Houston Moms is committed to sharing with moms organizations and individuals making a positive impact in the community. Today, Monica shares about The Queens Foundation.
While I always want to give back to my community, I never know where to start. With so many charities and causes out there that need volunteers and donations, I like to stay local and look to be impactful. In my efforts to find volunteer work for me and my daughter, I ended up accepting an invitation to a fund raising brunch that was hosted by my husband’s cousin in support of the Queen’s Foundation. The Queen’s Foundation is an up and coming Houston based charity organization that is dedicated to providing programs and services that uplift low-income communities in Houston with a duty to inspire hope, growth, and opportunity for all.
The Queen’s Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based right here in Houston that is committed to empowering individuals and families to reach their full potential. Their mission focuses on youth development, healthy living, social responsibility, inspiring positive change, strengthening communities, and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to become healthier, more confident, connected, and secure. Currently, the Queen’s Foundation is focusing on providing effective programs and services for teen girls in the Houston area. The Queens’ Foundation envisions a future where every teen girl in Houston has the guidance, resources, and confidence to unlock her full potential. This in turn would create a ripple effect of empowerment, opportunity, and positive change in our communities.
The Queens Foundation: How It All Began
Chekesha Johnson started the Queen’s Foundation in 2022 in honor of her grandmother, Queen Jenkins, whose lifelong commitment to helping children and strengthening the community inspired the organization’s creation. Queen Jenkins spent her life looking out for the kids in the neighborhood. Even though she didn’t have much, she always found a way to give back. Chekesha wanted to continue her grandmother’s work and created the Queen’s Foundation to assist young girls who don’t always have a surrounding positive support system. The foundation was built with the vision of empowering underserved youth, particularly girls and young women, including those aging out of foster care, by providing them with resources, mentorship, and opportunities for success. Since 2022, the Queen’s Foundation has served thousands of teen girls across Houston through educational programs, community outreach, and leadership development initiatives.
Fund Raising
Since 2022 Chekesha has built up the Queen‘s Foundation to provide needed educational materials and programs for underserved girls in the local community. The Queen’s Foundation’s fund raising work involves more than asking for donations. The Foundation’s recent school supply drive in August, was a vibrant Back to School block party that brought the community together with free school supplies, games, music, food trucks, braiding stations, and wellness resources — all to empower girls for a strong start to the school year. The success of the drive was due in part to the generous sponsorship of Willie D. Powells III. Chekesha has coordinated an annual back to school supply drive and toy drive, every year from the inception of the Queen’s Foundation and she continues to move nonstop.
Home Sweet Home
One of the long-term goals of the Queen’s Foundation is the establishment of a place where young foster teen girls can feel safe and secure. Most moms I know strive to make their homes a safe place for their kids, providing attention, guidance, and love for every step of childhood’s journey. Our parents make us feel special, loved, and wanted. For many foster children in Houston, the counsel and encouragement from parents is absent and some young girls go through life without a close interpersonal relationship with someone who will truly stand up for them.
Right now, the Queen’s Foundation is involved with a local foster group home in Houston. Chekesha currently mentors girls, helps with direct care, and stays hands-on with their needs. She also brings supplies and plans activities like volunteer trips to the Houston Food Bank while working on opening her own transitional home for youth aging out of foster care. The Queen’s Foundation Supervised Transitional Living (TLP) Program, also known as the Queen’s House, will offer essential living and learning experiences for young adults aging out of foster care. In the resident-centered, staff-supported environment, the TLP will foster confidence and independence, empowering each individual to build a successful, self-sufficient life as they transition out of their care.
Getting the Queen’s House open and licensed is a top priority. The Foundation accepts donations and support to help open the transitional home and expand services.
Summer School
While most kids have an aversion to learning in the summer, the participants of the Queen’s Foundation summer program enjoyed their time learning about managing finances and applying for a job. This summer, Chekesha successfully executed the first Queen’s Foundation summer program known as The Queen’s Academy. The Queen’s Academy is a transformative 7-week program designed exclusively for young girls. This program provides a nurturing space where potential turns into empowerment. The 7-week program involved the coordination of speakers and educators to lead the participants on various important life topics including mental health, social media etiquette, resume writing and interviewing skills, financial literacy, college admissions, and leadership.
The Queen’s Foundation wants to bring awareness to the challenges of growing up in a foster system and provide access to resources with the assistance of volunteers and stakeholders that help create sustainable communities. The Queen’s Academy is an integral educational component that will provide summer enrichment programs for teen girls in foster homes. Chekesha has a long-term goal to expand the summer program into a full-time school.
Donate and Volunteer
Check out the Queen’s Foundation on their website, Facebook, and Instagram. With all of their future endeavors, the Queen’s House and the Queen’s Academy, The Queen’s Foundation needs donations and volunteers to achieve their vision of helping young foster girls in Houston to grow into confident, capable women who create lasting change in their communities. The Foundation believes in nurturing potential, breaking barriers, and giving young teen girls the tools to lead with courage, compassion, and vision. Together, with the strength of community, The Foundation can open doors to opportunity, inspire leadership, and shape a future where every girl has the power to make her mark on the world. Rooted in the values of compassion, integrity, respect, and responsibility, the Queen’s Foundation is committed to supporting every teen girl, regardless of background, to thrive with dignity, purpose, and confidence.
