Establishing and running a nonprofit organization is no easy feat, and one must have a compelling reason to follow this path. Dawnn Vance, Founder of the FeBe Foundation, believes that the nonprofit organization, which helps create a better community by providing opportunities and resources to underprivileged individuals, is the best way to honor her heritage.

Dawnn, who is also a certified pharmacy technician and a student Doctor of Pharmacy, founded the FeBe Foundation in 2016. It is named after Febe Akan, Dawnn’s ancestor from Barbados, who was brought to the US and enslaved. Despite this, Febe was still known as a loving and kind person – traits that are carried on by her descendants until today. 

“Our family members take care of each other, and we help other people by treating them the same way,” Dawnn says. “I’ve always been a natural humanitarian, and I’ve been volunteering since I was 15 years old, and now, I’m in my 30s. In Greek Mythology, Pandora opened the box and ended up releasing all the world’s evils, but hope remained in the box. I believe spreading that hope is part of my mission.”

Aside from spreading hope, Dawnn says that the FeBe Foundation’s mission also involves creating a more equitable and inclusive society by breaking down barriers and giving disadvantaged individuals access to quality opportunities. She says that prior to establishing the foundation, she had a recurring dream where she would hear three knocks. When she looked up an interpretation of that dream, she realized that the knocks were trying to wake her up to her purpose in life, which was to help others.

“I believe that you are what you pay attention to,” Dawnn says. “If you give all your attention to the negativity of the world, then your life will be engulfed by negativity. I shifted my focus and started paying attention to how I could help others, and surely enough, opportunities arose.”

According to Dawnn, the FeBe Foundation is guided by the values of environmental stewardship, community engagement, innovation, and collaboration. The foundation began by organizing cleanup drives for hiking trails and other community spots in Chattanooga and nearby areas, personally led by Dawnn. By removing trash from the environment, these initiatives aim to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, such as floods, and promote sustainable development that benefits everyone. 

Soon, Dawnn realized that most of the litter they encountered, including not just garbage but also human waste, was caused by homeless people – another problem the foundation seeks to address. Dawnn, who is also an NAACP Member Advocate, is coordinating with city officials and other authorities for a soon-to-be-launched project that aims to give homeless people access to affordable housing while making use of abandoned properties. She believes starting with the local community is key to creating a big impact, initially allowing small efforts to snowball and create wider social change.

“There are many things on the local level that we’re interested in doing to help,” Dawnn says. “Walking around, I noticed some communities that used to be thriving, but now, the houses are just abandoned and dilapidated. I believe that there are many things we and the local government can do to restore these neighborhoods and create better communities for residents. This is how I honor my heritage, continuing the good work my ancestor, Febe, began a long time ago.”

Published by: Martin De Juan