Behind the Inspiration...
From the very start, Bester Smithson CDC was conceptualized from a place of passion for helping others. With compassion in their hearts, the founders, Snow Bester and Karen Smithson, provided shelter, food, and support to a homeless mother, her two children, and grandmother. It was during this process they discovered a gap in the area of resources and help available for women who are young, homeless and faced with nurturing and raising a newborn on their own. As a result of this experience and identified need, together they launched Bester + Smithson Community Development Corporation.
MEET SNOWENA BESTER
Snowena Bester, CEO
Snowena has had a heart for volunteering from a very young age. By the time she entered college, she had already devoted over 10 years of her life to volunteer work. After careful consideration, Snowena decided to pursue a degree in psychology to expand her understanding and knowledge of the community she was serving.
While in college, she continued her passion of serving her community, which came in the form of mentoring adolescent males. With the help of her husband, they provided a safe haven for a fun, yet structured environment. It was such a success, it grew beyond their imagination.
By the time she graduated from Georgia State University with her Bachelor of Science in psychology, she had already helped countless adolescent males and also provided resources for homeless mothers and children. This endeavor provided further insight into the lack of effective resources for the homeless mothers in her community.
With gratitude and admiration in her heart for the great women who took the time to mentor her, Snowena decided to be a beacon of light and become the effective resource needed to make a difference in her community.
Meet Karen Smithson
Karen Smithson, COO
Karen has always had a passion for community service and helping provide others with the tools to succeed. Early in her college matriculation, she pursed a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice to help eliminate the inequality she witnessed while working with young people caught in the cycle of the criminal justice system.
As an expression of gratitude for those who mentored her at a young age, Karen now possesses an unrelenting desire to assist young women in obtaining the life skills-necessary to capture a favorable future. She promotes this idea through encouraging higher education, personal development, and professional skill building.
These deep-rooted principles are just a part of the reason Karen earned her master’s degree in social work. She passionately pursues programs that mentor young adults, provide continued education, and guidance to battered women in need of shelter.