We were lucky to catch up with William Crawford recently and have shared our conversation below.

William , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Through research we see that the youth homelessness is increasing due to sexual identity and expression. As an ally and someone who have experienced homelessness myself it is imperative that we tackle this issue by normalizing sexual identity and sexual orientation. Everyone, all over should feel safe, loved, and wanted. Our story is simple, The WJC Foundation want a better environment for all.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is William Crawford and I am the founder and CEO of the WJC Foundation. the WJC Foundation is a safe haven founded to aide in the rising epidemic of homeless youth. We assist in lower economic communities where we feed, clothe, and encourage those who are experiencing tough times. The foundation also connects those who use our services to mental health counselors, STI and HIV programs, medical insurance, GED programs and public housing partners. The WJC Foundation started in Ohio, moved to Florida where we served in Jacksonville and in Tallahassee and as we projected, now serving metro Atlanta. I am proud of the barriers that the foundation can break down, the uncomfortable conversations that we can have with the community, and the growth of the foundation. Homelessness is not a person, it is a journey through life and our mission is to create a home where youth can succeed. I am extremely honored that WJC Foundation has made the impact on local communities that it has. Everything done has been made possible through donations and support of local food banks, churches, and volunteers.

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

My journey has been such an emotional yet beautiful one. I have experienced homelessness myself, twice and the second time was a little harder to understand but I had to be resilient. The second journey I have never talked publicly about and this will be the first time. In 2017-2018 I suffered homelessness at the hands of a University where I was a victim of sexual harassment from the Director of Admissions at that time. This said person made inappropriate comments and even tried to engage in sexual acts. As a student at that time, I reported it and it seem like that is everything came crashing down on me. I was fighting against Board of Regents, professors, Vice-Presidents and the President and doing this alone. One of my most traumatic experiences and lowest points in my life. Shortly after my report, I lost my room and board, meal plan was cut, and I was forced to sleep in a basement of a local church. No money for food, no car, and no bed. I found myself in a place where I wanted to end my life but God kept whispering in my ear and I knew my experience was all for a purpose. I was forced to leave the school and instead of throwing the towel in, I enrolled else where and fought for my life harder than ever. It was my job to not only get back everything I lost but to be better. I went to my new University and joined a fraternity, got active again in sports and eventually became the Student Body President. A huge accomplishment because in the schools’ 182 year history, I was the first African American male to be in this role. While in this role, I revamped the WJC Foundation and started giving back to Hurricane Victims in Puerto Rico and in the community. I persevered, I conquered and I kept getting better. It took strength, bravery, and resilience. To all victims of sexual harassment, you are not alone and life can and does get better. Never give up!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

With the audience that my nonprofit is designed for, my best way of growing clientele is being actively involved in the community. I go to the townhalls and hear the cries of the people and try to jump in wherever I can. At these events, I also speak up and let them know what services WJC Foundation has. Networking, being involved, and being visible are the top 3 strategies I use to widen my impact of the population that I am committed to serving.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thewjcfoundation.org
• Instagram: wjcfoundation_
• Facebook: WJC Foundation

Image Credits
The Outlet Project