We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

What event led up to starting Gabrielle’s Wings?
My beautiful seven year old daughter, Gabrielle, was tragically taken from me in 2017. It was a mother’s worst nightmare. It was important to me that her legacy not be what happened to her, but who she WAS. Gabrielle was a kind, loving and effervescent little girl. So, I began this foundation in her honor.

What is the mission of Gabrielle’s Wings and how has it changed over the years?
Gabrielle’s Wings started from my mother’s heart of wanting my child to have all of the opportunities and exposure possible to soar in life. From day one, we have looked for opportunities to create spaces and places where children in historically underserved communities can play, learn, and be culturally enriched.

After the pandemic, it became profoundly clear that our children needed support with social emotional learning. So, we began to double down on the idea of “Gabrielle’s Corners” that could serve as safe peace spaces. These spaces exist in schools, camps and other facilities where children can safely gather and express their emotions.    

What role does the Board play in the success of the organization?
Gabrielle’s Wings would not exist without our board and our amazing staff. Each person brings a unique skill and passion to our work. Some of our team members are childhood friends who knew my daughter, and others only learned about her as a result of Gabrielle’s Wings. What is consistent is the compassion and care with which each member dedicates their time, talent and resources to our important work. 

What have been some of the challenges along the way?
Early on I had to make a decision about whether our organization was going to be purely a tribute to my daughter, or if we were going to build on her legacy to impact generations to come. It was tough for me and even some of our board members to pivot from solely focusing on Gabrielle to the children we serve, however, it was paramount for our sustainability. Also, Covid was a difficult time because so much of our work relies on in person contact. We did start a remote book club during Covid and even invited some authors to participate as a way to continue to make an impact during those difficult times. 

What are some of the key programs and projects (past and present)?
We have long standing partnerships with summer camps and after school programs in New York that are focused on children who are wards of the state or participants in free lunch programs. We have provided technology, training and tools for students in both settings. We also are building our Gabrielle’s Peace Corners in partnership with the Independence Mission Schools in Philadelphia to scale across their system. 

Early on, we partnered with a church in a township in Cape Town, South Africa to build a tech resource center with wifi for area children who would not have had access otherwise. 

We built an outdoor classroom in partnership with Gabrielle’s former elementary school towards the end of Covid to provide safe and creative outdoor spaces for learning. 

Our initial project was a $250,000 playground accessible to children of all abilities in New Rochelle, NY, where our family lived. 

How have you created awareness around Gabrielle’s Wings?
Awareness has come through our partnerships and our annual grant funding program where we invite organizations to apply for support. We pride ourselves on long standing partnerships as well as opening the doors to new locations and organizations whose mission aligns with ours. 

What do your fundraising efforts include? What has been your most successful fundraiser?
Our fundraisers have varied from a virtual Walk-A-Thon, to in person parties and events. Early on, we partnered with The Hord Foundation, Inc., an organization my parents’ founded in the 1990’s to offer scholarship support to children of African descent. We participated in their annual gala for the first few years of our existence. 

What has been the most rewarding part of your non-profit journey?
The most rewarding part for me is experiencing some of the wonderful spaces and places that we have funded and hearing about the success metrics that show our work is working.

Any moments/experiences/events that stand out in your memory?
In 2019 I traveled to Cape Town, South Africa to our Gabrielle’s Corner there. To go across the globe and see my daughter’s picture hanging and to meet children who knew her name because of the impact she was making on their lives…it is impossible to articulate how powerful that was as a mother. 

Future goals of Gabrielle’s Wings?
My goal is for our programs and methodologies to become scalable in a way to further impact the communities we serve. I would love for there to be at least one Gabrielle’s Corner in every state in America. Most importantly, I hope we can create a trusted national resource that stands for helping children process emotions, find safety and solutions and soar to meet their goals. 

Additional information:

Gabrielle’s Wings (GW) is an early-stage non-profit organization founded in 2017 to provide children of color in underserved communities with the opportunities to reach their unlimited potential. After operating under a Donor Advised Fund for our first years, we received our 501(c)3 status in November 2022 and have since been building the infrastructure necessary to scale our innovative, holistic programs.

Our mission is to create sustainable partnerships that strengthen a child’s ability to succeed in life and give them the power to inspire others. We take a multi-faceted approach, funding and collaborating with smaller, growing organizations to:

• Cultivate social-emotional learning, helping children develop crucial life skills like resilience, decision-making, and empathy
• Provide safe, nurturing spaces where children can learn, grow, explore, and be curious

Since our start, we have:

• Granted over $500,000 to 17 mission-aligned organizations across 6 states
• Built 11 specialized “Peace Corners” that serve as calming, therapeutic spaces in schools, camps, and libraries – nurturing over 4,600 children annually
• Enabled access to additional social-emotional focused programs for 3,000 children

Our Peace Corners initiative is a prime example of our unique, scalable approach. These customized spaces empower children to self-regulate, build self-awareness, and return to their classrooms or activities equipped to fully engage. We also provide trauma-informed training to staff, teachers, and counselors to ensure children are surrounded by adults who can support their needs.

The impact of our Peace Corners has been profound – reducing absenteeism, improving test scores, and equipping children with tangible coping strategies. This is just the beginning, as we are poised to expand this program to many more partner organizations in the coming years.

Website: www.gabrielleswings.org

Instagram: @gabrielleswings

Facebook: @gabrielleswings7

LinkedIn: gabrielles-wings

Other: https://givebutter.com/gabrielleswings

Suggest a Story: CanvasRebel is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.