13-year-old Lena Ford, a rising serial entrepreneur from Marietta, Georgia, is delighted to introduce her latest project, the “Embrace Their Roots Campaign.”
The campaign aims to make it simpler for hair care companies to work with foster families and homeless shelters while donating products and resources to them. Additionally, the organization strives to create a welcoming environment that encourages the adoption of African American hair culture.
“In 2021, there were 214,421 foster parents in the United States, fostering children of all ages, from toddlers to high school age to young adults,” according to Fosterva.
Despite this large number, many more are still required. There is a greater demand than supply; therefore, there’s an anticipation for more foster parents in the system.
According to Black News, Lena has maturity beyond her years and a selfless outlook. She established Kinship Family Initiative, a non-profit with Tressie Bloodworth-Ford as Co-Founder/Executive Director.
This innovative project is a kinship family support network created under the motto, “the power of giving back to your community.”
The “Embrace Their Roots Campaign” brings attention to a subject that Lena finds particularly important. By raising awareness, educating family members, and other service providers, and offering resources for proper hair care, the goal is to close the gap between African American hair products and African American children who are homeless or in foster care.
Because their foster families lack understanding, the specific hair needs of African American children are frequently disregarded and underserved. They need hair products that reflect their ethnicity and are culturally appropriate.
The organization’s strategy is to (1) use social media to spread awareness; (2) hold seminars and workshops to educate foster parents; (3) work with haircare companies to secure product donations or discounts for foster families and homeless shelters; and (4) build community by setting up a Facebook group as a virtual forum where participants can interact.
The 13-year-old runs Positively Lena, a company targeted toward young people that promote positivity by providing a range of products and services. The young entrepreneur started an initiative called ARTing for You when she was seven years old, collecting art supplies to donate to children’s shelters, foster homes, and transitional housing.
She launched Positive Lena when she was just nine years old, with an aim to spread positivity to everyone she came into contact with.
Though only a teenager, Lena has already accomplished a great deal as a serial entrepreneur and author.
