Shikina Owens has, by most standards, lived a challenging but determined 47 years.   She is a dedicated mother of four children and four grandchildren.  At 16 years old, she had her first child and has raised all of her children as a single parent, making sure they were fed, even if it meant that she didn’t eat.  Clothes were cast offs, her car was repossessed, and the family moved often when rent increases made it impossible for them to stay.  Looking back, she writes that she endured years of struggling because she did not have “the education to obtain a job that would provide a decent wage.”   She is determined to continue her education and set an example for her family—while continuing to work at the Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority.   As a Bettie Brand Mothers’ Empowerment Fund 2022 Spirit Award recipient, Shakina will receive a stipend to help her earn that coveted degree in Business Management.  In addition, Shakina wants to pay it forward by supporting other single families with financial services and mentoring.  We believe her-- and we believe in her. 

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*Nominated by nonprofit partner Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority (FACAA) .