The Brightside: AFWI Expands and progresses
MILLSBORO, Del. – Since 2012, an organization known as Absolutely Flawless Women Inc. has been making big changes here in Delmarva. The founder, who has racked up business and leadership accolades has made the community her passion, and her organization emphasizes her need to help those who could use a helping hand. “From feeding we went to mentoring, and then from mentoring we went to clothing and now it’s just community-oriented,” says founder, Dr. Leshell Dennis.
It’s a community-oriented mindset that the founder of Absolutely Flawless Women Inc. has kept on the forefront to grow the organization’s mission, which is to meet the needs of women in Delmarva. “We saw a need for women and girls and so we wanted to empower them, make them feel that they belong here, that they’re special.”
While the focus began with empowering women in 2012, Dennis tells us, she wasn’t blind to the fact that the whole community needed a helping hand. Now they’ve expanded to Absolutely Community Development Inc., providing resources for the entire family. “We have men coming aboard to mentor, we have houses that have been given to us, and we just need more support of the community to develop these houses for job training, for mentorship, for daycare,” says Dennis.
Over the past decade, they’ve been able to partner with other businesses and organizations like Mountaire Farms, and Safeway to provide much-needed resources. Resources such as food, clothing, education, transportation, housing, and emergency resources; are expanding their reach every day. “This is helping the community know that we are still moving, we are still here and we’re not going to stop.”
By providing these resources, Leshell says her bigger mission is to help women and men find their true potential. Whether finding a career path, finding a group of like-minded supporters, or learning how to love themselves, we’re told it starts by just meeting their needs and going from there. Dennis says, “It blesses me to see them want to be better or to walk in their full potential and all they needed was someone to say I’m here, I care.”
“Nothing can stop you when you have the right fire when you have the right mindset.” Dennis adds, “I hope that we build more entrepreneurs at a young age or young adults.”
After years of accolades including top influential women of the year in Delaware, earning a president’s award, and the opportunity to be highlighted by the Women Win Network and getting her face on a billboard in Times Square, her organization’s work is certainly getting some notice. “As long as we’re breathing and here, we’re going to try to do our part and meet the needs of the community and worldwide,” says Dennis.
To date, the organization has fed over 1,200,000 meals to the community. They’ve also adopted two motels in the Delaware region, two houses, and a total
of five acres of land; Which will all help with their plans to expand their resources to those in the community.
To learn how to get involved, or how you can find resources visit their website.
