Meet Lydia Singleton-Wells | Founder of GEI. Humanitarian & Activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lydia Singleton-Wells and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lydia, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
We are providing resources and support for the unsheltered all across Georgia. We work mainly in downtown Atlanta working with the black unsheltered community. Most of the people we help are black males who struggle with addiction, mental illness, and even disabilities. The most important part of my business is bringing back love and humanity to the lives of these incredible people. We don’t view them as less than. We treat them like family. I know most of our clients by name and we look forward to seeing each other. As my business has grown I have been able to get to know my clients on a personal level which has allowed me to provide more specialized and personalized resources. As an activist and a humanitarian I am deeply troubled by how easy it is to discard black men and mistreat them. I am so privileged and humbled to have the chance to see the world through their eyes and help them restore their lives. Through my business I am not only able to help them, but also fight for them and their human rights through my activism.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The God’s Eyes Initiative began as a small passion project. I had no intention on it becoming the incredible nonprofit that it is now. I have always had a heart to serve and wanted to come up with creative solutions to make giving more efficient. I created care packages that had unisex necessities and packaged them in a drawstring bag that would be durable and easy to carry for whoever it was being given to. As I spent more time with people who were unsheltered and living in poverty, I was able to make several tweaks to the contents of the bags to make them more and more impactful. When the pandemic hit, GEI expanded. In a time where people had less I wanted to give more. I started making homemade meals for 50+ people and delivering them to local shelters. I was able to do this the entire summer of 2020. In June of 2020 I felt called to get involved in activism. I felt led to fight for the rights of the clients I was already serving. I was blessed to have so many successes over the summer. I was able to organize the largest social justice protest in Dunwoody GA’s history, as well as receive several accolades and awards from local communities and police departments for my work. As we continued to fight and protest we also expanded GEI again. We started making personalized shopping trips to compile clothes, shoes, tents, blankets and winter essentials as we journeyed through the fall and winter months. In January of 2021 GEI launched an internal program called Food for my Friends. We would go downtown every Sunday and feed the unsheltered and hungry that lived in downtown Atlanta. On Easter Sunday I was able to serve an entire Easter dinner with “all the fixings”, clothe, and get care packages to over 100 people. One of our previously unsheltered clients joined our team that Sunday to help serve. It was an incredible experience. So as time passes, GEI will continue to transform our services and resources to meet the needs of those who need it most.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Because my work can be extremely taxing and demanding, my favorite places are the sweet little getaways. I have found several local lakefront beaches all over Georgia to get away. My two favorites have been Buford Dam Park and Dallas Landing Park at Lake Allatoona. My favorite places to eat are Peachy Corners Cafe in Peachtree Corners, which is owned by my good friend Long Tran who is also a fellow activist and community leader, and La Botana which is an incredible family owned Tex Mex restaurant in Dunwoody.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My support circle begins with my grandmother Faith and my mother Tanis. They are the two pillars on which I stand. Without them I would not be who I am today. I also have an incredible network and community of people who love and support me. I have always lived to love others and the support I have from the people around me make that evident. I am truly humbled and grateful to have so many people that support my mission and my journey. I have been able to expand and increase my reach and the resources GEI provides because of them and for that I am extremely blessed and overcome with gratitude.

Instagram: @godseyesinitiative

Linkedin: Lydia Singleton-Wells

Twitter: @LSingletonWells

Image Credits
Mark Wells