Gracious and Tenacious

08/23/2026

Another Saturday in the books with the girls! 💕

This month, we covered Friendships, Boundaries, Bullying & Cyberbullying. It’s so important that our girls know how to protect themselves on and offline and understand Poised Professional Servicesd boundaries matter.

A special shoutout to Poised Professional Services for coming and empowering our girls! We appreciate you pouring into them. 🤍

I absolutely love this program, and honestly… I feel like we are just getting started!

Every month, the girls walk into the room with questions, shared experiences, and those bright eyes ready to receive. Watching them grow, open up, and learn how to navigate life is such a privilege.

And to the volunteers who show up month after month to help us do the hard stuff, thank you. Your time, your energy, your patience, and your willingness to pour into these girls does not go unnoticed.

May your life be blessed in a supernatural way for every seed you’re planting. 🙏🏽

We’re building confidence. We’re teaching boundaries. We’re creating safe spaces.

And we’re just getting started. 💪🏾

08/23/2026

I’ve spent years looking at what I’d lost while obeying the instruction. God told me to “ Tear down the walls of insecurity within the organization” 😳😳😳😳😳😳😭😭😭

But Today, God allowed me to see, what I saw ten years ago. 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

Brittney standing there presenting wasn’t just Pudding presenting.

It was a receipt.

A receipt that said:

I wasn’t crazy.
I did not waste my time.
I didn’t imagine the vision.
The tearing down had a purpose.
The rebuilding had a purpose.
And those years weren’t wasted.

The most beautiful part is that I don’t have to personally keep everyone to prove the mission worked. ( Deep exhale of relief)

💪🏾Some women will leave.

💪🏾Some will outgrow the organization.

💪🏾Some will build something of their own.

🤞🏾Some will come back.

🔗Some will stay connected.

And some will simply carry what they received from you into places I’ll never see.🙌🏾

💪🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾😭😭😭😭😭😭🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾💪🏾

As leaders we’re not called to keep people.

We are called to help them become what God has called them to be. PERIOD

OBEY GOD. LEAD WITH INTEGRITY. LOVE WELL.

And at ALL Times be Gracious & Tenacious.

I love it AGAIN!!! 💕💕💕💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💕💕💕💕

08/19/2026

We hung out with Heart and Soles ARthis past weekend.

A time was had!

Empower means - To give someone authority, confidence, and freedom to do something.

Let’s empower the Children and families to go and be great for the school year!

and Soles AR had lots of resources in the building to lighten the load for parents.

08/15/2026

Let’s go! Let’s Work 🤞🏾

07/26/2026

💕💕💕💕💕

07/26/2026

Another Gracious & Tenacious Saturday in the books! 💕🖤

We show up.
We eat.
We learn.
We have girl talk.
And then we leave to shine our light wherever our feet land.

People love to quote, “Don’t despise small beginnings,” but our meetings always hit differently for me.

Small room.
Small group.
Big impact.

We had the privilege of sitting with the future today. And let me tell you something… the things WE say to THEM today become the voices they hear tomorrow.

So we choose to speak life.
We choose to build confidence.
Because one conversation can change a life.
One seed can produce a harvest.

One Saturday can shift a generation. 🙌🏾🙌🏾. And that’s the kind of work I’ll never get tired of.

. #

07/08/2026

Hey Family! 💕

Normally I only share our popcorn fundraiser because you get a yummy treat in return 😂, but this one is even easier!

I’m raising funds for our Gracious & Tenacious Teen Program, where we help girls build healthy self-esteem, confidence, and leadership skills.

We have a Calendar Fundraiser set up through Zeffy, so all you have to do is click the link, choose an available date, and make your donation. That’s it!

Oh and you get a donation receipt for your taxes, and I KNOW that helps. 😊

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/fundraising/lakieva-bell?impact_chain_source=lakievameadows%40yahoo.com

Click the link to make your donation 💕

Thank you for supporting the Gracious & Tenacious Girls Program!For over 17 years, Gracious & Tenacious Inc. has been committed to promoting healthy…

07/07/2026

My Girl!!!

06/27/2026

Every 4th Saturday of the month I look forward to showing up to serve these girls. On today Nickole Diaz with Transformation Circle stopped in to teach the girls about Financial Literacy and it was super Dope!

I love that these girls show up, and they are taking notes and asking questions and giving us feed back in real time. I never had to say put your phone down and listen.

I be so excited to hang out with them. I said today that I could really do this more than once a month.

❌WE don’t wear our pajamas outside

❌ WE don’t talk to people with ashy lips

❌WE don’t tell people to Shut up ( we find a better way to say it)

❌WE build we don’t beg.

❌ Turning our work in on time with Pride is a way that we can invest in our future.

Shout out the Favolis on Markham for partnering with us to feed the girls on today.

Teenprogram2026 #

05/24/2026

Today we kicked off the Teen Mentoring program.

How I Am vs Who I Am…

Y’all it was sooo good. Those girls are so precious and I believe they are going to do great things in the world.

“I am not defined by how the world sees me, I am defined by whose I am. I was named on purpose, made on purpose, and I walk in that purpose I AM Gracious &Tenacious.”

A big shout out to those that showed up to pour..

Dee Long Courtney Barnes Jay Lee NaQuishia Kentle-Terrell you ladies Rock! Great energy, great service, and great impartations.

I love y’all Real Big!! My heart is so full and I’m excited about this.