LaTonya’ s passion to see children and their parents empowered and equipped to live fulfilling lives led her to launch PAWkids in 2014. Supported by her family and friends, LaTonya has built holistic children, family and neighborhood enrichment programs for the community of Grove Park.
PAWKids exists to provide families with various resources that will empower and encourage them while promoting Christian values, building stronger communities, and developing self-sufficiency.
PAWkids vision is to provide community support and developmental activities which uphold moral excellence and build self-confidence.
The Boyce L Ansley School is a tuition-free, private school for children who have or are currently experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to help break the cycle of generational poverty by providing collaborative family support and a complete academic program that empowers children and families to thrive beyond circumstance.
A child’s well-being and educational success are frequently the collateral damage of homelessness. Transience, trauma, lack of sleep, inadequate nutrition, and other related issues severely affect unhoused students’ academic performance. Our goal is to provide a high-quality education that takes into consideration the unique traumas associated with experiencing homelessness. The Ansley School desires to guide our students and families out of the cycle of generational poverty by providing wrap-around services that bridge the gap to equitable outcomes. The Ansley School is currently the only school of its kind in the Southeast, and one of a handful of similar programs in the United States.
The Boyce L. Ansley School opened its doors in 2018 on the ground floor of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church located in the heart of Atlanta with a Pre-Kindergarten class. The plan worked! Within 2 years, the school had outgrown its generously donated space and moved across the street to a larger and more permanent home on Ralph McGill Blvd. Kate Kennedy, founder of The Ansley School, became acutely aware of the number of children without secure housing who were not enrolled in school, after volunteering at several local homeless-serving agencies.
“I will never forget the day I was driving down Courtland Street,” said Kate, “and saw a young mother sitting on the curb on the side of the road with four school-aged children running around beside her. She looked tired and alone. As the mother of 4 children, I cannot imagine the stress of living on the street with children—not knowing where you might sleep or eat that night or how you might find shoes and clothes for your growing children.”
After researching the feasibility of this project, in 2016, the founding committee began the bold task of creating a tuition free privately funded school for children who have experienced homelessness. The innovative school continues to add an additional grade each year in a bold effort to help these children live beyond their circumstance and write a story of success!
A safe and loving after-school enrichment program where we provide reading mentors & homework help.
A warm home for family programs and free behavioral health.
A pantry dedicated to food security and family wellness.
A transition apartment home for neighbors experiencing displacement.
Become a part of the PAWkids story by getting involved. There are a range of ways you can volunteer. Check out the PAWkids Website and see how to help.
Mary Stuart Iverson is a member of Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate / LuxuryRealEstate.com, an international network of real estate professionals operating in 195 countries and representing the finest residential luxury estates and property brokerages in the world.
Mary Stuart Iverson
1819 Peachtree Rd NE Ste 100 Atlanta GA 30309
