundreds of thousands of women and girls living in Atlanta – nearly a quarter of them are living below the poverty line and many more are one negative event away from poverty. As an Inspire Atlanta participant, I am excited to join the fundraising efforts of my 2022 cohort to make a difference in the lives of women and girls in our community. The Atlanta Women’s Foundation helps to address the barriers that women in poverty face - barriers like access to childcare, mental health resources, and higher education and entrepreneurship opportunities.

"When women come together with a collective intention, magic happens!" -Phylicia Rashad

 Please join me in supporting AWF to ensure every woman and girl has the opportunity to thrive!