In a cold apartment in the hood of Boston, a 5-year-old girl woke up for school to find she had been left alone by her mom. Crying, confused, and hungry. As the years went by, Lashawn Thompson rose out of the circumstances she was born into. Now, at fifty-six, she has accomplished more than she ever could imagine. One is helping other children just like her.

Lashawn co-pioneered the largest church in Durham, North Carolina. She’s mentored and counseled thousands of women, imparting wisdom on standing up to your demons, facing them head-on, and living fearless and free.

But in 2012 a new venture would completely steal her heart away. And she began her quest to help children with impoverished origins change their environments forever.

Lashawn started Projects of Hope after bringing a team of leaders from her church on a mission trip to Kenya in 2012. She fell in love instantly, and Projects of Hope was born. 

The POH team has grown from a handful of volunteers to a devoted board of directors who lea separate parts of each mission of a collective of 30 team members every year.