Nia Project Members’ Successes

The Nia Project celebrates our members as they flourish and engage meaningfully in their communities. Here we highlight some of our members’ accomplishments. We are so pleased for them and so proud of them. We are grateful for their contributions and dedication to making the world safer, more compassionate and more inclusive.

CoSona “Coco” Kendrick is sharing her journey and expresses her deepest gratitude for the role Nia has played in her life and healing.

My story began in Sheffield, AL, but my path eventually led me through years of trauma, substance abuse and domestic violence. During those difficult years, I faced the pain of losing my children to the system and the unimaginable tragedy of losing my son, Jerrell, following a car accident in 1999. The weight of these experiences, combined with my son Tyrone’s incarceration, left me physically and emotionally broken. I suffered from severe anxiety and physical symptoms of trauma that I did not understand, eventually seeking help at Grady Mental and Behavioral Health.

It was my therapist there who first suggested I visit Nia. Although I was initially terrified of going to the thirteenth floor, her persistence and support finally got me through the doors. That moment changed everything. Through Nia, I have had access to long-term therapy, housing assistance and classes on emotional regulation and mindfulness. These resources gave me the tools to move from a place of fear to one of self-discovery. Through that self-discovery, I was also able to re-connect with my mom before she passed and build a better relationship with my daughter.

One of the greatest blessings in my recovery has been finding my passion for art. I traded cigarettes for a paintbrush, and have now been smoke-free for two years. My health has improved significantly, and I have been published twice. I am currently working on starting the "CoSona Vases of Kindness Foundation," and I was incredibly honored when Nia featured my artwork on the cover of their book.

Nia has remained at the forefront of my healing, staying by my side when I needed it most. I am now on a beautiful journey of self-discovery, and realized that who I am is enough. Thank you for the kindness and unwavering support you have provided for my mental health and life.

December 2018, Shanell lost her dream job at the Georgia Aquarium. She was depressed and knew she needed help before she did something harmful to herself. Self-harm was a way she coped for years since her father was murdered by the police when she was a child. Losing her job brought up those same feelings of abandonment and Shanell knew she needed to find help yet again.

Shanell went to Grady Behavioral Health and they referred her to the Nia Project. April 2019 is when she started attending groups and individual counseling on Thursdays at Nia. She got to see the loving culture and inviting atmosphere the founder and clinicians cultivated, and she realized this was the place she wanted to heal.

Prior to the pandemic, Shanell attended Nia once a week. Since the pandemic happened and Nia moved to a virtual space, she was happy she was able to have more access to get help in multiple groups a week, including: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Spirituality Group, Empowerment Group, Emotion Regulation Group, Relationships Group, Healthy Lifestyles, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Open Process Group, Women of Color and Exploration Group and Individual Counseling. Each group in its own way chipped away at some of Shanell's insecurities, abandonment issues and helped her learn how to operate healthily in relationships with setting boundaries, getting her objectives met and keeping her self-respect. Now she knows there are better ways to react to situations, and she has learned how to use her voice.

Through Shanell's individual therapy sessions, she has been able to experience six different therapists over the years that brought different perspectives and insights to help her be a better person. Through their sessions not only has she learned from them, but they learned from her to help better themselves in their career. That is the part that really intrigues her because it gives them an opportunity to experience mutual growth. She did not realize they impact therapists as much as they impact them.

Now Shanell sees losing her job may have been a blessing in disguise, because her mom became non-ambulatory in 2020 and she became her caregiver. That made her look at their relationship deeper and allow her to spend more time getting to know the beautiful woman she is. Sometimes they fuss, as mothers and daughters do, yet she will always be Shanell's favorite chick. She is happy to be able to care for her because she cared for Shanell for so many years. With caring for her mom, she is able to work flexible jobs that are meaningful and fun. She works for Dekalb County Voter Registration and Elections as a poll worker, trainer and part of the canvassing team. Shanell really likes working in this space as a Black woman because they did not always have access to this arena. This is something that has been instilled in her through her family: her grandmother, mother, brother and sister all have been poll workers at some point in their lives. Shanell's mom did it for 40 years before she retired. That instilled the importance of service to her community and the democratic process. She takes pride in her work and wants to do it in an excellent manner.

Shanell hopes to continue to do this meaningful election work, continue caring for her mom with patience and find moments of joy for herself in between.

We are proud to share the inspiring accomplishments of Marcenda Wilkes during her time with the Red Cross. Marcenda began with the Red Cross in 2022, encouraged and supported by the Nia Project Empowerment and Community Engagement group. During her time with the Red Cross, she has deployed three times to different natural disasters in Florida, Mississippi and Hawaii. Marcenda also consistently responds to incidents within Georgia. During her tenure at the Red Cross, she received the 2023 Disaster Action Team Member of the Year Award and the 2024 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, recognized by AmeriCorps and the office of the President of the United States. Marcenda has received several promotions at the Red Cross. She previously held the title of Disaster Action Team Manager/Deputy Coordinator and is currently the Shelter Manager and Operational Manager. Marcenda had this to share about her time at the Red Cross: “Since being in the organization, I rose through the ranks pretty fast, learning a lot on the way. Being able to help people during a disaster is the greatest reward. I was given that final push to join in 2022 by the Nia Project, and I am thankful for that and all the support.” Congratulations Marcenda, we are grateful to have been a part of your journey and success!

We want to congratulate one of our Nia Members, Donna Hahn McCoy, who was presented with the 2023 President’s Award by the Fayette Chapter of the NAACP on November 5, 2023, at the 23^rd Annual Freedom Fund Banquet. Donna was recognized with this award for her success in planning Fayetteville’s 2023 Juneteenth Celebration, as well as her research and advocacy with the Fayette County Historical Society in registering the Reuben Gay Place with the Georgia Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historical Places. The Reuben Gay Place is the first African American Historical Site in Fayette County, Georgia. Congratulations Donna, we are so proud of you!