God is most important in all of this, and I am super grateful that He has brought me to this very place in my life. It has been a desire of mine for some time now to partner up with Him to share in the provisions of the very basic essentials that I didn't have so that everyone may have them in their home WITHOUT a requirement to receive the support.  As a child, I was off to school with unwashed hair, dirty skin, cigarette-smoky clothes, blank homework pages, and a relentless hunger pain that needed immediate tending to. I could barely focus on my academics, which were terrible, I was often hungry and ashamed of my living conditions, but I never had access to the proper support and, therefore, could not reach my maximum potential. Thankfully, at the end of my 8th-grade year, my grandparents stepped in and offered my brother and me a place to stay until we graduated. With their help, I really began finding God, started my first job, attended school every day, made a few best friends, and even participated in sports and extracurricular activities. By my 10th grade year, my grades were A's and B's, and life was starting to get a little bit easier. Unfortely the effects left me with a lot of shame and insecurities that were difficult to overcome even into my adult years, but I have always had a trust in God that was quite fierce and has carried me through. God has always protected me and for as long as I can remember, He has been speaking to me. Admittedly, I have not always listened, but I am fully committed to Him and I can hear and see Him loud and clear. The igniting of Urban Lights has been on my heart for quite some time now, and I couldn't be more excited to navigate this with you all as we bring it to life. -MD