Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jesenia Wright. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jesenia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I am a Social Worker by trade. I am a Director at local nonprofit which I truly enjoy. I also am the CEO & Founder of GivingsCloset which is a donation based clothing and footwear agency that transports gently used items to those in need. GivingsCloset was inspired by my childhood self. As a child, I lived in poverty, my mother struggled with her mental health and substance abuse amongst other challenges. We often relied on the local soup kitchen, food stamps, thrift stores, and other resources in the community to help meet our basic needs. In 2016, I decided that I wanted to create opportunities to give back to our community in a way that my community assisted me as a child and so GivingsCloset was born. A few years later I became established as a nonprofit and began hosting community giveaways. As of this year, I have providers in other agencies that reach out to inquire about donations for those they support and this has been a defining moment for me along with knowing that I am pouring into the community that raised me.

As for my professional career, I am able to work in my dream role which is building programming for my community while working for the best agency in Central New York. I get to work with an amazing group of people that provide me with autonomy. Social work has created opportunities for me to be the person for others that I needed when I was younger.

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 childhood influenced my decision to become a Social Worker. As a child, my mother struggled with substance abuse issues, her mental health, poverty, and domestic violence. As a child living with my mother, I was impacted by all of it. My mother lost custody of me at age 4 due to experiencing psychotic episode and my grandmother was granted custody. During this time, I ended up residing with my mother again and my mother was assigned a Case Worker, Carloette. She changed my life! She enrolled my sister and I in programs and connected us to services to empower and educate us. More importanly, she imapcted my life in a way that influenced me to pursue social work because I wanted to be “Carloette” for children who experienced trauma as I did. Folks struggle to realize how much 1 positive support can change your life! In 2019, I graduated with my Masters in Social Work. In 2020, I became a Licensed Master Social Worker. Currently, I am a director at a local non profit in Upstate NY. As mentioned previously, I also run my nonprofit, GivingsCloset (I highlighted in the last question). In 2016, the idea of GivingsCloset was brought to life because I wanted to give back to my community in a way that it once supported me. GivingsCloset is unique in the sense that I transport the items to those in need. I understand that transportation can be a barrier to accessing resources and try my best to eliminate that barrier. In the future, I hope to own a storefront where families can shop for their donations at no cost.

I am most proud of being a mom of three beautiful children, Michael, Maison and MyLynn! I am also proud of how far I have come in life despite experiencing a traumatic childhood. Lastly, I am proud to be in a position to uplift my community. I want others to know that success is not about the materialistic items you have. It is about how you show up in the world, how you treat others, and being genuinely happy!

Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much!-HELEN KELLER

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I was born to a mother that struggled with substance issues and mental health. We was lived in poverty and relied on food stamps, public assistance, food pantries, and thrift stores to meet our needs. My mother was often in domestic violence relationships and would flee which resulted to us living in shelters. It also disrupted our life which impacted my ability to build relationships (as well as many other areas of my life). As result of constant moving, I attended over 10 elementary schools between Buffalo and Utica NY. At the age of 4, my mother experienced her first psychotic episode and took me walking on the arterial which resulted in me being placed in my grandma’s care. Between ages 4 and 10, I lived between my mother and grandma. My mom continued to have psychotic breaks which resulted in her admitted to psychiatric hospitals numerous times. At age 10, she was admitted again and I refused to move back in with her. From the age of 10 on, I resided with my grandmother who provided me with stability and unconditional love. At the age of 17, I graduated high school and went on to pursue my Masters in Social Work, get married and become a mom to 3 beautiful children ( not all in that order lol). I am very close to my mother and grandmother. I am now a part time caregiver to my grandma who is diagnosed with Dementia. I say all this to say, hard times do not last! You are not your environment & deserve so much more! When the time comes, for you to give yourself what you deserve, work your hardest for it and don’t look back!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

As a director, with a team of over 30 individuals, I would encourage others to empower their team. Be a positive role model on and off the clock. Pour into your employees and make them feel appreciated. Try your best to create a safe space where your team can come to you about anything without judgment. It is also important to create structure and a process. The team relies on you as a leader to set the tone and looks to you for guidance. It is important to balance being available and allowing them room to make their own decisions to help them grow as leaders. Everyone has room to grow, focus on the strengths and help them build upon that.

MOST IMPORTANT- YOU CANNOT POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP. BE SURE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU AND TO MEET YOUR NEEDS , IN RETURN IT’LL BENEFIT YOU AND YOUR TEAM.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: __msjesenia
• Facebook: GivingsCloset Inc or Jesenia Wright
• Linkedin: Jesenia Wright, LMSW