Meet LeTeisha Gordon | Founder/Program Director

We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
A Better Day Than Yesterday Initiative Program is a Community-based, Trauma-informed care, nonprofit organization that specializes in family reunification, youth development, and re-entry services. It took me 7 years to learn what I was doing. I didn’t go to college to learn how to be a program director, life coach, business consultant, parent coach, grant writer, restoration of firearm rights petitioner, community leader, or advocate. I just started sharing my story and I started with pain. I didn’t have a budget.

I had pain, and the feeling of abandonment all over again and needed to do something about my unresolved issues. My father was incarcerated for 11 1/2 years of my life, my mother, brother, and uncle. I have been impacted by incarceration, and divorce since the age of 5. My Uncle was discharged from the Navy before being sentenced to 36 years in prison. My son and fiancé are currently incarcerated. There is no escaping your purpose.
I didn’t have a clue on what I was supposed to do. I just knew God told me and continuously showed me what I was supposed to be doing.
I just knew God told me to move. I struggled with moving. I complained to Chris over and over again about the difficulty it would be for me to share my childhood trauma with strangers. I learned as “I” grew. I didn’t have a plan. I made mistakes. My very first family reunification inside of a Federal prison was with my Fiance Chris and his 2nd to oldest child whom he hadn’t seen in years! This was so heartwarming to witness.
I created my plan as I started growing into my purpose. A Better Day has grown from $0 to over $260k in fundraising and grant funding. A Better Day Than Yesterday name & materials were trademarked in 2022 and we introduced our Family Bonding Box Pilot Program in 2023.
We have helped over 170 individuals released from a correctional facility or jail in 2023 with employment, credit building workshops, housing, mental health skill building, clothing, shoes, hygiene kits, haircuts, PPE kits, food, and transportation. 13 fathers completed our family bonding box program in the Virginia Department of Corrections. We have educated 339
individuals incarcerated in 3 different prisons on the importance of family reunification.

We distributed over 30,000lbs of food and 4k in COVID-19 tests to Families in our community.
We have secured property and we are in the developing stages for A Better Day Than Yesterday Therapeutic Group Home for girls ages 12-17 next door to our main office in the New Pathways Mental Health Center for Youth & Adults. In 2023 we built a resource room with computers for individuals to have internet access to search for employment opportunities, workforce training, computer literacy training, and so much more. We are excited that all of our programs are under one roof. 
Our youth development programs in 2023 served 68 youths with enrichment activities, life skills development, family reunification, family engagement, pro-social skills, transportation, food, and Excitement.
I didn’t see a need for why I got started on this journey. I felt the pain that I didn’t realize I had until I realized I was affected by the “Father Wound”. My Help consists of me doing work with others who experienced what I experienced being impacted by the Unintentional Victim Syndrome.

I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude to my sons, Trejon and Dayon Jones, for their understanding and for sharing me with so many. I am also grateful to my granddaughter for allowing me to be her NANA. I want to thank my fiancé, Christopher Woolridge, for always listening to me and for encouraging me to answer my calling in 2016. Thanks to my brother, Thomas Mundy, for pushing me to achieve greater heights. Additionally, I want to thank Rodney White for his expert advice in the criminal justice system to help guide me along this journey. Thanks to Laura Brown, Ebony Whitted, and Sonya Toney for helping me to craft my journey. I’m grateful to my sisters, Tarsha, Ericka, Charde, Ceydria from Breezy’s Lemonade, and Tiffany from Tiffany’s Beauty Bar, for always being there for me without any questions. Thank you to Terry Battle for always showing up when I need you to help people leverage their credit for their benefit that was previously incarcerated. I also want to thank Transformation RVA for helping me realize that healthy relationships are necessary to heal from childhood trauma. Thank you, Sean, Charles, and Salam from Engage the Foundation, THC, and Mediaflaux for always being ready to work with me. Cotina at the Henrico Richmond Health Department, and Ricky Parker at Chase Bank for their exceptional service and dedication to our work. Finally, A special thanks To the HMHY Foundation, LiLi Chanel, and the 106.5 Beat radio station family for always sharing our information with the community.

And finally, I want to express my gratitude to all my community partners, stakeholders, and donors.

Thank you all for your support! We wouldn’t be here without you.