Interview with Shaunsie Reed CEO of the Non-Profit Motherhood Community Inc.

Hello!  Today I want to introduce to you a very special guest and personal friend of mine Shaunsie Reed.  She is one of the most beautiful and precious souls that I have ever met in my lifetime!  She has been such a blessing in my life and has been a huge blessing in the lives of so many others as well.  Shaunsie Reed is the CEO and founder of the non-profit organization Motherhood Community Inc.  Today she will share her story of loss, hope, and blessings.  I hope this story touches you as much as it has touched me and please feel free to share this with your friends as well.

 

So, here we go…and you will need some tissues nearby for this one!

Hi Shaunsie!  Thank you for coming on the blog today to tell your love story about God and His blessings in your life.  I know the beautiful ending and I am crying right now, so I hope people have some tissues nearby. 

When I first met you, I thought you were a supermodel that lost your way onto the runway and ended up in the cubicle next to me.  As soon as you flashed your smile at me, I knew that we would instantly be friends.  You have the kind of friendly persona that welcomes everyone regardless of whether you have been friends with them for 10 minutes or 10 years!  I love you for that.

What is Motherhood Community Inc.?

Gosh you have me cheesing just with your introduction!! And thank you so much for having me on the blog today truly honored to share a piece of my testimony with your audience. Motherhood Community Inc. is a nonprofit organization I started back in 2012 which was originally named Sky’s The Limit Community Development Corporation.

How many girls are usually in a class and how often do you meet?

Typically there are 8-12 girls during MCI’s Life Skills Program and for our annual Mother’s Day Empowerment Brunch it’s about 35-40 girls.

Tell me your story of how you started Motherhood Community Inc. and how God showed His blessings in your life? 

My purpose in starting the organization was to reach back and help young moms pursue life with no regrets like I did. Becoming a mom at the age of 19 was scary and had so many challenges. Now looking back, every dead end I hit, the hurt I endured, the confusion, etc. all of it was a blessing in disguise.

When I became pregnant at the age of 19 I was in my second semester of my first year of college. I felt so defeated and extremely afraid. I was disappointed in myself and was so scared that I stayed quiet about it until I started to show. I always looked as if I had it all together but in reality, I had no clue who I was 10 years ago. Just two weeks after giving birth to my daughter, I became homeless and had to live in a shelter with my newborn baby. While in this shelter I was roomed with four other moms who each had two kids. By the grace of God, I was placed with this group of ladies who were the most mature out of all the moms who lived in that particular shelter. I remember two of the mothers who were in a different room told me I was going to be in there for a long time and no one was going to help me like they said they would. They also told me how long they had been living in that shelter which was over a year, and I immediately felt nervous because this was not the life I wanted. Never in a million years did I see myself living under these types of circumstances.

While living in the shelter with my newborn, I was still taking classes because I had refused to stop going to school. I took classes online the semester my daughter was born and then returned back to taking regular classes the following semester. While completing classes online I would drive back and forth from Los Angeles to North Hollywood to my father’s house to use his computer to submit my assignments and tests (all while driving a car that overheated with my baby in the back seat). One of the most stressful times of my life! Needless to say, a month after being in the shelter I got my first apartment and I graduated with my bachelors four years later.  I took a break from school and went back and pursued my Masters.

It wasn’t until then when I realized this is something that’s attainable. Up until that point, all I saw and heard was mainly negativity and struggle when having children. Completing college showed me you could actually make it after having baby. YOU can succeed after failing, YOU can still live a life that people assume you can’t. And it was in that moment that I said to myself that I want to help other young moms. I did my research on how to start a non-profit and later on became an established 501c3. (I am not condoning teen pregnancy but for young women who are mothers you can still accomplish your goals).

With the help of my mom and my Godmother at the time who were board members, we put on yearly events and donated hundreds of items to underprivileged families and later the organization focused solely on young mothers.

Being a young single mom and trying to date was rough lol!!! After going through a very devasting hurtful breakup with my daughter’s father I knew what I was no longer going to accept. Being a single mom for almost five years, I later met and married the love of my life. He was the complete opposite of what I had always known and went for. We have been married now for three years and together for seven years. We are now the parents of our newest addition.  He is one of the cutest baby boys this world has seen, but our pregnancy journey was not easy. Prior to birthing our son, we lost two boys. We miscarried with our first son in 2014 and had a stillbirth with our second son in 2016. Going through such devasting losses pulled me even closer to God more than I already was.

Your journey has been a long and stressful one to where you are now with God’s blessings on your perfect family that you now have today.  Talk about resilience!  During your darkest and most depressing days, what did you tell yourself and what did you do to get through those times?

I absolutely love this question because my darkest days prepped me and equipped me to handle every trial that comes my way. I have had many dark days and what has been my ultimate strength is leaning on my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’ve grown to develop a sincere relationship where there is nothing that can waiver my faith. I did not always know God for myself and back in 2010 when I almost died dealing with a situation that I won’t elaborate on (out of respect for the people who committed the betrayal), it was then when I challenged God to show me who He really was because I was so broken. I cried out for help, I spoke I shall live and not die at least 100 times that night and just cried out I am healed, I cried out this will not be my life, I cried out I will have peace and so much more.  My Godmother invited me to church and I had never been in a church such as this. The atmosphere was different than what I was used to. Shortly after I joined that church and from that point on my life was changed forever.

Once I realized how real God was, no matter how tough it gets, I speak life over the situation. I also pray with strategy and I listen to nothing but positivity. I’ve learned how to protect my peace.

What advice would you give to someone who is going through some of the same challenges you have gone through having lost a stillborn baby and being a young pregnant homeless woman?

First and foremost, cry if you need to. Let it all out and then get back up and try your hardest to push forward. Sometimes we feel like we must always be strong because we’re always told we have to be, but that can cause more damage because you’re not allowing yourself to be real for the true healing process to begin. I would encourage them to not stay so quiet. If you need help, ask for it. Find programs that can help you get back on your feet or help with whatever you may need. Feed yourself healing, positive affirmations, things that bring peace. We want healing and peace, but we don’t surround ourselves around it. Get around people who will build you up but reciprocate that same energy in return. If you don’t have people around you, social media is a great place to curate your own community of influential people. Seek counseling if you need it and always make sure your mental health is intact. In this thing called life, you cannot always control what’s going to happen, but the beauty in that is it’s not about how you start, but how you finish. No matter where you are, if you still have breathe in your body, you can still make it.

A Stylish Love Story would like to help your non-profit in any way possible. What supplies does Motherhood Community Inc. need the most?

Items needed the most are gift cards to help mothers in any way possible.

Ok, Done!

If people would like to donate supplies or make a monetary donation to your organization, how can they reach you?

We can be reached at: motherhoodcommunityinc@gmail.com

Where can we find you online?

We’ve been offline for a while but will be active very soon. You can follow us at:

@motherhoodcommunityinc on Instagram

Thank you for sharing your story Shaunsie!  You are one of the most resilient souls I know and your strength and courage have inspired me so much.  May God continue to bless your life!