We had the good fortune of connecting with Everlena Dean-McCown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Everlena, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
The two biggest impactful lessons I taught my children (and foster children) is to have integrity and to never give up (learn to adjust). I left home (TN) at 18yrs and moved across country to California. I needed to be self sufficient to prove to myself that I can make it if I stuck with it. I learned success comes when you never give up. My children learned this valuable lesson and thankfully, exhibited perseverance in their careers and their personal lives. Also, integrity. I teach my grandkids now that “Integrity is doing the right thing with no one is watching”. We don’t do the right thing because someone may see us, we do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. In life, we’ve learned that you’ll reap, what you sow. Sow positivity, good deeds, faith, love and integrity.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My family and I were sharecroppers during the civil rights movement. It was modern day slavery, we worked from 6am – 6pm for $3 a day. Many of my siblings (11 of us in total) missed school to work in the farm and pick cotton. At 18yrs old I wanted to do more with my life and decided to move to California. That’s when my journey really began, it was not easy. I had to overcome being alone, starting from scratch and not having support. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to persevere. No matter how challenging life got, I stayed in the fight because I knew that it was better than where I came from. Living on the farm, I learned a lot of things, one of which was how to sew. I made my first dress at 10yrs old by hand. It was always my dream to have a storefront.

Ultimately, I’m proud to say I worked for the government for 31yrs and retired at the age of 50yrs old. After retiring, my heart led me to fostering children. I was a sought after home for troubled kids (typically hard to home/place) and families (2 or more siblings). Ultimately, I was able to foster and give love to over 25 children, many of which went back to their parents or were adopted. I also adopted one of my fosters, we were blessed to have her at 4mths old, adopted her at 2yrs old and today she is 21yrs old. I am a proud mother of 5 children, 14 grandkids and 4 great-grand children.

Today, I have been retired for 23yrs, I am 73yrs old and and recently graduated from WeServe CDC Non-Profit Development Program which is partnered with Will & Way CEC. With their help, I started my Non-Profit Organization called “Daisy Love Community Enrichment Corporation”. Our vision is too restore hope by empowering children & families on public assistance to build a successful life. One of the programs we offer “Daisy Designs”, which is a sewing/craft class where students will learn patience, perseverance and build confidence as they finish each project that they’ve started. We’ve started making masks and headwraps, as they are simple and easy to construct.

This is just the beginning and I look forward to making a larger impact as we further expand the organization.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Attractions: Fort Worth Watergardens
Butterfly Exhibit in Dallas
Fort Worth Bontanical Garden
Grapevine Aquarium
Texas State Fair (if its that time of year)
House hunting with all the new builds in town, one of our favorite things to do

Restaurants:
Pappadeaux
Razzo’s Cajun
Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
J.B.Larkins, took me under his wings and mentored me from the age of 19yrs – 65yrs old which is when he passed. Goes to show, you’re never too old to get mentorship. He took time to groom me and provide resources and advice on which way to go in my career. I had a successful career with the government in Transportation because of his love and support. With his help, I was the first female and black female ambulance driver for the Navy. As I continued to strive forward, I not only became the first female foreman, I was also the first black female foreman of an all-male crew (who didn’t make it easy for me). I broke barriers with doing “non-traditional jobs” as a civil service employee. I owe it to God for sending me an amazing mentor, I am forever grateful for his kindness and commitment to making sure I became successful in my career.

Website: www.DaisyLoveCEC.org

Instagram: @DaisyLoveCEC

Facebook: DaisyLoveCEC

Other: DaisyLoveCEC@gmail.com

Image Credits
Eryck McCown Photographer www.eryckmphotography.com

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