Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alena Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alena, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
Turning an idea into execution for our nonprofit has been both a purpose-driven journey and a powerful reminder of what’s possible when passion meets action. In 2018, Alena Smith founded Trust Your Strength with a vision to provide meaningful support to families navigating the challenges of the NICU. What began as a heartfelt idea has grown into a global initiative impacting over 7,500 families thanks to the support of our sponsors, ambassors and volunteers.
Through services such as transportation assistance, self-care packages, and mental health resources offered through wellness events, Trust Your Strength continues to meet families where they are during some of their most vulnerable moments. Our impact has expanded to support hospitals across the United States and globally, building a strong and growing network that includes several leading Georgia hospitals such as Northside Hospital, Grady Health System, Arthur M. Blank Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Scottish Rite, and Wellstar Health System (Cobb and Kennestone), while continuing to expand our reach to other hospitals including WakeMed (North Carolina), Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (Miami), Levine Children’s Hospital (North Carolina), and Connecticut Children’s Hospital, among others while continuing to build partnerships that extend our mission beyond borders.
Now, as we continue to expand globally, we are proud to return for the second year to Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa in partnership with Bien Être Foundation, Vipsocio Côte d’Ivoire, and Foundation Houphouet Anne Marie Faitai. Together, we will host a special day focused on raising awareness, fundraising, and providing essential baby resources in support of Kangaroo Care a life-saving method for premature infants.
After months of dedicated fundraising, we successfully shipped nine barrels to Côte d’Ivoire, which will be ready upon our arrival. These essential baby items and medical supplies will be distributed to Hospital St. Joseph Moscati, the Regional Hospital Center of Yamoussoukro, and 50 surrounding villages in Yamoussoukro.
What began as a single idea has grown into a powerful movement, one that continues to expand its reach, deepen its impact, and stay firmly rooted in the mission of supporting NICU families both locally and globally.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Alena Smith is a published author and the founder of Trust Your Strength, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting families with premature and medically fragile infants. While she also works full-time as an Employee Relations Manager at a Fortune 500 technology company, her most meaningful roles are being a devoted wife of nearly 17 years and a proud mother to her two miracle sons.
Her journey into this work is deeply personal. Alena and her family experienced the NICU not once, but twice. Her oldest son, Wendell, was born at 31 weeks and spent five weeks in the NICU. Years later, her youngest son, Charlie, was born at just 25 weeks, weighing only one pound, and spent 328 days in the NICU at Northside Hospital and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta before coming home. Those experiences revealed both the emotional toll families endure and the gaps in support especially when nearly 70% of NICU parents experience symptoms of depression, yet resources remain limited. That reality inspired her to turn her pain into purpose and create Trust Your Strength.
Through the organization, our team of volunteers, ambassadors and licenced professionals provide, family-centered support designed to meet both the emotional and practical needs of NICU families. This includes self-care and wellness events, peer-to-peer support groups, access to mental health professionals, and dedicated NICU family liaisons. The organization also addresses real-life barriers by offering transportation assistance and housing support for out-of-town families, helping to ease both financial and emotional stress during an incredibly vulnerable time.
What sets Alena and her work apart is the authenticity behind it. Every program, every resource, and every initiative is rooted in lived experience. She understands firsthand what NICU families face, and that perspective drives a level of compassion, intention, and care that can’t be replicated.
One of her proudest accomplishments is seeing how a deeply personal journey has grown into a movement that continues to impact thousands of families, both locally and globally. As Trust Your Strength expands its reach, the mission remains the same: to ensure no family feels alone during their NICU journey.
In 2026, the organization will continue its global impact by returning to Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa in partnership with Bien Être Foundation, Vipsocio Côte d’Ivoire, and Foundation Houphouet Anne Marie Faitai. Together, they will support families and premature infants through awareness, resources, and advocacy for life-saving practices like Kangaroo Care further extending the organization’s mission beyond borders.
Above all, Alena wants people to know that Trust Your Strength is more than a nonprofit it’s a community, a support system, and a reminder that even in the most uncertain moments, strength can be found, shared, and multiplied.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Funding Trust Your Strength has not always been easy, but God continues to make a way for our organization to carry out its initiatives year after year. As a nonprofit, we don’t have guaranteed income, and donations and sponsorships can fluctuate. Despite this, we have been able to sustain and grow our services thanks to the unwavering support of our community partners who truly believe in our mission.
As we prepare for our upcoming global Kangaroo Care initiative in May 2026, we are especially grateful for the businesses and supporters who have stepped up in a meaningful way. Organizations such as Optimum Pediatrics Services, Play Pits, Mi So Natural, Coleman Law & Associates, The Turner Collective Real Estate Group, Xlusive Designs & Events, Parker-Bagley Real Estate, Accenture, along with many dedicated community members, have come together to help fundraise and provide essential baby items and medical supplies. Their generosity and commitment are helping us extend our impact to families and premature infants in need around the world.
In addition to providing essential items for premature babies, we are excited to return to Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, and extend our support to mothers by including QUEEN body care products. We are incredibly grateful to PlayPits for generously donating the Queen Collection in support of this initiative. Your continued partnership means so much to us, and we are thrilled to include these items in our self-care bags to uplift and care for the mothers we serve.
While in Côte d’Ivoire, we would like to thank our partners, Foundation Houphouet Anne Marie Faitai, Côte d’Ivoire Tourism, Yamoussoukro Chateau Blanc, Restaurant La Paix De L’embouchure, VIPSocio Côte d’Ivoire.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Staying true to God’s mission and the purpose of Trust Your Strength, we have remained steadfast, even in seasons where grant funding felt out of reach. For years, we relied on faith, perseverance, and the unwavering belief that our work was making a difference. While leading the organization alongside my full-time career, there were moments that tested our endurance, but we never lost sight of the families we serve or the calling behind this work.
Now, after eight years of dedication, sacrifice, and consistency, we are incredibly honored to have received our very first grant through FundHer for Success. Receiving The Brenda Harris Legacy Grant is more than just funding it is confirmation that the work we are doing matters and is being recognized.
We are incredibly grateful and truly believe this is just the beginning. With God at the center of our organization and a genuine commitment to serving NICU families, we trust that even more opportunities will continue to unfold. There is still so much work to be done, and we remain dedicated to expanding our reach, strengthening our support systems, and uplifting families when they need it most.
If you feel led to donate and support our mission, we invite you to visit our website at www.trustyourstrength.org become a sponsor, volunteer or share our initiatives with your family and friends. Your support helps us continue making a meaningful difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.trustyourstrength.org
- Instagram: Trust_Your_Strength
- Facebook: Trust_Your_Strength
Image Credits
Prim and Proper Photography