RYMTYH: Renew Your Mind Transform Your Heart
"It takes a village to raise a child" -unknown-
Navigating Crossroads to Race Forward in the Spirit of Fostering EQUITY & ERASE Inequality!
ABOUT
HISTORY & MISSION
Guardian Crossroads Inc (formerly Guardian Inc) was established in 2006, to help youth who were aging out of foster care. After approximately 2 years of being a foster parent to teenage girls, our founder decided to return to college to gain the knowledge and expertise to facilitate this vision. Upon completion of college, Guardian Crossroads Inc was renamed and revamped to not only help youth aging out of care, but also those youth that are at-risk of homelessness due to human trafficking, immigration enforcement, or those affected by natural disasters.
Our mission is to holistically break generational cycles of poverty whether physically, mentally, or spiritually through trauma informed care that transform root patterns and empower change through individual coaching relationships!
Our main goal is to build a transitional living village out of shipping containers! We are current seeking funding through, grants, foundations, local companies, and individual support!
The quote "it takes a village to raise a child" is the premises for which our organization stand on! Helping youth transition to healthy young adults with as few barriers as possible is our goal. Presently, with so many homeless youth in America on the streets, a definite picture of a broken village, a broken system, and a broken youth has been painted!
Guardian Crossroads Inc stands as that village to break generational cycles of homelessness, unemployment, mental fatigue, financial pitfalls, and under education among young individuals trying to survive in this everchanging world. GCInc seek to transform, restructure, and restore a renewed RYMTYH to life for adolescents aging out of foster care, homeless, victims of human trafficking, juveniles, and victims of immigration enforcement.
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BOARD of DIRECTORS
Sonja Wright
PRESIDENT
Sonja is the founder of Guardian Crossroads Inc. She has been inspired and gifted by God to work with youth, teens, and young adults. Her entire 20 plus years work experience have been working with this population. She has worked 15 years for Dallas Park & Recreation, and 7 years in Adult Education as a Case Manager. She has earned a Bachelor and Master of Social Work with an Emphasis in Mental Health from the University of Texas, Arlington. She has completed an Internship at Hickory Trail Mental Hospital, and taught classes for a Second Chance Offender program. She has also worked as a House Manager for a Transitional Living Facility for young ladies aging out of foster care. She currently holds a subcontract with Metrocare of Dallas providing Yes Waiver Community Living Support for youth and adolescences. She has no children of her own, but have raised children due to unfortunate circumstances in their lives. She was also a foster parent to teenage girls for almost 2 years.
Lynette Smith
SECRETARY
Lynette was born in Peoria, Illinois and moved to Texas in 1975. She graduated from M.B. Smiley in Houston, Texas, and moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1996. She graduated from Cedar Valley Community College and the University of North Texas Dallas, and earned an Associate and Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Her current position is Administrative Assistant for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). She has two children, and currently lives in Desoto with her husband Donnell.
Angela Patterson
VICE PRESIDENT
Angela gained her work ethics at an early age, growing up in a small town family of twelve. The need to work was necessary to help with finances to support the family. After graduating high school, college was the only option. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Wiley college which was a great accomplishment for her. She moved to Dallas in 1986, in which the tenure of her life's career was working in low income communities for 25 years for the City of Dallas Park & Recreation as a supervisor, and later retiring as a manager. She has worked as weekend House Manager for Our Friend's Place; as well as, a Cartaker for Luv and Care an Assisted Living center for adults with disabilities. Her work experience further developed her passion for nurturing and caring for others. She has two children, a grandson, and has open her home at some point in time to many disadvantage homeless youth.
Laura Steen-Patterson
TREASURER
Laura has a MA in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from Southern Methodist University and a BA in Accounting from Texas Tech University. Laura spent time working in public and private accounting firms in Dallas and southern California before pursuing her masters. She then spent over 8 years working as a Crisis Counselor at the Parkland Rape Crisis and Child Sexual Abuse Center. After quitting work to stay home with her children, Laura volunteered her time with the PTAs at her neighborhood schools, at the Wilkinson Center, Girls on the Run and Running group at Wesley-Rankin. Laura currently serves on the board of the Cry Havoc Theater Group and the Wesley-Rankin Community Center. Laura is also on the Sexual Assault Task Force at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Laura is a longtime resident of East Dallas where she raised her two children and currently lives there with her husband, Tom.