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Old Ways Don’t Work On The Driving Course
A Letter From The Editor
It seems like such a long time ago. The moment had arrived for me to become a licensed automobile driver. I was only 16 years old. For the most part, just a little young guy, full of ambition and excited about driving a car. I had enrolled in a driver’s education program at school. The classes included several other soon-to-be legitimate juvenile drivers and were conducted after school for six weeks. We were all ready, but I don’t think anyone was more eager than I was.
There Are No If, Ands, Or Buts About It!
A Letter from the Editor
What if tomorrow didn’t arrive? All of your plans, hopes and dreams wouldn’t have a street to park on. What if everything that you decided to put off until tomorrow never happened? There would be no reason to save for a rainy day, and you could spare someone the trouble of making promises. What if your last opportunity seemingly expired today? What would you do?
On the driving course, there were several cars with an automatic transmission. However, there was only one vehicle that contained a manual transmission (a stick shift). As fate would have it, I was the only student familiar with a stick shift, as I had gained prior instruction and driving experience from a few experienced drivers. I knew the gear pattern and understood how to manage the clutch and gas paddles and keep the car powered. So I chose that vehicle to drive during class.
I’ve been told that I often seem like I do too much. Honestly, I feel like I am not doing enough and I’m a firm believer in knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me that I couldn’t handle. I sometimes wonder how life would be if I chose to sit idle and accept what it presented to me. I have found that to be very boring. In my opinion, opportunity is a blessing that isn’t afforded to everyone. A challenge to me is an adventure. What is the worst that can happen? If I do nothing, I fail, and if I try I don’t, but instead learn something new about myself. Relinquish your pride and in return acquire life.
I appeared to be in a league of my own on the driving course amongst the other student drivers. I handled the curves well, and didn’t run over any of the cones. I managed the straight paths well, and looked pretty well in reverse. I was good, at least thats what I beleived.
One day in class, the vehicle I was driving was at the front of the pack on the driving course. I jumped out the gate fast, and that was my first mistake. As I went around the curves, I used little brakes, and the tires on my car were screaming. “Stop!” That command was screamed through the megaphone held by the driving instructor. He made me park the car and get out for the remainder of the day. I laughed it off while trying to keep my cool amongst my classmates, but on the inside, I was embarrassed. I would eventually drive again and completed the program, but it was clear that I almost jeopardized all of that from happening.
The best advice ever given to me happened when someone told me to make my tomorrow happen today. In doing so I have pressed my way through doors with a key that only hope provided. I have also learned the difference between what God blesses me with and what life can burden me with as well. I compare it to knowing when to be confident and when to be quiet, because someone may get it confused with being arrogant.
At the time, I didn’t realize how I had put myself and others in danger by becoming arrogant and comfortable during a moment when instead I should have been learning and listening. I made the mistake of applying invalid experience in a setting where I was supposed to gain experience to be validated. God showed me on that day that when I try to do things my way and use information or instruction that didn’t come from Him, I am just an accident waiting to happen. Yet, when I do listen and obey His commands, He will qualify me to drive on the roads and highways of life.
Make you tomorrow happen today, but most importantly make it count. Life is but a whisper and we must put ourselves in a position to hear what it is telling us.
Terry L. Watson
Terry L. Watson Editor/Founder
www.huamimagazine.com Email or Telephone terry.editor@yahoo.com 336-340-7844
huami.triangle@gmail.com (336)340-7844
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Todd Gilyard
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Hill’n Hands Massage LaToya Hill
I Got Next Game Truck
Alex Macklin
Young Author
Gabriel Williams
By The Book Services LLC
Zeola Charles
Kim Alexander Meet the face and founder of A Mother’s Luv. Her foundation is
By The Book Services LLC
By Ellen Richardson
While most use their career to become a financial success or a powerhouse that the younger generation looks up to, there are those who take the path less traveled. A path that allows them to become a voice for the voiceless.
Zeola Charles began her job path with the U.S. Army and eventually became a part of the Las Vegas insurance game. Yet, her career path would change after returning to a dream born at the tender age of eight.
“Ever since I was an 8-year-old girl, I wanted to be a lawyer. However, life would take me along a different path, and I joined the army at the age of 18,” said Charles. “During this time, I also obtained an associate degree in paralegal studies, followed by a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. After leaving the army, I obtained my MBA all while starting my career as a litigator in the insurance world, where I remained for more than 20 years. Although this career path had an air of legal air to it, I kept feeling my childhood dream calling, so I returned to law school at 38 years old.”
Along with making a career change a bit late in the game, Charles would also begin her path to greatness with a move from Las Vegas to Alabama for law school and eventually North Carolina.
“It is funny because we decided to move to North Carolina after a spring break road trip where we fell in love with this state,” said Charles. “It was just so beautiful and ran well by people who cared about each other. Seeing the pride that everyone had to make this state the best possible was also something that I had never seen before, so I knew that I wanted to start our family’s new life and adventure in North Carolina.”
After deciding to settle down in the Triangle of Raleigh/Durham area, the woman with a passion for the law started her new career path as an employment judge for the North Carolina Division of Employment Security Commission. “I am one of those people who enjoys being the ultimate decision maker, so when I was offered this opportunity, I could not pass it up,” said Charles.
Photos by TMF Photography
Despite her love for being a decision-maker, it wouldn’t take long before the born litigator would decide to return to her calling. “Within a few months of working in North Carolina, I decided to leave the bench and make my way back to my first love – being a lawyer,” said Charles. “The truth is, I’ve always loved arguing a case and I began to miss being a part of the true art of law, which involves arguing a relative message to 12 jurors, hoping that your voice helps them be decision-makers in your favor,” said Charles.
Today, Zeola Charles and her family’s private law practice, By the Book Services Charles & Associates, is becoming the legal voice for those who need assistance. By The Book Services offers services in the realm of real estate law, family law, civil or criminal trials, traffic violations, and more throughout the Raleigh/Durham area. “Honestly, we provide attorney services in almost every area of law with the exception of wills and estates,” said Charles. “I am even contracted with one of the largest legal firms in the state for legal debt collection.”
Picuted (on the opposite page) with Zeola and Chad is their daughter Ladeja
According to Charles, the primary goal for this firm is to be the voice for and to serve the underserved in this area. “The fact is that I want my life and career to have purpose rather than seeking after financial gain,” said Charles.
“Making a decision like this took a lot of prayer and the support of my family, who were there for me through the entire transition, including moving states, going back to school, and even starting my own practice. In fact, my husband was so supportive that he became my paralegal.”
“Ever since I was an 8-year-old girl, I wanted to be a lawyer. However, life would take me along a different path and I joined the army at the age of 18 and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.”
Prior to going into business with his wife, Chad Charles was also on a different career path. “I started my career in the Army alongside my wife but was injured. After retiring from the U.S. Army, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in engineering, after which I worked as an engineer in several different industries in Las Vegas,” said Chad.
Despite he and his wife working in separate careers, Chad and Zeola Charles would begin a new career journey alongside one another following this family’s move to North Carolina. “When we moved to North Carolina, my wife needed to be fingerprinted and also needed a notary, so I started my new career path by obtaining a license to become a fingerprint technician and notary,” said Chad. “This is actually how we started By the Book Services.”
Following Zeola’s decision to return to a calling given to her as a child, Chad also followed his new calling. “When my wife decided to leave the bench and become an attorney, I knew that the best way I could help her was to go back to school and become a paralegal. So, that is what I did, and I am excited to say that I received my certification as a paralegal from North Carolina State University on August 12th,” said Chad. “Now, we can work on cases together and build a business that can help our family and community for years to come.”
Along with this family’s new business becoming the legal voice for the underserved in the Triangle, the Charles family and By The Book Services is also doing their part to assist other bright minds in the community in their future success. “I know how expensive it can be to obtain a higher education, which is why I worked the entire time that I went to school,” said Zeola Charles. “In order to help students like my 16-year-old daughter, who will be graduating summa cum laude from Chatham School of Science & Engineering and obtaining her associate degree in applied science this year, succeed in furthering their education we are offering work from home opportunities where these students can set their own schedule and make a few dollars to pay for materials like books, etc. We are also offering a $500 scholarship to an area student in need.”
Now that their purpose has been realized, Zeola and Chad Charles are pursuing their God-given calling and proving that one can accomplish some things, but together, a team can do a great deal more. The team of By The Book Services is proof that anything is possible when you make your purpose your priority.
I Am Gabriel Williams
By Gamal Williams Phtoos by Gamal Williams
All fathers want the best for their children. We protect them, nurture them, guide them, teach them, all in hopes that one day they will find their path, see the beacon that will guide them through life. We hope that we have learned enough in life that we will be able to bestow the best of ourselves in them. I am one of those fathers. But through all that I have learned in my forty-five years God has blessed me with, the most valuable lesson has been this:
Sometimes the teacher can become the student. The teacher must only be humble enough to know that he or she doesn’t know it all.
Last year during the pandemic, I discovered I liked to write. Liked is actually a misrepresentation. I loved to write. I began penning my first novel, fin: a story of love and hope. It was exhilarating and frustrating all at the same time. I was through my first draft and laboring through rewrites, when one day my youngest son, Gabriel approached, his face full of boredom and angst from the lockdown.
“Daddy…”
“Yes?”
“I’m bored.”
“I know, buddy. I wish you could just go outside.”
His face grew sad but changed to excitement within seconds.
“Daddy, can I get a book?”
It was a simple request; one most parents would love to hear from their children. The problem? It was June 2020, and America was in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. Here in the Hampton Roads section of Virginia, everything was closed. Gabriel, or “Poppa” as I call him, and I sat at my computer and searched online for a book he might enjoy, yet we had two different reactions. While Gabriel became uninspired by the available books, I became irritated. None of the books featured a young, Black boy as the protagonist unless they were overcoming some stereotypical struggle.
The death of a loved one. Not making the team. Overcoming being the “different” kid in class, code for “the only Black kid”.
Where was the Black Harry Potter or Black Diary of a Wimpy Kid? Where was the book where the little Black boy toppled a dragon or explored the stars? I decided to put my book aside (a welcomed break I might add) and do something about our conundrum.
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To learn more about Gabriel Williams, please follow him on Instagram @ authorgabrielwilliams realegacypublishing@gmail.com
Hill’n Hands Massage Therapy
By Dorjae McClammey
Photos by Todd Youngblood
“Asasinglemotherstartingmyjourney,Ihadsome challengestoovercome.However,Iwasdeterminednot toallowthemtostopme.”
It all starts with her hands. There is no magic involved, nor does she have any tricks under her sleeves. It’s all in her hands. LaToya Hill describes herself as quiet and observant. She loves to make people relax laugh, two qualities that she shares without hesitation in life and with her business. However, young LaToya was a curious child who seemingly had an interest in all of her surroundings. That curiosity resulted in a few accidents involving her hands. One happened when she burned her hands as a toddler; another accident occurred when she slammed her hand in a house window while trying to help close it. Not to be outdone, her fingers somehow got jammed in the doors of an old model 80s vehicle, and she even found a way to accidentally stab the palm of her hand with a pencil while playing in middle school.
Today, LaToya is the owner and founder of Hill’n Hands Massage Therapy, a mobile massage therapy based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their mission is to help promote a pain-free and stressfree lifestyle with its therapeutic treatment as a holistic alternative to medicine. Their ultimate goal is to build enduring and rewarding relationships with their clients and community through knowledge, wellness, and providing a world-class level of service.
Some of the services offered by Hill’n Hands are sports stretch and massage, and chair massage, which typically involves massaging the neck, shoulders, back, arms, and hands and cupping. Additionally, she provides sports massage services for amateur and professional athletes throughout Charlotte, having some players for the Carolina Panthers as clients.
LaToya was born and raised in the small town of Arapahoe, N.C., but spent her summers in Charlotte. She officially relocated to Charlotte in 2006, full of ambition and drive. She always knew she wanted to be her own boss; it just took her some time to get the hang of it. While in Charlotte, she enrolled at a community college and received an associate’s degree in General Studies focused on Criminal Justice, and set her sights on being a paralegal. She soon realized that wasn’t the right field for her, and so she returned to school and received an obtained a diploma in massage therapy from Southeastern Institute, which would eventually pave the way to Hill’n Hands Massage.
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Soon after her initial launch, LaToya began working with other massage companies while building hers. This gave her a unique opportunity to build her clientele while servicing others, many who were connected with the corporate world, high school athletes, and professionals.
While building her skills, she realized that her true passion was sports massage. That direction presented itself to be more of a challenge, mainly because it required more certification, but that didn’t stop LaToya. She faced it head-on and enrolled at Johnson C. Smith University and prepared for what would eventually come. “At Johnson C. Smith, I met some amazing teachers, mentors, and advisors, including BerNadette Lawson-Williams. I was also able to participate on panels of discussion with Serena Williams, Sarah Thomas, and even President Barack Obama,” she says.
LaToya also gained the chance to work with retired NFL player Antoine Bethea. “It was funny because I didn’t know what to expect, but his family was so nice. His five-year-old son was even watching what I was doing and waited for his dad to finish so he could get on the table,” she shares. She loves working with the families as a whole
Hill’n Hands primarily provides mobile massage services on-site at their client’s request. Hill’n Hands also conducts weekly sessions at Pure Grind Fitness on Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays. These sessions LaToya says do not offer the same privacy that in-home sessions do. At first LaToya was slightly nervous about being at a location, but she’s seen an increase in booking which has kept her busy at the gym.
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“I can do whatever I want to do. I can set my schedule to my liking, which is important because it keeps me from overworking myself and still be available to meet the needs of my daughter as much as possible.”
When asked what she loves most about her company, the answer was simple; freedom. “I can do whatever I want to do. I can set my schedule to my liking, which is important because it keeps me from overworking myself and still be available to meet the needs of my daughter as much as possible,” she says. “I’m proud to have established the clients I have because it allows me to take my daughter with me to appointments. My daughter is very quiet but quite helpful. She carries supplies, and clean cups and other utensils used during a session.”
While freedom is her main drive, she has made it known that she has such a huge team that pushes her every day. “As a single mother starting my journey, I had some challenges to overcome. However, I was determined not to allow them to stop me,” she says.
Even more, LaToya shares she is inspired by the opportunity she has to be a role model to her younger clients. She recalls how one of her client/athletes wished her happy birthday and thanked her for all of the conversations they’ve had, and everything she’s done and continued to do for him. “Being able to help young athletes grow and have such an effect on them makes this all worth it,” she says.
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As for anyone planning to follow in her footsteps, LaToya offers the following advice. “Follow your heart. While you’re in school training, start building there. The steps you make towards becoming an entrepreneur begin where you develop a passion for it. Dream bigger and never discount yourself. In the world we live in now, there is the pressure of wanting to be better than the next person, or not feeling like you’re where you’re supposed to be or knowing why you’re not there yet. All of that can weigh heavily on you and affect your mental state. So please train and discipline yourself to remain positive and remind yourself that you will get there one day.
LaToya is currently in her second semester at JCSU, interning in the Esports and sports compliance departments. She is also working on becoming a transition coach for different athletes from high school to college and from college to pro. She is also working on opening a brickand-mortar location to house her business and give other therapists a space to work. With her determination and drive, we can expect this to come sooner than expected.
In addition to being the face and force of Hill’n Hands, LaToya also serves as an associate chair for Entrepreneu(HER) in the City, a non-profit women’s networking organization designed to highlight and unite local women in business. She still offers notary public services and styles hair, and designs t-shirts in her free time.
To learn more about LaToya Hill and Hill’n Hands Massage, please visit their website.
A Life Dedicated To Service
By Gamal Williams
by Todd Gilyard
According to the 2019 Annual Business Survey, racial minorities owned 18.3% of all businesses in America. Those numbers begin to look bleaker when one understands that all non-White business owners fall into that 18.3%. 2019 U.S. Census data shows that the White population comprised 76.3% of America yet owned 81.7% of all businesses. Minorities comprised 23.7% of America yet owned less than 1/5th of all businesses. Many factors have hindered business development and economic growth amongst minorities: racial bias preventing opportunities to government and private sector contracts, lack of access to capital, lack of business financial literacy, but none more important than mentorship and support. What these businesses have lacked is a champion, someone that is willing to not only extend a helping hand, but to speak up for them, support them, guide them on their path to success.
Enter Todd Gilyard.
Todd Gilyard formed his consulting firm, The Gilyard Group, LLC, in 2010, after previously serving as the Assistant Project Lead/Job Developer for the St. Louis Housing Authority’s Job Plus Program, and Community Outreach Director at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. He now serves as the Project Director at the Missouri Branch of the Minority Business Development Agency. Originally established as the Minority Business Enterprise in 1969 by President Richard Nixon, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) mission is “to promote the growth of minority owned businesses through the mobilization and advancement of public and private sector programs, policy, and research. MBDA has accomplished this mission by funding a network of centers that provide Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) a variety of business assistance services.”* Yet, Todd didn’t see himself in his current position. In fact, prior to his appointment, even owning his own business wasn’t in the cards.
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Photos
“I worked for the Urban League of St. Louis,” he explained. “In that role, anything that the Urban League gave away to the community, I was in charge of; toy giveaways, food giveaways, energy assistance, any special programs, I was basically in charge of. Being in that role helped me build relationships with city and state government officials and CEOs of major corporations. People began to come to me asking for help with funding or to make a business connection.”
“One day, a woman approached me that had a home healthcare franchise out of Florida. I explained to her that she should be working with the churches. The churches should get back to being that resource for the community like they were in the ’50s and ’60s. I told her I knew the President of the National Baptist Convention-Midwest. I reached out to him and discussed her presenting her business to the minister’s union. I explained to him that churches were missing that community connection; if you needed a doctor, you went to the church; if you needed a lawyer, you went to the church; if you needed a handyman, you went to the church. I presented the woman’s business and after my presentation, he encouraged me to form my own business.”
Todd formed The Gilyard Group shortly after, and while it was a business at its heart, it was Todd’s desire to help reconnect the community that shined through. These traits were instilled in him by two strong, powerful, and beautiful women: his mother, Schatoun Gilyard, and his grandmother, Francis Jean Gilyard.
“I grew up in Kinloch, MO. My grandmother was heavily involved in many grassroots efforts devoted to social justice issues, improving educational rights for children, food programs…she was committed to making sure the community was fed, not just with food, but fed with knowledge. I grew up in the church, thanks to my grandmother. I am now a minister, and God has put it in my heart to want to see everyone made whole. I want to see everybody live their best life. If I’m in a position to help somebody, I think that is an honor that God gives certain people. Since I was a child, through my adult life and professional career, I’ve been in a position to help people. Jobs of service. It’s because of how my grandmother raised me.”
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“I tell my current staff all the time; we are in a blessed position. If we make a phone call for someone or a business, we have an opportunity to do something that could change their lives. That can change the way they feed their families.”
When asked to elaborate on his mother’s impact on his life, Todd becomes reflective and emotional. “My mom…man, my mom is someone that inspires me because of how she made sacrifices for my brother and me. Even though those sacrifices hurt her, I see what she did for her now that I am older. And she is still like that. She will give people the shirt off her back, or if she hears that someone is in need, she’s right there to say, ‘I got it!’ Anything to see people comfortable. Even in the church, she was always serving others. It just stuck in me.”
Todd’s reputation as a selfless, devoted, and knowledgeable leader led to his current position at MBDA. When the position for Project Director became available in late 2020, Todd’s name was submitted by people that knew him for his years of dedicated service. Once the position was offered to Todd, his actions displayed the virtues of kindness and selflessness he was raised with. Knowing that he could impact more people in this new position, he folded the highly successful Gilyard Group and accepted the higher calling.
“I tell my current staff all the time; we are in a blessed position. If we make a phone call for someone or a business, we have an opportunity to do something that could change their lives. That can change the way they feed their families. That is tremendous for me. I get a paycheck, but more than the money, it’s the joy I feel that I was able to help these companies. I am so happy to be a part of that that I had a little bit to do with it. That gives me such joy.”
Todd Gilyard Minority Business Development Agency Center - Missouri www.mbdac.com
Alex Macklin
I Got Next Game Truck
By Jalessa Rogers - Photos by Alex Macklin
In the electronic and social media era, gaming has become a big deal. Gaming is so big that you can get paid to do it professionally. Games like Fornite, Call of Duty, NBA 2k, and many more have their own tournaments, often associated with impressive cash prizes. Parties and events that were once hosted outdoors have now turned into indoor events in front of a television, a game console, and a handheld controller. This recreational change would soon catch the attention of Philadelphia, PA native Alex Macklin. He found a way to capitalize on this growing market for gaming by creating a company that caters directly to it. Introducing I Got Next Game Truck.
As a child growing up in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, Alex Alex was groomed to be an entrepreneur. Along with his two brothers, he grew up helping at their maternal grandparent’s businesses that consisted of corner stores, laundromats, restaurants, and daycares scattered throughout Philly. “As a kid, that’s all I knew. We worked in the stores from the time I could walk. We were stocking shelves and sweeping floors. My grandfather had a water ice stand at one of his stores, and every summer, he gave me a job to scoop water ice. And so, the entrepreneurial spirit was instilled in me as a young boy,” stated Alex.
Developing a solid work ethic is something that he learned from his parents and grandparents as well. “I watched my grandparents work hard at something that they owned. My parents worked hard too, they weren’t entrepreneurs, but I watched them get up every day for work,” stated Alex. Although he loved and valued what he learned working for his grandparents, Alex had his sights set on something else in regards to career choice. Alex wanted to be a marine biologist.
After graduating from La Salle College High School in 1986, he attended Millersville University to study marine biology. When he became the parent of two beautiful twin daughters, he decided to take some time off from school. In 2011 he returned to school and completed his degree at Gwynedd Mercy College.
In 2019, at his grandson’s ninth birthday party, Alex developed the idea of a Game Truck. After doing the research, he discovered an existing Game Truck market. So you know what happened next.
To build a Game Truck, Alex leaned on his technological and networking skills. Being new to the industry, he reached out to other Game Truck owners for information and advice. With a desire for extra knowledge for his developing business venture, Alex and his family found a way to make his Game Truck into a mobile entertainment center. His teenage son helped broaden his gaming view and helped him choose which best attractions to have in the truck. He utilized the graphic designing skills of his daughter to bring a more corporate appeal.
Alex says I Got Next Game Truck was created to appeal to people of all ages and for events from birthday parties to corporate parties. With over 32 games for XBOX, Play Station, and Nintendo, Alex is capable of hosting parties, game nights, and movie nights.
Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, I Got Next Game Truck was closed like other businesses in 2020. For a new and “fledging business,” this was hard on Alex. Since reopening, he was able to keep his business going with significant events such as Black Voters Matter. Although COVID-19 has been a scary time for everyone, preparing for the unexpected has also been a learning experience. “One thing I learned was to adapt and adopt,” stated Alex. He adapted by incorporating COVID protocols to help keep his clients safe, such as practicing social distancing while they are in the truck.
Since starting I Got Next Game Truck, Alex has secured a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers G-league team and hosted an NBA 2K tournament. He has also been able to maintain his goals of investing in his company the right way. “I have done many types of events, and I’m looking forward to doing more of them. If there is a need to have my Game Truck there and I can make it fit into what their vision is I’ll have it out there,” stated Alex.
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The son of McKenzie and Chris Kennedy
Kim Alexander A Mother’s Luv
By Ayana Bryant
by Kim Alexander
Often times there isn’t much that can be done to prevent a miscarriage from happening, but have we ever considered how women and families are to recover from such loss? According to the US nonprofit “March of Dimes”, approximately 10-15% of detected pregnancies end in miscarriage, and about 1 in 100 women experience repeat miscarriages. March of Dimes is an organization committed to the work of improving maternal and infant health.
Kim Alexander has positioned herself to answer this question. She is the founder of A Mother’s Luv Inc., a nonprofit organization that supports women and couples who have suffered a miscarriage.
Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, Kim understood early on that her calling would be to help people. With aspirations of becoming an attorney, she attended Xavier University in New Orleans, LA, and studied political science. After deciding to continue her education, she returned home to Wisconsin to receive her master’s degree from Marquette University in Public Service and Administration of Justice. Kim is also a very proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc and has been for the last 15 years.
Ultimately her career goals shifted, and Kim went on to become a law enforcement officer. She truly loves what she does and feels honored to be able to protect and serve the people in the city of Milwaukee and all over the world.
Although it brings her great joy to help others, when she and her husband of ten years were once in search of support, they couldn’t find it. Unfortunately, they suffered a great deal when attempting to grow their family and experienced multiple miscarriages. This devastation revealed something to her that was missing from the health industry.
In 2018, after suffering the loss of her twins due to a miscarriage, she began to question why weren’t there any support resources offered for people experiencing this? That thought brewed in her mind for about two years until 2020, when she suffered another miscarriage and sadly lost her son. Despite her pain, she knew that something needed to be done. She refocused her energy on creating a nonprofit that would help women cope with this kind of loss and provide information for those who were uninformed on miscarriages. Thus, A Mother’s Luve Inc.
Photos
Kim launched A Mother’s Luv Inc. in June 2020. This nonprofit organization’s work is centered around donating homemade care packages to local Milwaukee hospitals for women and families who have experienced a miscarriage. Each care package is full of self-healing products, including aromatherapies, candles, and spiritual and self-help books.
In addition to the nonprofit, Kim has started her own podcast, also entitled “A Mother’s Luv” after her organization. This first episode of the podcast discusses a deeper look into her personal journey dealing with miscarriage. The subsequent episodes discuss other women’s journeys of loss and mental health post-miscarriage, the benefits of having a doula, and coming in September, an episode featuring a maternal-fetal medicine doctor.
Kim is no stranger to resilience, and this is a testament to her support system. When asked what inspires her, she answers, “My family. I have a great support system behind A Mother’s Luv. I may be the face of it, but behind the scenes, my husband does it all. Whether he’s editing podcast episodes or making my flyers, he continues to motivate me and cheer me on.” She also says that her mother is another source of inspiration, “My mom is the definition of a mother’s love, her wisdom, her prayer, her strength is incredible. Although all her children are adults, she still finds time to do her motherly duties. She inspires me the most.”
The part that Kim says she enjoys the most from her nonprofit work is the feedback that she receives from hospital workers who see first-hand the impact of these care packages. “When I donate these packages to the local hospitals, some of the nurses are saying that this is a great thing to be able to give to the women who do miscarry and a great way to support the fathers as well.”
A word of advice that Kim would offer to anyone who may be dealing with infertility is to never give up. She says to “keep the faith” despite how hard things may get to “trust the process”. She encourages women to do whatever is necessary to keep their spirits lifted and cast out any negativity that may try to sneak its way in.
A Mother’s Luv Inc. is looking to expand its outreach by the top of next year to serve the local hospitals of Milwaukee and branch out through the entire state of Wisconsin. Eventually, Kim hopes to see her organization in hospitals throughout the country. Another goal she has set is to start a conference regarding miscarriage and infertility to provide information and necessary resources to those in need.
“Throughout my journey in life, I have put God first, and my counseling sessions have been no different. I seek God for wisdom and allow His presence to set the atmosphere to help each client.”
By Jalessa Rogers
by Wendy Tucker
The Lord orders the steps of a good man. That is a scripture from the Bible that clinical mental health counselors such as author Wendy Tucker use for guidance in life, education, and careers.
In the black community, counseling and therapy have been frowned upon for many years, but recently mental health has become a big topic of importance. Tucker has created two different avenues that she has successfully counseled and mentored the African American community with her company, Walk by Faith Counseling, and book series, Pennie Mae Learns.
Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, Tucker was the second oldest of five children in a single parent household. She shares, “Family members told me ‘Wendy you won’t live to see the age of sixteen, you won’t live to see twenty-one. According to my family, I shouldn’t be here, but God had another plan for me,” stated Tucker.
Despite being what she called a “little girl that grew up in the projects,” Tucker was the first person in her family to graduate high school, the first to go to college and receive an Associates degree, Bachelors degree, and Masters degree. “I accomplished this through no goodness of my own. I felt like God ordered my steps in a way that allowed me to continue to move forward in my education,” stated Tucker.
She had dreams of becoming a judge as a child because she wanted to lock up the bad people, but she never imagined being a clinical health counselor. She also wanted to be an author but thought that dream was impossible. However, what she thought was impossible, God made it possible.
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After working in the behavioral health field for twelve years, Tucker thought she had seen and learned a lot. Remember, she was raised in the inner city, and has worked with inner city children, and she has a strong desire to help her community, but there was more for her to experience. Her mission is to give back to the community and break the stigma of mental health in the black community, and on July 31, 2020, Walk by Faith Counseling was created.
Walk By Faith Counseling’s first sessions were conducted virtually because of the Covid 19 pandemic. Tucker adjusted and has since grown to provide face-to-face counseling sessions, allowing her clients to engage and feel safe; she says “as if God is in the building”. One of Tucker’s goals is for people to feel that she is genuine, sincere, and understand how she is following the direction of God with her practice. “Throughout my journey in life, I have put God first, and my counseling sessions have been no different. I seek God for wisdom and allow His presence to set the atmosphere to help each client,” she shares.
In 2011 Tucker came up with the idea for the children’s book series, Pennie Mae, designed to help children learn life lessons. In July 2020, Pennie Mae Learns was birthed. On the same day that Walk by Faith came to life, Tucker created the Pennie Mae Learns interactive book series, website, and YouTube videos. The interactive series starts with the main character, Pennie Mae, going through life lessons from age three until ten years old.
“I developed The Pennie Mae book series to provide life lessons and biblical principles for kids tocarry with them. The series is designed to help train our young readers up in the way they should go, and when they’re old they won’t depart from it. That is written in the word of God,” stated Tucker.
The books and the website include interactive games, coloring, knowledge tests, as well as educational stories. These stories have been utilized as a therapeutic form of counseling to interact and talk with children. The success of this series has garnered attention from the PGN television station in Cincinnati, OH, which is now airing the Pennie Mae YouTube channel every Saturday morning. They have even offered Tucker a talk show which will allow her to share mental health tips.
The future is looking very bright for Tucker, and her next big goal is to open a counseling center for her church. She desires to help individuals and families and offer group therapy with future therapists, case managers, and life coaches.
To learn more about Walk By Faith Counseling and the Pennie Mae Book Series, please visit their website.
“You know what, Poppa? I’m gonna write you one!”
I sat down and began plugging away, well into the night. With the first chapter done, I slipped it underneath his bedroom door. The next morning, Gabriel awoke, read it, then ran to me.
“Daddy, where’s the rest?”
This routine repeated, another night, another chapter. Then something happened, something special, something beautiful, something I never anticipated. One morning, he ran into the kitchen.
“Daddy, you know what would be really cool? If after they jump in time, they go…”
That was it. That was the moment. The moment I became the student. I mean, who better to learn how to entertain an adolescent, Black boy from than an adolescent, Black boy? Gabriel became part of the story, part of my writing journey, and I a part of his.
We sat next to each other and plotted out the adventures of Franklin and Brooklyn, the brother and sister that star in our book, JUMP. I watched as he would light up and explain to me what a fight scene should look like or what “OP” meant (overpowered, for all you parents).
What I saw as one book, Gabriel saw as multiple, seven, in fact. We created an entire world, full of its own rich history, people, wonder, and adventure. People that looked like him, doing amazing things that is normally reserved for others. When it was done, he smiled at his creation.
When he held the first proof copy in his hands, complete with illustrations and his name on the cover, I fought back the tears as he marveled at what we had done, what he had done. The thing Gabriel has taught me most is humility. When asked how it feels to be a published author, he giggles, shrugs his shoulders, then a simple word flows out of his huge smile.
“Cool!”
The sight of his book on shelves in a local Barnes & Noble left him in awe. He didn’t need words. His face said it all. When he got his first fan, a mother that not only bought a copy of the book but asked to take a picture with him so she could show her son whom the book was for, he smiled big and hugged her. He didn’t need to say thank you. His hug said it all.
“You’re welcome,” she replied.
Maybe it’s from a place of naivety that he responds this way, an innocence that hasn’t let him fully appreciate what he has accomplished. But I cannot take credit for this amazing child alone. He has a huge support system. His step-father, David Logan, probably gets more excited than I do. Sometimes I don’t know who is the bigger fan: he or I?
“Gabe, this is huge! You got your book in stores! I’m trying to be like you when I go up!”
In typical fashion, Gabriel simply smiles.
Yet when he and I are alone, his imagination goes into hyperdrive, and he opens up. A discussion about the continuing adventures of Franklin and Brooklyn could spiral into his favorite anime or a character he created or his favorite food, and these conversations could last for hours. Sprinkled in between, I share life lessons and he, in turn, shares his with me. Then we take what we have learned and pour them into our characters. For Gabriel, it’s about the process.
“It’s the ideas. I get to be very creative and develop characters and their powers. But I love Franklin’s feelings. A lot of times with superheroes, they are always brave. But Franklin feels scared sometimes, but he becomes brave. He feels like a normal person. He feels like me.”
Frank Pittman once said, “Fathering is not something that perfect men do, but something that perfects the man.” And so, as I teach him, guide him, nurture and love him, I remember the most important thing he has taught me: humility. I’m watching, Poppa, and I am ready for my next lesson.
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