The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis along with our grantee partners connect families in the communities we serve to resources and opportunities that empower both adults and children and bring families towards self-sufficiency and stability. Yolanda Robinson, a former Foote Homes resident, is a mother of five and a grandmother of nine. She was a participant of the first "Getting Ahead" class at WFGM.

 Once a teen mother, Robinson says she always put her focus on her kids first. She worked several jobs but was rejected from careers she wanted to pursue because she dropped out of high school. With encouragement from the staff, Robinson enrolled in The Excel Center-Memphis, a free program for Mid-South adults to receive their high school diploma.

“At the age of 45, I graduated with honors. I felt so whole that I did it after all these years. My main focus was my kids and grandkids. Now they look at me with proudness. I wanted my children to be able to see me as an inspiration to them and to see that it's never too late to get where you want to be,” she said.

Robinson is now enrolled Southwest Tennessee Community College, majoring in Criminal Justice.

“I would like to thank the Women's Foundation and everything that they do for me, my family and all the families of 38126 and the surrounding communities. I would like to thank them for being there, being an inspiration to us and just being leaders of women.”

Please make your gift today. Your gift to the Women’s Foundation gives women like Yolanda the opportunity to pursue their own pathway toward success. Through the power of philanthropy, leadership and collaboration, the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis’ impact is widespread, producing meaningful outcomes that change lives – one family at a time.