Wandjell Browning
KEEPS FAMILIES CONNECTED by Zondra Victor
Wandjell Browning, CEO of The Freedom Child Foundation, is a bride who has more than just a wedding in her view. Growing up, Wandjell experienced life as a child with incarcerated parents. She was able to see, rsthand, the lack of funding available to help families and children pay for necessities like food, stationer y, and transportation for visitations. Now, Wandjell is trying to make that experience better for others. She and her groom, Marty Browning, research, supply materials, and organize transportation services for eligible applicants. “When I was younger, I was severely impacted by parental incarceration because both of my parents were incarcerated,” says Wandjell. “I just remember, profoundly, the emotions, the lack of resources that I had to stay in contact with both of my parents.” The Freedom Child Foundation serves minors between 5 to 17 years old and is open to children w h o h a ve o n e o r b o t h o f t h e i r p a re n t s incarcerated. Not only does Wandjell’s foundation provide stationery supplies for children, they provide transportation if a child has to travel an hour or more away from their home. “Most correctional facilities are like hours away from home,” says Wandjell. “And so it can be very hard trying to get on a train, or get a rental, get gas. Or maybe even once they get to visitation, the food is very expensive.”
Wandjell and Marty are creating a positive and lasting experience for children that will bene t from being able to hold on to their relationship with their parents, even during the incarceration period. The Freedom Child Foundation works to solve several issues that may keep children from maintaining those relationships. Wandjell and Marty are providing a community of support for children so that both they, and also the parents, have a chance to keep their connection. “Children may seem forgotten or they get lost in the system and that’s one thing we don’t want…” says Marty Browning, Wandjell’s husband and COO of The Freedom Child Foundation. “When you don’t have that parental structure in the home, you lose a lot. Our parents are very important and we do want children to know that no matter what your parents went though, you don’t have to go down that road.” During this year’s pandemic, Marty and Wandjell have had to change plans for how they operate business. They’ve gotten to hear many different stories and learn about the backgrounds of their applicants from all over the nation through their website. Visit Wandjell and M ar t y Browning at www.freedomchildfoundation.org or on Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about The Freedom Child Foundation in a special video interview with Affinity Weddings by visiting us on YouTube, Roku, or Amazon Fire Stick.
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