We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Israeio Holloway. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Israeio below.
Alright, Israeio thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
As a survivor of abuse in 2015 I chose to never become a victim again. My resilience to motivate others by sharing my testimony to inspire and position myself as an overcomer by defeating the odds against me as an image of hope was critical. I incorporated Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Inc. in the State of IL. We have grown tremendously over the past 8years by building relationships with other community advocates and partnering with corporate donors/supporters to further our mission to empower, alleviate poverty and combat homelessness.
Israeio, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Israeio La’eida Holloway is the Founder/CEO of Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Inc. located in Joliet, IL. At the age of 22, Israeio became a victim of Domestic Violence. She had experienced firsthand the effects of being verbally, physically and psychologically abused. Yet, due to a praying mother that spoke change into her situation, she was determined to get her life back. Once she found the courage to release herself from her abuser she vowed to never allow herself to become a victim again. It was then she decided it was time to be effective and use her traumatic experience as a testimony to uplift and revive other women. Israeio progressed through her pain and now has over 20+ years’ experience in the social services, mental health and education field combined. She has obtained a Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Ashworth College in 2019. Now, in 2023 she is currently pursuing a Masters in Psychology- Child and Adolescent Development via Adler University.
She is listed on the Illinois State Board of Education with a Para-Educator Assistant Teacher License with an Endorsement in Special Education. She is listed as a Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional(QIDP) on the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Developmental Disabilities Bureau of Quality Management Database. She also has an ECE (Early Childhood Education) Credential Level I from The Illinois Department Of Human Services Bureau Of Child Care And Development. In 2022 she received a State of Illinois Credential: Illinois Medicaid Crisis Assessment Tool Clinician via University of Illinois School of Social Work-Urbana. In 2023 she received her Child Welfare Employee License (CWEL), Child Endangerment Risk Assessment(CERAP), and CANS Assessment certifications/licenses from the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services (IDCFS) in her role as a Child Welfare Specialist.
In 2015, GOD had revealed her purpose and his vision for her to be a blessing to others that had lost Hope. She formed Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Inc. a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that advocates for young women ages 16-32 who were victims or survivors of Human Trafficking/Exploitation and Homelessness. Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Inc. mission is to raise awareness about predators who solicit individuals who display risk factors including psychological or emotional vulnerability, economic hardship, or lack of a social safety net (dysfunctional familial living arrangements/homeless, or no family support system). These risk factors enable a predator to control and disconnect the victim from anyone that is beneficial to their well-being.
Since being incorporated she has become a Board Member of the Southland Human Services Leadership Council. An organizational member of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, The Will County Children’s Advocacy Center: Will End Exploitation Coalition (WEEC) and Board of Director for United Way of Will County Continuum of Care-Plan to End Homelessness. Israeio Holloway is the author of Body Safety for Children: No Secrets a multi-cultural interactive discussion book for parents on how to appropriately educate their children on body safety/body boundaries for child sexual abuse prevention. Israeio Holloway has been featured in The Chicago Defender, VoyageLA, VoyageMIA, Times Weekly Newspaper & The Herald News-Joliet Newspaper 2018 & 2020 to raise awareness on Human Trafficking/Exploitation, Homelessness and various community events.
Israeio Holloway was an honoree of a 2018 She Rocks It, Woman You Should Know Award and 2020 Herald News Everyday Hero Award and Jesus Girls Rock Honoree in 2022.
In 2019 to alleviate hunger associated with poverty she created Hopeful Basic Needs Food Pantry. Which to this date serves 15-25+ families/individuals per week. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 the need of food security increased she then responded by creating a Hot Meal Program partnering with local restaurant Niko’s Pizzeria that has to this date served over 4,000+ families/individuals within the community including donating a portion of the meals to Joliet Not-For-Profit Organization Catholic Charities Day Break Center. In 2020 Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Inc. partnered with Burlington Coat Factory for it’s Warm 4 Winter Coat Drive to distribute quality winter coats to its community members. In 2020 Israeio Holloway developed a program called Mommy & Me Diaper Project designed specifically for single mothers and their children. She provides all necessities ranging from month supply of diapers, baby wipes, infant clothing, baby formula, toys etc. In 2021 Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Inc. partnered with the Will County TOYS FOR TOTS Program to provide toys to families experiencing financial instability during the holidays. In 2022 Israeio Holloway is looking forward to new opportunities that align with her current vision of ending poverty and the homelessness epidemic.
Israeio Holloway is purpose-driven and chosen to change to be a voice for those that have lost their own as a beacon of hope and inspiration.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
The ability to differentiate myself within an oversaturated not-for-profit sector I have to be relatable, authentic and provide the best quality services and products compared to other agencies within my demographic. Also, strategically maintaining our social media presence on multiple platforms to reach our target audience and have a greater impact for change within our communities.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
When your business is totally self-funded you have to be diligent and intentional about the type of resources are needed to meet the demand of those within the community. An abundance of research is necessary to locate a variety of resources stemming from in-kind donations, corporate partnerships, small grants, other similar organizations for potential collaboration to further the mission. Google search is a great tool to utilize for research purposes.
Having an idea of the type of resources you’re searching for will guide you and assist you with narrowing down the search to keywords specifically to what you’re seeking to locate. For example: If you are searching for Socks or Winter Coat donors’ type in the search bar Winter Coat/Sock Donation Distribution Partner Application or Sock/Winter Coat Donation Request Form. This technique has allowed me to secure multiple donors/supporters to fulfill the needs of the most vulnerable population within our communities.
Also, it’s best to assess the needs of the community. What resources are lacking? or assess your target audience that would benefit the most from your services. Your services should meet a demand or address an underlying issue.
Contact Info:
- Website: endsilencegivehope.org
- Instagram: Israeio Holloway
- Facebook: Personal Profile: Israeio Holloway
- Linkedin: Israeio Holloway
- Other: Facebook Business Profile: Hope and Divine Purpose Transitional Living Home, Inc
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Israeio L. Holloway