We recently connected with Alena Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alena thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Starting a non profit wasn’t easy, Passion is not enough. When I started Trust Your Strength my mission was to encourage and strengthen Mommas of Miracles born prematurely and of medically fragile children. We started out providing self-care packages to, financial assistance and hosting self care events to connect moms and creating a community where they could lean on each other.
We’ve supported over 4,000 families through our initiatives and partnered with 45+ hospitals across the country. During Covid we had an influx of families reaching out in need of financial & mental support but lacked the funds to provide support.
In December 2021 we were planning our annual Christmas Delivery of self care packages for mother’s with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Northside Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Atlanta Scottish Rite and we were looking for additional funding. Ivy Scott, founder of IVLeague Marketing introduced me to Arial Lomax, owner of Sweet Monroe’s bakery who has an Annual Toy Drive for the Atlanta Children’s hospital. Through this partnership Arial was generous and gained additional sponsors for us to provide 300 self care packages to 5 Atlanta hospitals & over 900 toys as the outcome of the toy drive.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Alena Smith is the Author of Trust Your Strength and founder of 501 (c) (3) non profit organization, Trust Your Strength “Mommas & Miracles”. Alena holds many titles but her most important and meaningful title is being the mother of her two miracles (Wendell III) 11 and 4 years old (Charlie) alongside her husband Wendell Smith Jr. Alena and her family embarked on an unimaginable journey of experiencing the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) twice with both sons. Wendell being born at 31 weeks and Charlie being born at 25 weeks 6 years apart. After the experience of her youngest son Charlie weighing 1 pound and spending 328 days in the hospital before coming home, Alena established Trust Your Strength, to pay it forward, share her experiences, offer support and encouragement to other mothers. Trust Your Strength, provides transportation assistance, self-care packages & mental support to NICU families at Northside Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, Well Star Hospital, WakeMed Hospital, & Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to name a few. Alena understands the emotional and mental support that is needed before and after a NICU experience and she has set out on a journey to educate and to be a vessel to let other mothers & fathers know that they’re not alone. Alena has used her voice to create awareness and has spoken at several conferences, panel discussions, hospital events to have the uncomfortable discussion of maternal death rates, premature birth and the mental support that is needed especial in the African American community
On June 4, 2022 Trust Your Strength had it’s 1st Annual Miracles Gala. We honored families that have overcome mental stress from delivering prematurely, experienced grief of loss or having a baby with a chronic illness. Through sponsorships and support from the community we successfully raised 10,000 to keep our initiatives going. The Gala was the first event where we highlighted fathers and incorporated a panel discussion to hear from them. The panel discussion was a reminder that men need mental health support as well. We’ve expanded our organization to also provide support for both mothers, fathers & the entire family.
For Mother’s Day 2022 Trust Your Strength Partnered with TMC Properties & My Sisters Keeper to provide Mommas of Miracles a great evening of self-care and to remind them to take care of themselves. The Ladies received Massages, Facials, Foot Detox
all while sharing and encouraging each other to Trust their Strength through life journeys.
The self care services were sponsored by. The Body Wellness Experience, Mi So Natural Skin & Bare Skin USA.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Partnering with the hospitals and volunteering on the Family Advisory Committee at Children’s hospital of Atlanta has allowed me to build trusted relationships with families. Studies have suggested an estimate of 70 percent of moms whose babies spend time in the NICU may grapple with symptoms of depression, yet there are not good screening measures in place to help them.
The journey to becoming parents is not always an easy for everyone, but it is the most rewarding job you’ll ever have! It is important to remind parents to take care of themselves too. Through our organization we provide the tools and support needed to better assist them in building relationships that will allow them to lean on each other and acknowledge them for a job well done.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Creating an online community through social media has helped so many families around the country. We share a lot of before & after photos of miracles from birth to now. Sharing these photos inspires families that are currently going through a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit journey to stay positive and hopeful that their baby will go home and overcome the obstacles that they’re currently facing.
Our social media pages have grown continuously through sharing, hashtags, & news coverage from Fox 5 Atlanta, Good Morning America and USA Today to name a few. We are thankful for all of the support that has helped our organization grow to provide support for families in need.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.trustyourstrength.org
- Instagram: Trust_your_strength or Alena0916
- Facebook: trust_your_strength
Image Credits
Isis Photography Ozone Production