Today we’d like to introduce you to Sherrika Myers.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Every 1 Voice is a 501c3 nonprofit that is geared towards kids who stutter, have low self-esteem, lack self-confidence, are bullied and are facing different challenges that are hindering them from becoming the best version of themselves. I started my nonprofit because I, too, faced those same challenges growing up and I allowed those challenges to hinder me throughout my life. I never believed that my voice mattered, because of my speech impediment. I never believed that anyone wanted to hear what I had to say, whether it made sense or not. So, I allowed those challenges to keep me in this familiar box, whereas all I knew and wanted to know resided within those four corners. When I learned that my first grandson had the same speech impediment I suffered with, it changed the way I saw things and I knew that before I could help him or anyone else face their challenges, I had to face and deal with the issue I had within myself. Because of that, I went back to school to get my college degree, and then I formed my nonprofit Every 1 Voice Matters. Once I formed my nonprofit E1VM, I started pursuing everything I wanted to do with kids and for my community and went on a mission to help kids realize that every one voice matters including theirs.
Alright, 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?
Nothing that is truly worth it, will ever be smooth sailing. I faced internal and external challenges along the way. I questioned myself several times when I didn’t meet a goal that I set for myself or when I couldn’t help a child with an issue that was out of my control because I want to be able to help all kids who I come in contact with.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Lil Herbie Series is a program that helps kids become better individuals in and outside of the classroom. The Lil Herbie Series is named after my son/grandson, but the real Lil Herbie is the child who has been inside of me all my life, who has dealt with many different issues and I finally decided to birth him. I created the Lil Herbie Series to work along with our nonprofit Every 1 Voice Matters to help build our kids in the community. I knew we needed a program that would help build a child both internally and externally in order for them to become successful. The Lil Herbie Series consists of the Lil Herbie Series Book Collection which is geared towards social-emotional learning. We have a kid’s YouTube channel named the Lil Herbie Series that helps kids with new words, the spelling of the word, and the definition of the words. Our animated show on YouTube will also consist of videos about social-emotional learning, diversity, equity, and inclusion, reading, and financial literacy. Our goal is to provide kids with the tools that can help them become successful in life.
We all know that reading is the foundation of education, helps kids learn better, builds self-esteem and confidence, and can empower our youth. I am most proud of our anti-bullying mascot name “Lil Herbie.” We decided to bring the main character from the books and our animated series to life so that he could interact with the kids during our community and school events. Lil Herbie represents determination, perseverance, and an example of, “It’s not about where you come from, but with faith and hard work, where you have the power to go.” I love the way kids have responded to him and how he responds to the kids.
Lil Herbie Series Book Collection is in English and Spanish, because we wanted to make sure that no child was left behind. They can be ordered on both websites @Every1VoiceMatters.org and LilHerbieSeries.org.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I learned along my journal was to never underestimate the power of faith. When I decided to believe it, I started to receive it, and then I achieved it. Never start something, if you are not planning on finishing.
Pricing:
- $14.99- Herbie’s New Home
- $14.99- Herbie Goes To School (English)
- $14.99- Herbie Goes To School (Spanish)
Contact Info:
- Email: Every1VoiceMatters@
gmail.com - Website: Every1VoiceMatters.
org/ - Instagram: Instagram.com/
Every1Voice - Facebook: Facebook.com/
Every1VoiceMatters
Image Credits
Dreamlight Images
Christopher Cavanaugh
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