Meet Our Founder
Jennifer Jones
If you know Jennifer Jones, you know she’s not shy to hard work. If anything, she encourages it. As a wife, the mother of three and a business owner, she fights hard to stay humbled and grounded.
Jennifer is a graduate of Columbia College where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2007. She honors the second women’s college in South Carolina as the foundation of her growth. She prides the college for its commitment to the development of world leaders.
With that being stated, there is no surprise that after college Jennifer entered management in the nonprofit sector. “Nonprofit organizations are essential to the development of our communities,” states Jennifer. “They step up when other organizations do not.”
After facilitating her first nonprofit job for four years, she felt a pulling on her heart to lay down the foundation of her own nonprofit organization, Beauty Marks for Girls. Beauty Marks is a leadership program created for young girls whose mothers are incarcerated. As a young girl who experienced the incarceration of her own mother first hand, she states she would not want to do anything else.
"The call that the Lord has placed on my life is to protect and equip young girls who are in a place that I once lived in. I believe that there are just somethings in life that you can never learn out of a textbook or learn by sitting in a classroom. You may fall, but you have to be resilient and get back up. My vow is to pass down everything that I have learned to each participant in my program. I would have never known that the very thing that hurt me the most in my past, would help save someone else’s future. Young girls need so much direction today, I try hard to be the role model that I needed when I was young,” states the founder.
The Founder also enjoys serving in local prisons. One prison she faithfully serves at is Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood, SC. She acknowledges that the institution pushed her to a completely different level in life. Jennifer recalls the first class she taught at the institution to be extremely intimidating, but empowering. “I did not just find my voice teaching in women prisons, I found my calling," remarks Jennifer.
Jennifer is also the owner of business, The Mommy and Me Boutique. “I'm an artist by trade and I love it. Art is just engraved in my roots and I love the many forms of creativity one can offer to the world. I was born to create. When my artwork can inspire or place a smile on someone's face, oh then it just becomes heavenly to me!” she smiles.
When asked what is one of her favorite quotes to sum up her life right now she replies, “The important question is never who's going to let me do something great in my life, the question is who dares to stop me!” This seems to sum up a little of this fierce leader’s drive and passion for life.
The founder is grateful to have her calling on the inside of her, the support of her wonderful family, and her love for art all to inspire her. Jennifer is enthusiastic about being an advocate for children affected by parental incarceration. She states her goal in her organization will always be focused around raising awareness for the “invisible” victims and giving their voice the rightful chance to be heard.
Beauty Marks for Girls Receives Community Heroes Award!
The work of Beauty Marks for Girls was recognized by Greenville News as "Community Heroes." The project was formed as a way of spotlighting the generous, noble and unselfish work of those among us who work tirelessly — often behind the scenes — to make our community a better place. Greenville Federal Credit Union is partnering with Greenville News to sponsor and help honor our community heroes.
"We were extremely honored to be nominate this year. I have an amazing team of mentors who work beside me to ensure our focus stays on the young ladies we serve. Thank you Greenville News in conjunction with Greenville Federal Credit Union for providing a platform of honor for nonprofit organizations in the community."
-President, Jennifer Jones
Why we Serve?
- According to research, an estimated 2.2 million children in America have at least one parent in jail or prison.
- In South Carolina, 73,000 children – some 7 percent of the state’s childhood population – have experienced the incarceration of a parent.
- According to a study conducted by Central Connecticut State University, children of the incarcerated are around three times as likely as other children to be juvenile justice-involved.
- The loss of a parent to incarceration can have a significant impact on a child. Some of those impacts include financial hardship, the physical care of the child, and psychological distress.
- Unfortunately, children with incarcerated parents are often forced to give up their dreams and future due to the bad choices made by their parent(s), not through any fault of their own.
The concentrations of our Program
Self-Esteem
Most young girls look up to their mothers. In fact, a mother’s self- esteem is one a girl learns to mirror as a child. Well, what happens when a young girl no longer has that role model to look up to? Young girls who have a mother incarcerated are sometimes left alone in a big world trying to find inner strength and self-worth. Statics show that unhealthy self-esteem can lead to depression, destructive behavior, self-harming, eating disorders or alcohol/drug abuse.
Our organization ensures that our participants have a strong sense of true beauty and self-respect. We conduct monthly activities with our young girls to help strengthen their core values. In addition to that, we partner with local beauticians to serve our girls hair needs. We also provide personal hygiene and care package needs.
Education
Research shows that children of incarcerated parents may be particularly at risk in disconnecting from school and becoming involved with negative peer groups. For this reason, we focus heavily on education to ensure that our participants have everything that is needed in order to thrive in their schools. We do not want our young girls to just ”go” to school; we want them to be leaders in their school.
Our Leadership program offers free after-school tutoring, weekend assistance, and monthly progress reporting. We partner with every participant’s principal, guidance counselors and teachers to guarantee that our girls get the attention and support needed inside the classroom.
Social Behavior
Studies show that separation from a primary caregiver can impact a child’s emotional well-being. One behavior that is linked to a young girl having a mother incarcerated is destructive relationships. Some girls tend to shut down completely from trusting other people while others have difficulty developing healthy relationships with men and women. Additionally, most young girls with a mother incarcerated victimize themselves in believing that it is “my fault.”
We, at Beauty Marks are committed to breaking the cycle of wrong thinking. We plan purposeful monthly exercises with our participants to find out how they are truly feeling inside. Our girls are taught how to use these various activities to express their emotions. We are also partnered with a certified child therapist to help with more severe cases that need immediate attention. So whether they feel alone on another Mother’s Day or the first day of school, we show up for our participants to guide them through difficult times.
Educate. Empower. Inspire.
Help our organization build.
Your contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions in the community.
Beauty Marks for Girls, Inc
501 (C)(3)
EIN-82-548-7846
