Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Ellis.
Hi Abigail, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in a single-family home with my brother Sam, who was born with a disease called Tuberous Sclerosis. Growing up, I always had a passion for teaching others because of Sam and I knew that due to the hardships my mother faced trying to find resources for him that I wanted to be a person to help bridge the gap between people of color and mental health resources.
For every path I took in college, there was always a void and a feeling that I could do more. Over the years, I created several business plans for different business ventures that I wanted to start (a total of three). Last year my mother convinced me to step out on faith and get started. We started Step’s Foundation, Inc, with my brother’s journey and my grandmother’s compassion for the community being the main reason why we are here! Step’s Foundation, Inc creates opportunities for family engagement, empowerment, youth development, and youth leadership. We are teaching students valuable life skills that they will need in order to make better-informed decisions after high school. They are getting connected to local businesses and community leaders that are passionate about helping them succeed.
We are not just helping the students with life skills but their families too, because there are parents that are in need of these skills as well. We have now partnered with the Florida Bears a Minor League Football team, helping their players fulfill their community service hours while also teaching them valuable life skills and partnering in their mission of life off the field. We’re helping the players and dancers with career development, life skills, and community engagement efforts. Helping them be just as successful off the field as they are on the field. Passion, dedication, determination, and support are all the reasons that I’m here today! I’m grateful for my brother, and even though the journey was tough growing up, he is the main reason this foundation exists, he is the main reason my passions are where they are. I’m grateful for a grandmother that loved doing for her community, it’s because of her and my mother that I have joy helping others reach their goals!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No road is ever as smooth as we would like. There are times when you will start to doubt yourself, however, it’s what you do after those thoughts that matter. Don’t give up! Always remember why you started in the first place, allow that to help motivate you and move you forward. I struggled with asking for help. I’ve always been a hard worker, and I put my all into tasks that are given to me. A lot of times, I feel like I should do things myself in order to get them how I want them. I’ve learned to allow others to help and to “ask ” for help when I need it. I also struggled with asking people for money! We’re a nonprofit foundation and we need funds in order to continue programs and to give out scholarships. I’m not a salesperson, never enjoyed anything sales-related. I’ve been blessed with a great team that doesn’t mind going out and asking for donations. So sometimes we have to find our opposites in business. It’s true when they say opposites attract! When thinking about that road and journey it’s why the foundation logo is created the way that it is. The spiral stairs in our main logo represent the twists and turn that people face in life while trying accomplish goals and succeed. The idea is to never give up and keep going. No matter how many times you fall to the bottom of those stairs, get back up and try again.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Steps stands for Standing Together Empowering our Present Self. I chose this because often times when we’re trying to find our way, we tend to look at our past. Most of us simply need someone to believe in us and to push us by showing support. Together we can help others through motivation, empowerment, and support by helping them look at where they are now and preparing them for their future. Our organization is here to help students that are struggling socially and academically (at risk youth) and their families so that they are able to live successfully. We have a life skills program that teaches financial literacy, career development, health, and wellness including mental health. We’re in the process of developing our mentor program as well as our college support program. We have scholarship opportunities available to students in our programs. We’ve partnered with other organizations to provide more programs to students and keep them involved. We are an organization that truly believes in the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. We are continuously speaking with our community partners and finding ways to build/merge resources and help the families within our communities.
How do you think about luck?
Luck doesn’t play a role at all. We completely believe in blessings! We have been blessed to be apart of some amazing partnerships and as the founder, I can say I’ve been blessed with an amazing Board of Directors. They are always looking for better ways and we truly sit down to think about best practices and processes to be of service to others. We’ve been blessed with phenomenal interns and volunteers that help in the forefront and in the background.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@stepsfoundation.org
- Website: https://www.stepsfoundation.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/stepsfoundationinc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/stepsfoundationinc
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