Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Johns.
Courtney, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I worked as an Early Childhood Educator for five years here in Atlanta. I’ve had the opportunity to work in a few child development centers in different parts of the state. While working in an area with a very high socio-economic status vs. working in an area with a low socio-economic status, I was able to see an obvious gap as it relates to children and literacy.
I knew that I couldn’t take on the entire world but I knew I wanted to help. I began to reach out to the parent body of my classroom, friends and family for support. I began to raise money, collect and purchase books that would be used to host my first book drive Christmas 2017.
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?
The road has been overwhelmingly smooth! It’s surprised me how many people actually support the cause and want to see more children reading. I think that many people have simply lost sight of how important it is to read personally and to their children. This movement has been an eye-opener for many. I’m overjoyed that I’m able to serve as a messenger and get the word out. I thank God for giving me this gift and the courage to help others. Special Thanks to my family and friends for getting out there with me, flagging cars down and sitting in the blazing sun. I couldn’t ask for a better team.
Please tell us about Focused on My Future.
I’m the founder of Focused on My Future. I collect, purchase, and distribute books to children in need of reading materials in urban neighborhoods. This is all done with the hopes that parents will read more to their children so that they’ll reap all of the benefits of early reading. We strive to encourage parents to help their children develop a love for literacy. My motto is that “20 minutes of reading per day, keeps the tutors away.”
This year I’ve hosted three book drives. Two of which were held in Atlanta and the other in Detroit, MI. In total, we’ve reached over 165 families and distributed over 900 books. I’m hoping to host two more drives this year and continue each year with quarterly book drives.
As a company, I’m most proud of the newfound momentum, the outpouring of support and the testimonials received from parents that have attended the book drives. I love to see that the work I’m doing is actually influencing families. As I mentioned before I know that I cant reach every child in the world but I’m more and more satisfied after each drive. Just knowing that children have access to Books!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory is planting flower and vegetable seeds with my grandmother in her backyard.
Pricing:
Contact Info:
- Phone: 3132833712
- Email: courtneyjohns1235@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focusedonmyfuture1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fomff/
- Other: http://courtneyjohns1235.wixsite.com/focusedonmyfuture
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