WS Chronicle

By Busta Brown

The resume of 17-year-old Kyndall Williams is extremely impressive. She’s a member of the National Honor Society, National Dance Honor Society, NAACP, Students Demand Action, and Crosby Scholars. She is a competition dancer and a graduating senior at RJ Reynolds High School with a 4.2 GPA. Kyndall has received a litany of honors in her short 17 years: 2019 Youth Leadership Award from Effort Club; 2019 Triad Minority Nonprofit Business of the Year; 2020-2023 (3) Gold Volunteer Service Awards from the President; 2022 Profiles of Prominence Award from National Women of Achievement; 2023 The Chronicle Youth of the Year; 2023 N.C. House of Representatives 71st District Youth of the Year; and on August 12  she received a Proclamation from Winston-Salem’s Mayor Allen Joines, proclaiming August 12 “The Kyndall Project Day.” 

At 17, most of us were trying to figure out if we wanted to attend college or just get a job. 

What you’ll love most about Kyndall is her humble, kind and sweet spirit. As much as she’s accomplished, she’s always looking to do more. And she has! 

In 2014, she and her mother, April Reich, started The Kyndall Project. Since then, they have given away 8,150 backpacks and school supplies. On August 12 Kyndall held the 8th annual Back-To-School Jam at Rupert Bell Park and donated 550 filled backpacks, as well as winter coats, to children. 

The honor student’s dream is for The Kyndall Project to help kids worldwide. “I feel that if I can help one person to succeed, that will be a great accomplishment. I hope that this will inspire other youth to pay it forward,” said Kyndall. 

Kyndall is also an author of four children’s books: “How Tara the Turkey Escaped Being Thanksgiving Dinner,” “Sara’s School HAIR Blues,” “Sara Starts A Nonprofit: The Sara Project,” and “Come Color With Me.” 

You’ve heard the saying “The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.” April Reich, Kyndall’s mother, has two master’s degrees, one in media design, and business administration. She is the owner/operator of “I Am April Shamel” for the past 21 years. April is an abstract artist, speaker, therapeutic art life coach and muralist. She teaches the homeless and guides individuals through the artistic process, using art as a tool for self-expression, healing, and personal development. By combining her artistic expertise with coaching techniques, April provides an enriching and nurturing environment for her clients to unlock their creative potential and gain deeper insights into their own lives. 

Let’s get to know this dynamic duo.
When did The Kyndall Project begin and why did you see the need?

April: Kyndall and I moved to Winston-Salem nine years ago. I am from Winston-Salem, but have been gone for 16 years. God told me that it was time for me to move back home because my “Environment is changing because my assignments are changing,” so I moved back. I enrolled Kyndall into school and immediately she saw a difference. I noticed that my stockpile of school supplies was getting low. I asked Kyndall about the school supplies and she stated that the kids in her classes needed them. So, I told her to write out a plan on how she can help other children. She brought back a long list of ideas she wanted to do. We prayed over her list, and we waited on God. God said book bags and school supplies. In 2014 we came up with a name and decided to make it a nonprofit. 

Project H.E.R provides personal hygiene items to homeless women. You also provide this for young ladies in school. How did that idea come about? 

Kyndall: I saw a story on TV and I told my mom about it. My mom told me that if I wanted to add this to The Kyndall Project, I had to do research on it. I found out that studies have shown that teenage girls are missing school because they don’t have access to feminine hygiene products and schools no longer provide them. The homeless shelters are barely able to provide them either. Most of them are forced to make use of public restroom toilet paper, or other paper products to create makeshift pads. I also found that menstrual hygiene products are not covered under federal assistance programs, like SNAP or WIC. These products are also not eligible for purchase with HSA (Health Savings Account) or FSA (Flexible Savings Account) dollars. I had to do something about that! I started Project H.E.R “She’s HONEST. EMPOWERED. and RESPONSIBLE.” I’m very blessed that my mom is an artist and graphic designer because she has created everything for me. I am still looking for more funding and partnerships for Project H.E.R because there is so much more I would like to do.
Do you have any events coming up for the holidays? 

Kyndall: We are currently collecting donations to buy winter items, such as hats, gloves and socks, that we will distribute in November and December. 

Who are some of your biggest supporters and how do you make those connections? 

April: Some of our sponsors are Staples, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Walmart, just to name a few. We have been blessed because these sponsors reached out to us because they saw or read about what Kyndall was doing in her community. 

What are the latest projects that you and your mom are working on?

Kyndall: My mom and I are planning the 9th annual Back-to-School Jam, which will be held August 12, 2024 “The Kyndall Project Day,” Mayor Allen Joines recently presented me with a Proclamation and I decided that The Kyndall Project has to be on that date and since I will be leaving for college, I wanted to make sure it happened before I leave. My goal is to start The Kyndall Project in the city of my college. 

How did you feel when you received the Proclamation from Winston-Salem’s Mayor Allen Joines, The Chronicle’s Youth of the Year award, and the 2023 N.C. House of Representatives 71st District Youth of the Year award?

Kyndall: I felt very honored and grateful to receive these three awards this year. I’m a person that just loves blessing my community. I want to show other young people that it is achievable. 

Share one or two of your most memorable and heartwarming moments at one of your events.

April: One of the most memorable heartwarming moments: there was a young lady and her three kids that walked about two hours to get to The Kyndall Project. Kyndall and I decided to get all three kids school clothes, extra school supplies, food, haircuts and hairstyles for school.

Share one or two personal challenges that you have overcome that helped you become the woman you are today. 

April: Moving back to Winston-Salem and having to adapt to building a client base here for my businesses. 

Kyndall: Being an introvert yet being able to have a voice and follow through with my vision to help others.  

When do you begin preparation for your Back-to-School Jam and take us through those steps of preparation. 

April: We start working on the Kyndall Project in August as soon as we finish our event. We are meeting with our board members to discuss our next date, the new goal, and our fundraisers. We plan at least three to four fundraisers each year. We apply for local and state grant funding. From August to May we are sending out donation letters and posting online to get individual donations as well. By the end of June, we received the bulk for our grants and donations. In July Kyndall and I are on a weekly shopping spree to get all our school supplies. We have a vendor that we order our bookbags from so we place our order so they will be here before our packing day. Our packing day is always the week before the event. We have an assembly line with our board members, family and volunteers. The next week we pack our trailer with the bookbags. 

How do you balance school and your non-profit?

Kyndall: I have a strict schedule because I also attend Forsyth Tech Community College to get my associate’s degree. I have a part-time job and I’m a competition dancer with my dance studio. I have seen my mom run multiple businesses at one time and she has taught me the value of having a schedule and setting goals and deadlines. 

What did your mom instill in you that shaped you into the amazing young lady you are today? 

Kyndall: My mom instilled in me that I always must keep God first, pray, and read my Bible because that is my foundation! She always taught me how to respect others and how to be a good person. My mom had me set goals, and not just average goals, high goals. She had me write out my two-, five-, ten-year goals. She always taught me about giving back and that’s why I’m such a giver and will always be a giver. My mom has instilled in me so much and I’m just glad and grateful she’s my mom! 

Do you have a favorite scripture or quote that gives you strength to keep pushing forward during your most challenging days? 

April: Here are few of our favorite scriptures or quotes:

Psalm 46:5: “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”

2 Corinthians 12:9: “And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Quotes:

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”

“One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else’s survival guide.”

“God’s TEST is only for our TESTIMONY! Without a TEST, there can be no real TESTIMONY!”

What do you want our readers to remember most about you? 

Kyndall and April: That we love the Lord, and we pray over everything we do for The Kyndall Project. We always go over and beyond to make sure every child has what they need for school. There are a lot of things we do that we don’t make public, but just know that we are working every day toward our future to see The Kyndall Project grow to more states and cities.

How can the community support The Kyndall Project and how do we contact you? 

Visit our website at www.thekyndallproject.org. Email us at thekyndallprojectinfo@gmail.com.

“Filling You Up with Knowledge” 

“I AM R.O.O.T.E.D” – Rising.Over.Obstacles.To.Educate.Dreamers.

My Dynamic Duo of the Week is Kyndell Williams and April Shamel.