Who is Ashliegh Duberry?
A born and raised Charleston girl! Grew up everywhere from Summerville, Ladson, a little bit of Goose Creek, North Charleston, downtown West Ashley, so I'm a little bit of everything in these Charleston streets. I got my degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice at Lander University.
Tell us about your nonprofit
My nonprofit is called Extraordinaire Kids, and I really created it because of my experience in social work and the sociology field. My main focus is providing kids with opportunities for extracurricular activities. My goal is to think big in my approach by allowing kids to communicate to me about their interests and hobbies, and with the help of my nonprofit, we will strive to find ways to accommodate and make it happen. For example, if a child is interested in tennis lessons, they would come to me because maybe they don't know where to look or need help with funding. Extraordinaire Kids would assist with paying for lessons or even covering a tennis racket. Someway, or somehow we are focusing on getting kids involved in extracurricular activities or learning a trade by directing them to the right source.
What inspired you to create the nonprofit?
The Mayor commented how "they don't raise the children of a particular city", which struck me because, yea, you don't raise them, and you don't tuck them in, but in the same breath. The town you're a Mayor of is predominantly minority, Black and Hispanic. You have the funding, you have the access and the ability to move the money around to get these children into programs. People are quick to label minority children, but they don't have any alternative to turn them around from those particular activities and be like, hey, let's put you into something constructive.
What are your long-term goals behind the nonprofit?
My long-term goal for Extraordinaire Kids is to transform it into a Boys & Girls club, possibly Community Center. Growing into a Community Center allows me to help further and give back to my community. Such as assisting families fix their credit to move into a house or even teach them how to apply for school grants. The goal is to help those in my community help build themselves to grow and prosper.
Did you encounter any obstacles trying to create the nonprofit
Most definitely! I feel like I'm far from where I started, but I still have much to learn. Based on my experience, in a nonprofit world, you are aware of other nonprofits, but you're unsure who is open to collaboration. There have been some obstacles, but it's a learning process with any situation. You go for it, and if it comes back wrong, you fix it.
Tell us about any accomplishments both with your nonprofit and personal
From me creating the name in January to already having my board to people interested in volunteering, teaching classes, and partnering with other local nonprofits, it's been a blessing. It's worth it and rewarding as long as I can help one child. I also felt accomplished when I worked on my by-laws. I found determination in understanding the foundation of my business, and I'm proud of myself for figuring it out. Lastly, I'm proud of my board. I definitely want people on my board that can help me, and I love my board. They are all exceptional people and people that truly believe in me, and I appreciate that.
Keep in touch, and stay in the know!
Email - extraordinairekidsnp@gmail.com
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