Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Morris
Hi Melanie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Since I can remember, I’ve always had a passion for helping people. However, growing up, I often struggled with expressing myself verbally. As a first-generation American raised by my Guyanese family, self-expression was often seen as rudeness or back-talk. To cope with this, I turned to writing. I wrote songs, poems, and short stories. In high school, I joined a poetry group called Lyrikal Storm, where my writing skills improved, and I found my voice. The poems I wrote throughout my childhood were compiled chronologically and published in my first book, *The Story of a Troubled Child*. Since then I have been expressing myself artistically through lyrics, literature, and modeling. I started Ashleys Den LLC as a way to showcase my projects. www.ashleysden.org
My mission in life is to help underprivileged and underrepresented individuals find their voices and reintegrate into society stronger than before. This is why I founded The First Real Chance Corp., a nonprofit organization dedicated to building strong-minded individuals and guiding them to become their most authentically successful selves.
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?
It has definitely not been a smooth road for me. I moved to Atlanta from Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 2021, and the transition was extremely bumpy. I had just earned my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and was approaching my fourth year in the Navy, yet I was still unsure about the direction of my career. I took a pay cut moving to Atlanta, which caused me to live paycheck to paycheck. Often, I was uncertain about how I would make ends meet at the start of the month.
Today, I live comfortably as an MBA candidate with the goal of ensuring that my nonprofit can help reduce the strain that transitioning can cause.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about First Real Chance Corp.?
First Real Chance Corp. aims to significantly impact the lives of underrepresented and unhoused individuals by providing them with the support and resources needed to reintegrate into society successfully. We are building our program strategically to be able to offer a combination of housing assistance, job training, counseling, and support services tailored to the unique needs of each individual.
We are called First Real Chance to distinguish ourselves from other second chance programs. We like to think we are giving people their first REAL chance at creating a successful life. To give someone their first chance is to provide them with the information and to hope that they follow the guidance given. First REAL Chance Corp. is designed to provide resources that are tailored to meet each individuals means as well as make effort to sustain their success.
By providing our members there first REAL chance, our program is designed to empower individuals to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, enabling them to become self-sufficient members of their communities. Additionally, we contribute to reducing recidivism rates and alleviating the strain on social services and emergency resources.
We are proud to lead as a team of dedicated professionals who are deeply passionate about the growth and well-being of individuals. Please visit our website to keep up to date on our volunteer opportunities! www.firstrealchance.org
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Do not pay people on instagram to help you start anything ! LOL
I know it can get overwhelming trying to start a business, especially a nonprofit. You might be a full-time student and a full-time employee, but don’t take the shortcut. Do the research, get a mentor, ask the questions, read the books, and listen to the podcasts. Save that money you were going to spend on that “How-To” course that ChatGPT probably wrote and use it for your start up. A lot of times you’ll end up spending more money trying to fix what you paid the instagram scholars to do for you.
Before you pay someone for help, Make sure that they are qualified to provide you with that level of assistance. There are so many free and accurate resources out there for you to take advantage of.
Also, it costs money to make money. You have to be passionate about what you’re doing in order to weather the storms. Know that at your lowest moments the ends will one day justify the means.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.firstrealchance.org
- Instagram: @Firstrealchance
- Other: @yesmissmorris || Personal IG
Image Credits
-Mikael Selassi
-Ikenna
-Immanuel Ferrer
– DOPhotography
