Priscilla Wright is a Family Lifeline board member, but her involvement began as a volunteer, advocate, and friend. She was first introduced to the organization in 2008 after meeting former Family Lifeline CEO Amy Strite through her daughter’s preschool. Priscilla and her husband Deon began volunteering their time and attending events like Choco and Spring Give.
In 2015, Priscilla’s sister-in-law was pregnant and didn’t feel prepared to raise a child. The family desperately wanted to keep the baby in the family and needed support. Worried for her sister-in-law and new nephew, Priscilla turned to Family Lifeline for help.
Within three weeks of the baby being home, Pricilla’s sister-in-law began receiving in-home visits through Family Lifeline’s Growing Well programming. “I was introduced to Family Lifeline through a family crisis. I was able to see it through that point of view,” Priscilla says. “My story is different and that’s why I’m on the board,” she explains. As a self-proclaimed nontraditional board member, Priscilla is committed to promoting equity and inclusion on the board. She is a strong proponent of tough conversations and addressing problems head on. Diverse boards are more effective, and as Priscilla notes, “It’s all about balance. You need to have check-writers and hearts.”
To Priscilla and Deon, hope means turning your dreams into reality. “Being able to dream is a privilege,” Priscilla says. “Hope is dreaming about turning things into reality and that’s what we do at Family Lifeline.” We allow people to dream.
“We’re helping real people in real time,” she says, knowing first-hand just how impactful the work is. “Family Lifeline gives hope to others when they don’t know what to do. That’s my reason for everything.”