A message from our founder,

Kanika McNeill-Wilkerson:

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“I became a teenage single mother at the age of 16. I felt very confused, lost, overwhelmed, and stressed. Eventually, I found myself homeless. I was without a vision, a purpose, and love. However, even though I did not know why I existed or what I was doing as a parent, I began to pour the entirety of my love, energy, and passion into my daughter. I grew and healed from loving her. Before her, and even following her birth, I lived this way–in bondage and confusion, merely existing for many years. But as time passed, I began to love myself, pick myself up, and focus on becoming all that God planned for me. I not only stopped feeling sorry for myself, but I also empowered myself. I oriented my ambitions and passion to develop a love and vision for single mothers like myself: those who felt stuck, without any guidance or direction. Having conquered that dark part of my life, I knew that it was time to give back. That is why I am here, telling you my story, about my struggles and subsequent resilience. I created the Deserving Love Foundation with my heart. The Deserving Love Foundation, at its core, started as an organization to create opportunities for single mothers to Conquer & Soar. Nevertheless, Deserving Love has continued to include greater assistance to members of the community who have been afflicted with a deep and diverse set of adversity.”