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

Kaleisha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

There’s so much I can say about my mom and the life lessons she has taught me. My mom always told me to keep going and never to let my circumstances break me. I have seen my mom experience many challenges throughout her life, but she never allowed anything to break her. She showed me how to be strong and fight through challenges while remaining positive.

Kaleisha, 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?

I am the Founder and Executive Director of Sistahs Who Care, Inc. A nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide basic needs and activities to uplift and encourage no or low-income individuals through volunteer support and partnerships with community organizations.

I firmly believe that the things we experience in life are not just for us but are also opportunities for us to be able to help others. As a young girl I faced many challenges, so as I got older, I developed a passion for community service. I wanted to pour into individuals that experienced some of the hardships that I and many close to me have experienced. I understand it truly takes a community to make a more substantial impact, so I wanted to get others involved in community service. I started Sistahs Who Care (SWC) in 2018. We originally started as a Meetup group for women interested in participating in volunteer activities. Many women had the same desire to connect and serve in the community. SWC grew so fast. Within a short time, SWC had its first Meetup event in 2018 and gained 501C3 tax-exempt status in 2021. Through those years, we impacted many women, men, and children in North Carolina. From a Meetup group to a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit. That’s incredible to me!

What sets us apart is that not only do we come together to help those in need in the community, but we are a huge support to one another. We always have a great time coming together to serve the community. I have had many of the ladies who volunteer with Sistahs Who Care tell me that they have always wanted to volunteer but didn’t want to do it alone. They feel welcomed when they volunteer, and those we are serving can also feel the love.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had many lessons to unlearn, but one of the biggest ones for me is that it is ok that you don’t have to have all the answers, and everything doesn’t have to be perfect. I have always been so hard on myself to make sure everything was perfectly mapped out, and if not, I couldn’t move forward until it was. Yes, you should have a plan, and you should prepare, but you can miss out on many opportunities if you wait for everything to lay out perfectly. Sometimes you must take a chance and go for it! You will learn all you need to know throughout the journey. When I started Sistahs Who Care all I knew was I had a passion for serving those in need, and I wanted to create a space where other women could join me in serving others. I did make a plan but by no means was everything laid out perfectly. However, I’m glad I didn’t let that stop me because we have been a blessing to so many people.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I used to feel like because I started Sistahs Who Care, I needed to do everything independently. I didn’t want to place any responsibility on anyone, so I felt I had to solely plan all the volunteer events and attend every event. My pivoting point was when I learned to delegate my responsibilities. Once I made that change, I was able to accomplish more and create more volunteer opportunities. The COVID pandemic was also a major pivoting moment for me. There were so many changes that presented some challenges to the organization. We had to adjust how we served the community while practicing social distancing. As an organization whose purpose is to do work in the community, you can imagine how difficult it was to physically serve others while being mindful of the COVID pandemic. However, we were able to successfully adjust by being creative and adding other ways to serve without compromising the safety of our volunteers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sistahswhocare.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sistahswhocare/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sistahswhocare