We recently connected with Eisha Branner and have shared our conversation below.

Eisha , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I started my non-profit E-Community Outreach Services to help parents (families) like me. I grew up in a struggle, my parents fought addictions, and we moved around a lot from home to home due to my parent’s struggles, Once I got older and started realizing that there was a way out of the struggle I decided to create an organization that focused on most areas that our community struggled with. My journey is very personal. I lived it. Most issues my family is facing now I have faced at some point growing up. I want to show them that you can start right where you are and make something of your life. God has given me an assignment to help is people so that’s what my goal has been first the very beginning

Eisha , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Who is Eisha Branner was a question I asked myself a lot for a long time because I honestly didn’t know other than the obvious like being a mother to 4 beautiful daughters, a sister and a twin to a brother. I was born in New Orleans and then moved to Pontiac MI when I was 3. I have been here over 30 years so Pontiac is what I call home. I grew up loving basketball, playing outside with friends, and drawing. At 19 years old I became a young mother with no clue on what was ahead of me. By the time I was 22 I was married to my now ex-husband who was serving a 7-year prison term had 2 daughters and was in college getting my associate’s degree. Now 22 with 2 daughters in school and a husband in prison I was just managing trying to keep everything going and trying to find my purpose in life. Once my ex-husband was released he opened a gym and I started a mentoring program to assist him in sharing his story. By this time I had finished my bachelor’s and still didn’t know what I wanted to do. Once the mentoring program started and I saw where help was needed not only for the youth both for the parents I began to enjoy the work that I was doing. I decided to go back to school and get my masters in Human Services. A few years had passed and I was running a program in partnership with another organization after 4 years I decided to branch off and start my nonprofit called E-Community Outreach Services. Our focus is to empower our families through direct and easy access to resources for all. Our mission is to increase community and civic engagement among parents to nurture the next generation of leaders. We offer a variety of programs and services that make a profound impact on the lives of our community members. 4 years after starting we now have 3 locations and have helped many families in need.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Of course,

when I first started my nonprofit I was right in the middle of a separation that led to a divorce. At this time I felt like my life was a mess and I had no direction, purpose, or control over where my life was headed. My marriage of 17 years was ending, and my family was falling apart but I had a nonprofit with families in need. The only person who could help me was God so that’s who I depended on to guide me. It wasn’t long before God directed me to get a building. At this time I had no money to go towards a building and I had no clue what I was going to do with it. All I know is this was what God was getting to be prepared to do. Once I got the building I began painting and remodeling the building with very little help. During the process, I began to realize it was God putting me in a position to take control of my life and change my mindset. I begin to take the focus off of me and focus on others in need. I begin slowly bouncing back from all that I had gone through in my life. It wasn’t long before I began to realize that I was living in my purpose and that my past had no control over my life. I DID. 4 years later it’s not too much that I can’t overcome. I have turned my pain and past traumas into my purpose.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Staying true to who you are, not allowing my success and position to change the focus of why I do what I do. Word of mouth is the best for us. When we service people the way we treat them is very important. Even though we are in the field of helping people in need we don’t judge and we treat them like we want to be treated. I didn’t get into this work to make money. I got in the work to show my families that it’s possible to become self-sufficient and raise a family in the same city that many people around us speak down on. I grew up here and experienced the same struggles as most of my families that we have helped. I share my story to uplift and be an example of what believing in yourself and working hard will do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ecommunityoutreach.org
• Facebook: Eisha Branner
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/eisha-o-neal-m-a-51977179