A Message from the President

Dear friends,

As we move into our seventh year, we thank you for partnering with us to help others. Due to our partnership, we have been fortunate to fulfill the dreams of 22 college bound students by providing scholarships and laptop computers and printers to assist with their future success.  With your support we also adopted 9 families in need and provided housing, educational resources including scholarships, employment assistant, vehicles for 5 families, a power wheel chair,  and financial assistance.

My inspiration for Legacy Ladies came from women who have been community servants all of their lives, such as my mother and mother-in-law, Lessie McKerson and Beatrice Castillo, my grandmothers, Eva Cross and Jean Currie, my Godmother, Edith Frazier, and a cross-section of good friends and my mentor, Patricia E. Gibson. They have served in various leadership capacities form a mid-wife to presidents of non-profit organizations to entrepreneurs. Legacy Ladies is dedicated to these women and other women of courage who continue to be an agent for change.

During the past six years, not much has changed.  The achievement gap continues to widen for African American students. 86% of  African American fourth graders cannot read at grade level and math scores have a tendency to follow. The at-risk indicators for our children are rising at alarming rates. The key contributing factors are high unemployment levels, reduction in funding levels for social services, limited early access to medical care, and declining academic achievement by our youth.  As of result of these sobering statistics, I knew this was the time to start an organization which would empower our communities and families through education.  I was fortunate to find some incredible women who also shared the same vision.

It is our burning commitment to continue to do our part in improving the quality of life of the underprivileged, by providing educational resources in the areas of:  technology, leadership, and math.  My goal for Legacy Ladies is to become a premier women’s organization that will pave the way for other’s to move from talk to action. As Legacy Ladies continues to evolve, your continued support in our endeavors is greatly appreciated and through our partnership, we will continue to make a difference in the lives of those we serve. Thank you.

-Jacqueline Castillo, President

The Official Carrier of Legacy Ladies, Inc.