Teena’s Legacy Hosts First Ever Walk for Peace Fundraiser
Photo By: Lee Edwards
“I am PEACE,” “I am COURAGEOUS,” “I am TEACHABLE,” read the signs worn by participants of the Teena’s Legacy’s 5K Walk for Peace this past Saturday at Ogden Park, 6500 S. Racine. Walkers made their way along the trail that circles Ogden Park to complete the 5K – equivalent to 3.1 miles.
Teena’s Legacy is a non-profit organization that assists young women, ages 16-21 with learning a trade-- in particular, reupholstering furniture and honors the memory of its namesake, Alberteen Stredrick – Teena was her nickname.
It is of the utmost importance to Smith that young women, especially in the inner cities, have time to themselves for self-reflection and growth. Through Teena’s Legacy, Smith plans to create a safe haven for young women to develop in this way.
“I use reupholstering furniture as a tool to tap into that creative side of a woman,” said Smith. “Teena’s Legacy is where [young women] can self-reflect on their true purpose on this Earth. I do that by presenting the opportunity for economic transformation through reviving, restoring, and reupholstering furniture.”
“Teena’s Legacy was placed in my spirit two years ago,” said Jamika Smith, Teena's Legacy founder and Stredrick's grandaughter. “I try to provide a place for young women to have a soul changing experience. What that means to me is helping women find out who they are, where they’re at in life right now, and where they are trying to go.”
Smith is starting off small. She plans to turn her three-car garage into her workspace and will have less than 10 girls participate at first. To fund the operational expenses, Smith decided that fundraising with uplifting and positive themes was the best way to move forward.
“I came up with this walk because for me you don’t see it a lot in [the] community,” said Smith. On the day of the walk, Smith was proud of the attendance from the community, “the turnout is very beautiful and I didn’t expect anything, it just happened as it was supposed to.”
Posted on trees and signs along the trail were additional encouraging and thoughtful messages.
Walker Alicia Coney appreciated that nice touch and was vocal about her support of the walk. “This is definitely means a lot to me,” said Coney, who monitored every stepped that she took during the walk using an electronic counter. “Every single notation on the trees, that’s very inspiring and helps us to think so what I like to think is that this is a walk with a purpose and because it is I’m receiving that differently than a regular walk.”
Community members received lunch at the Ogden Park Fieldhouse after the walk and also had the opportunity to register to vote.
One of the 5K Walk for Peace sponsors, Girls in the Game (GTG), a non-profit organization that conducts health, leadership, and sports programs for young women, dispatched representatives to the walk to inform participants about GTG programs.
“Teena’s Legacy stuck out to us as an organization that we want to partner with because [the] organization is all about empowering women and using their gifts and talents of what they can become and who they are so we have very similar missions so we really wanted to come out and support,” said Mary Cornwall, After school specialist for Girls in the Game. “If this becomes an annual event we could be out here next year, too.”
For more information about Teena’s Legacy visit http://teenaslegacy.wix.com/teenaslegacy.
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