Today we’d like to introduce you to Lydia Singleton-Wells.
Lydia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story starts as a young girl. I was raised by two generations of women who loved God and loved serving people. My grandmother and my mother took me to hospitals, churches, and nursing homes at a very young age and taught me to serve. As I got older, I fell in love with serving and loving people. I was never uncomfortable around any race or culture, or economic background. The more time I spent serving, the more my empathy grew. I picked up music as a pre-teen and started singing at hospitals, nursing homes and churches all over the southeast. I taught myself how to play piano and guitar, as well as being a songwriter. As the years passed, I enjoyed coming up with creative ways to give back. I volunteered at local food pantries, made gifts for the clients at nursing homes, as well as saved money so that I could donate to global non-profits.
As I entered adulthood, I found that I had a passion for cooking. So I added that passion to my passion for serving and started cooking things for families who were less fortunate as well as the homeless. GEI was birthed in 2018 when I ran across someone homeless on my way home. I searched through my car frantically and was distraught to find that I had absolutely nothing I could give. From that moment on, I started keeping little bags of food and drink in my car, so that would never happen again. In June of 2019, I decided that for my birthday, I wanted people to donate money so I could make more bags, and put more things in the bags that I thought someone struggling could benefit from. I was blown away when my friends and family began to pour in donations. As I began thinking of creative and useful things to put in the bags, I started reaching out to companies to see if they would be willing to donate things to put in my bags.
Out of all the companies I reached out to, only one company agreed to partner with me. Positive Gear. Positive Gear is an Atlanta based apparel store that makes clothes with positive messages printed on them. I was completely overwhelmed to find that the owner wanted to donate 50 brand new shirts to put in my bags, which would’ve cost around $500 retail. So from that point on, not only was I able to provide food, drink and hygiene items, but also a brand new shirt from Positive Gear. I decided if we had a shirt that we would also include clean socks and undergarments. In the month of June, I was able to make close to 100 bags. It was such an incredible blessing for me to be able to feed and clothe 100 people in one month. After June, the donations slowed, but I was still fully invested in this initiative. I started using my husband and I’s personal income to continue making bags. We would take every penny of surplus to continue buying supplies to make out bags.
When Coronavirus hit Georgia, my heart immediately went to the homeless community. Unfortunately, due to the major layoffs, my husband and I both lost our incomes. Our faith continued to drive to help others. I started using our groceries for cooking meals and taking them parks downtown where the homeless normally congregate. As Coronavirus continued to spread, I grew concerned about my health due to my compromised immune system. I brainstormed and prayed for insight on how to safely continue providing for the homeless. I decided to partner with different homeless shelters and deliver food and bags. Over the past couple of weeks, I was able to provide meals, GEI bags and Easter gifts to four different homeless shelters. God’s Eyes Initiative will continue to serve those who need it most, no matter the economic environment. As long as I’m willing, we know God will make away.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Giving your love and services to others can be a very exhausting process. Some days I would stay up all night packing bags, cooking, and writing emails. Some nights I would be heavily burdened by the people I had served. Wondering where they would sleep, where their next meal would come from, and how they would stay safe. My husband and I have often gone without so that we could help someone else. I do think that being a civil servant and working in charity gives you a different perspective. No matter what economic status we find ourselves in, we are always grateful for what we have because we have seen firsthand what “having nothing” truly looks like.
Please tell us about God’s Eyes Initiative.
GEI is an initiative that provides food, clothing and hygiene items in care packages. We are entirely donation-based and 100% of the donations go to the people we serve. I am most proud of my husband, my mother, and my grandmother, who continue to be my biggest supporters. What’s sets us apart from most non-profits is that we don’t pocket a dime. Every meal cooked and every supply bought is given away. We use our personal funds to deliver every care package. When you donate to this initiative, you know exactly where the money goes to the people who need it most.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My greatest memory from childhood was the time I spent alongside my mother and my grandmother. They are truly the two pillars that hold me up and have made me who I am. In adulthood, they have become my closest friends. From cooking alongside my grandmother and watching both my mother and grandmother give the shirt off their backs to anyone with a need, they gave me such a well rounded and exhilarating childhood. I was able to travel and meet all sorts of different people. My grandmother taught me how to use my voice and my hands to serve and love people who essentially helped me create a job for myself that I love and am proud of.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gofundme.com/LCSGODSEYES
- Phone: 4049186394
- Email: lydiacmusic@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Mark Wells
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