Naomi Project Founder and CEO, Joyce Ford has passed away, she was a source of hope and strength in the community. Her organization is nonprofit oriented and that helps victims of domestic abuse. Ford helped guide a young intern from May to August 2021, and that intern still talks about those months with great respect and love.
Joyce Ford As A Mentor
Joyce Ford became a role model, like a second mother, giving wise counsel, making people laugh, and teaching them important lessons about life. Her favourite podcasts played in the background of their car rides and left an indelible mark on her mentees and loved ones heart.
Before her mentee left for Clemson University, Mrs. Ford gave them thoughtful gifts to help them get ready for the difficulties that were to come. She was always there to support and encourage her, proudly hanging pictures of her protégé in her office and even paying for her to compete in Miss South Carolina.
Joyce Ford Impact
Joyce Ford has affected a lot of people, not just her close friends and family. Through the Naomi Project, she gave a lot of abuse survivors in Florence County, South Carolina, the tools they needed to end their abuse. People who were lucky enough to know her will always be grateful for how kind and strong she was. Her mentees were very thankful for the advice and help she gave, and they promise to honour her memory and pass on the lessons she taught.
Nikki Naraine took to social media to share the sad news:
“I am devastated to hear about the passing of Mrs. Joyce G Ford founder & CEO of the Naomi Project, a nonprofit organization to help survivors out of domestic abuse situations.
It was an honor to be her intern from May-August of 2021. This woman was like another Florence mom to me, I enjoyed our conversations, our jokes, her life advice, and our random trips in the car together while she listened to her audio books. I was so young but from her, I took away so much knowledge to make me the woman that I am today. Before I went to college at Clemson she gave me so many things to prepare me for my freshman year. She always supported me in everything I did, kept my pictures hanging up in her office, and was a sponsor for me when I competed for Miss South Carolina. After college, I continued to visit her and check on her, this photo was taken last year in May when I visited her. I even planned to visit her again before my cruise but I am sad I didn’t make it in time…
