Husband, wife offer help through their non-profit organization
Bran-dee Jelks-Ross and her husband, Eddie Ross, are on a mission: By the time 2020 greets 2021, they plan to raise $20,000 for their Diamond Diva Empowerment Foundation.
The foundation, which supports survivors of domestic abuse, set the goal to fund its Pathway to Brightness program, which provides domestic violence survivors with a stipend of $1,500 to help them make the transition to a new life.
Jelks-Ross has more than 20 years of experience in real estate. She received her bachelor of psychology degree, with a minor in business administration from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
She’s passionate about helping women with children have a safe and stable living condition.
Eddie Ross, earned his bachelor’s in business management and marketing from Alabama A&M University. He has more than 20 years of experience in business management and organizational development in corporate, non-profits, and other small businesses.
Advocating for domestic violence is something Ross holds near and dear to his heart. Growing up with a family full of women, Ross saw firsthand the damage they suffered from domestic violence and has always made it his duty to protect them, that’s why the organization’s mission resonates so close to him.
To both of them, it’s all about helping others.
“The money is going to help them directly,” Jelks-Ross said. We have a couple of clients, one of them was living between her car and a friend, because her car was wrecked. We’re really putting a rush on her getting her placed. If we have those extra funds, we can do those extra things to help her through this transition.”
Sharing love year-round
Since 2012, the Ross’ have donated an estimated $30,000 in gifts to women’s shelters throughout St. Louis, distributing “Love Packages,” a collection of personal hygiene products, positive affirmations, and a red rose.
Initially, the “Love” was shared on Valentine’s Day, but the couple have been able to do even more.
“We give out all-year-round,” Jelks-Ross said. “Last year between our Pathway to Brightness services for residency placement, along with our community services, we gave out about $300,000 worth of products in direct and indirect services.”
In addition to the focus on adults, the couple also operate the 2DEF Kids Program, which extends the organization’s mission to promoting physical, mental and emotional wellness, and academic achievement. The anchor is an anti-bullying component designed to help youngsters deal with anger. It also helps them navigate bullying by teaching them how to articulate feelings and, if necessary, self-defense techniques.
“We want them to manage whatever the conflict is,” Jelks-Ross said. “Conflict resolution doesn’t have to turn into a physical altercation, but at the same time, them being trained to defend themselves gives them the confidence to speak up and not allow themselves to be bullied.”
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, 2DEF was able to start a tutoring program called Donate8. It uses students from local colleges and high schools, giving them the opportunity to dedicate eight hours to tutor younger children in need of academic help.
“This whole virtual school thing is new for parents and their children,” Jelks-Ross said. “Everybody’s kind of struggling, so we’re there to assist the parent and the child.”
For 2021, 2Def plans to talk to youth about important topics: January, “Human Trafficking Prevention Month”;February, “Teen Dating Violence Awareness,” and “National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month,” because the propensity for domestic violence can begin earlier than many realize.
“If we can stop the cycle at a young age, then we can hopefully not be dealing with this,” later. Jelks-Ross said. “That’s our mission for 2021; to really hit the youth with that.”
For more information about 2DEF, visit https://www.2def.org/.