Today we’d like to introduce you to Candis White & Zsa Zsa Lambert-Hall.
Hi Candis & Zsa Zsa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Zsa Zsa and I met at the Morehouse College National Alumni Association, where I was working as Interim Chief of Staff and she served as Operations Manager. We both started working there at the same time. We were in the office one summer day and Zsa Zsa asked what I was doing over the weekend. I told her I was celebrating my birthday which was July 29th. She said “my birthday is July 29th!” And it was history from there.
During our time in working for the Association, we learned the business of running a non-profit organization, including fundraising, running an intern program, and putting on fun but purposeful events. In working closely with the students at Morehouse College, the job became less about a paycheck and more about raising money to keep these young brothers in school. In that work is where Zsa Zsa and I learned that not only did we have the same birthday, but we had the same heart.
When we transitioned out of the Association, we decided that our work shouldn’t stop there. We decided to take that same passion and desire to help the youth to start our own non-profit, DreamHouse Make A Difference Foundation.
Alright, 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?
The road has not been smooth by any means, but I am happy to say that we’ve made some great strides in a very short period of time.
Some of the struggles along the way were us (1) being a new organization. Like with any new business, you have to earn respect and trust; until you reach that level donor and sponsor support is limited, Therefore, most of our work in the beginning was self-funded. (2) Being new to Atlanta we had little connections in the city…. we had to build our network and relationships from scratch. The third challenge was not to give up on ourselves because of the other challenges or obstacles faced.
We’ve been impressed with DreamHouse Make A Difference Foundation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are a youth development organization that focuses on the transition of youth from adolescence to adulthood. In other words, our mission is to help youth and young adults prepare for the real world. There are things you won’t learn in school, like the importance of mental health and self-care, finances and credit, and navigating in a professional world. That is our focus. That is who we are!
In doing this work with the youth, it is just as important that we touch the entire family. If we are trying to get a teen on the right track, and their parent is messed up, we may not have as much impact. So it is our goal to impact the entire family, enabling us to create the “village” that is needed to ensure that our youth are equipped with the tools to be successful in life, mind, body, soul, finances, and relationships.
Our story is what sets us apart. This work is important to us because we both grew up with little guidance. We were forced to make a lot of adult decisions at an early age and there was no one to tell us about the things that were not being taught in the classroom….. no one to tell us about mentorship and internships, about the many resources that were available to us, about managing and building credit, about the many resources and careers available to us, no one to tell us that entrepreneurship was even a career option…
This is why we love hosting events. That is our specialty, Events allow us to bring everyone under one roof —– the youth, parents, mentors, schools, other organizations that provide resources, community leaders, law enforcement, successful and established men and women in different industries — to connect, bond, share information, get questions answered as well as to be educated, empowered and exposed, which are the 3 guiding principles of our organization. When you host an event for the youth, and every single person in that room walks out feeling inspired and empowered — even the panelists who have already achieved success in their own right, including us as the organizers — mission accomplished! That is what typically happens at a DreamHouse event. That is what we are most proud of.
In addition to hosting youth conferences, we are launching our Teen Development Program this school year, which will consist of monthly mentor meetings, interactive group sessions and outings that will prepare teens for their transition out of high school into adulthood. Areas of focus will include college readiness, healthy relationships, mental health, self-love, professional and career development, financial literacy, respect and etiquette, and other basic life skills.
We also offer administrative support and consulting to other non-profit organizations.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
In addition to being business partners and co-founders, we are best friends. We’re here to testify that friendship and business can work, even among women!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dreamhousefoundation.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamhousefoundation
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamhousemakeadifferencefoundation
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNfgD9CeKlX_3RvGSSnNzPQ
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acAM02VpcW4
Image Credits
KreativTouch Group, Inc. Klicks Pic Freddy O.
