Meet Tiffany Henderson of Pretty Women Pray Not Prey in Lawndale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Henderson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Tiffany. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
It started in 2015 when I had an epiphany; it was my 27th birthday and the previous year was rough. I had been through challenging trials and overcame them through prayer and sacrifice. To commemorate my personal milestone, I had a photo shoot and posted my favorite pictures from the shoot. In the caption, I used the #PrettyGirlsPrayNotPrey hashtag. All of my girlfriends loved it, but I didn’t know how to incorporate it with the career path that I was on. At the time I was attending CSU, Dominguez Hills pursuing my Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Sports, Entertainment & Hospitality with the ultimate goal of becoming an Event Planner. I was on a mission to find how I could transition my vision into reality. Little did I know that my life would make a turn for the better; motivating me to give my goals that extra push.

In September 2016; I was 4 months into being a new mom and honestly OVERWHELMED with all sorts of emotions! However, I found peace when I spoke to other first-time moms, who were experiencing the same emotions. It gave me peace and hope in knowing that I am not going through this alone. Following this realization, I also observed many of my peers searching for an extra push or positive vibe to pour into themselves.

As a result, in January of 2017, I created an Instagram @PrettyWomenPrayNotPrey to encourage and uplift women. I would post anything that encouraged me; and in return, aspire to encourage someone else. My post contained various details about my journey as a mom such as: breastfeeding, returning to work after maternity leave, fun things to do with your baby, and etc. The response I received from others was very encouraging that in July 2017 I set out to host my first event “Yoga in the Park”, alongside my good friend Jennifer Thompson, who has a Mom Blog. Honestly, I did not believe in myself. I felt as if it was just something I had to do for myself, my daughter, and underrepresented women within my community. However, when you are following God’s lead, things just fall into place and the event was a success.

After doing research on nonprofits, I then fought with myself about becoming an official nonprofit. Every negative outcome possible ran across my mind to discourage me and in return God presented me with positive affirmations to encourage my journey. Despite my negative thoughts; I pushed forward and on April 26, 2018,Pretty Women Pray Not Prey became an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization certified by the Internal Revenue Service.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been far from smooth, but if I had to do it all over again to get to where I am, I WOULD!!! In the midst of the storms, I have learned so much about myself and about my organization. I would say the toughest struggle has been financed. I always have huge ideas, then my budget reminds me to be humble.

Please tell us about Pretty Women Pray Not Prey.
Pretty Women Pray Not Prey is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization where our mission is to inspire underrepresented women and girls to excel by hosting events within the community. We specialize in empowering events for women and girls, but not your typical Empowerment Brunch.

We have hosted a variety of events from Yoga in the Park, empowerment workshops for girls ages 11-18, Trunk or Treat, and Pamper Me Picnic; a collaborative event to celebrate mothers within the community. In hosting our events, it is our mission to fulfill two requirements: That we positively impact others while giving back to the community and that the attendees obtain some sort of knowledge from the event.

Despite the fact that our guest always leaves our events physically full; we like to see to it that they also leave mentally full as well. Every event is an opportunity to learn. Within the lessons at the events, we also provide the attendees with tools to succeed whether it be learning different stretches at Yoga in the Park to alleviate stress or learning about finances at our Empowerment Workshop for girls.

As the founder of Pretty Women Pray Not Prey, I am proudest of the opportunities that I am able to give others. While we are still a small organization, I am proud that we can give back to the community in the form of events and assisting our volunteers with completing their service hours.

Soon, we look forward to providing job opportunities and on-going programs within the communities we serve. I am a firm believer in collaboration over competition; if we collaborate with one another, the only competition we will have is self.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be spending summers with my cousins. We would have never-ending sleepovers all summer long!

Pricing:

• PWPNP Classic Tee $25

Contact Info:

• Website: www.PrettyWomenPrayNotPrey.com
• Phone: (310)918-0549
• Email: PrettyWomenPrayNotPrey@gmail.com
• Instagram: @PrettyWomenPrayNotPrey
• Facebook: facebook.com/PrettyWomenPrayNotPrey

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