The Motherless Daughters Foundation held its Soaring to Greater Heights Aviation Enrichment and Mentoring Luncheon on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, at the Commerce Club Atlanta located at 191 Peachtree St. in downtown Atlanta and announced its partnership with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“I feel like today is a celebration for this terrific organization, a celebration of our community and our supporters of this organization … and most of all a celebration of the dynamic young ladies who are beginning to reach their full potential. I am familiar with a lot of service organizations around the city of Atlanta but when I met Rassalyn [Rawls-Willis, executive director], I knew she meant business. When I had the chance to meet the board members, I knew this was a serious organization. Our young people are 100 percent of our future, so we ensure our own success by ensuring the success of these young ladies here,” said Atlanta’s first lady, Sarah-Elizabeth Reed. Reed is one of the newest members of the organization’s board of directors.
“Motherless Daughters Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to embracing and encouraging the growth and development of young girls entering their adolescent years without the support of their natural birth mother due to unforeseen circumstances. Through enrichment programs focusing on self-awareness, social development and community involvement,our hope is provide an environment that will build character, promote confidence, release charm and cultivate the beauty that is in each motherless daughter,” explained Erica Rocker-Wills, assistant chair of the 2015 board of directors.
“Credit goes to our visionary Rassalyn Rawls-Willis who launched this organization on March 30, 2013, and since that day she has not slowed down. She has been full speed ahead. Over the last year, we have had some great outings, activities and impartations with the girls. We held a vision board exercise where the girls were taught to dream and think about all the things they’d like to do, be and see in their lives. With the aid of an instructor, they were taught how to organize and achieve those things. One of our board members sponsored a golf clinic with the ladies. One of the best ways to educate a person is through exposure outside of the classroom. Nothing beats that tactile exposure.”
“I want to say on behalf of Mayor Kasim Reed and our general manager, Miguel Southwell, how pleased we are be involved. I want to share with the girls [that] they have all these powerful people in the room just for them. I hope you understand how important that is. When I was your age, I grew up in a small town, Dublin, Georgia. I didn’t have all these people as role models. I hope you understand how special you are. Rassalyn Rawls-Willis has done such a tremendous job bringing all these powerful people here for you,” shared Myrna White, director of public affairs at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Civil rights activist and Trumpet Awards chair Xernona Clayton was inducted as an honorary mother to the Motherless Daughters Foundation to participants who range in age from nine to 16 years old.
