Meet Avery Grace Payne

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Avery Grace Payne a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Avery Grace, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

My purpose comes from Christ – and from the testimony He has entrusted me to bear. I lost a friend to cancer at a young age and witnessed firsthand the grief childhood cancer causes families. (Noah’s Story: https://youtu.be/fAVzev4zVDY?si=WGobUVbIS0X8iYiW)
I founded Stroke of Hope Foundation for Childhood Cancer at 17 years old, and obtained 501c3 status in April 2024. Noah loved receiving mail and, his last Christmas, was sent over 1.2 million cards from across the world. I send care packages to families facing pediatric cancer to spread the joy and love of Christ to families facing dark times. Since founding my organization, I have had the privilege and honor of serving over 500 families worldwide, through care packages, artwork, and relational support.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a young entrepreneur from Houston, Texas. As the founder and sole owner of Stroke of Hope Foundation for Childhood Cancer, I send care packages to children fighting cancer and their siblings. I am also an artist and graphic designer and use those skills to fundraiser both for my nonprofit and for individual families I serve. (Current Shirt Campaign: https://www.bonfire.com/hope-for-a-brighter-tomorrow/?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=campaign_page_share&utm_campaign=hope-for-a-brighter-tomorrow&utm_content=defaul)z
I also run many year-round fundraising campaigns, including making and selling bracelets, hand painted wall crosses & jewelry boxes, monetary crowdfunding, and an amazon list (https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/3598XZX4W8UR?ref_=cm_sw_r_mwn_ggr-subnav-share_SR3APT25VAAKHG8JBC9C&language=en-US)

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The most important qualities I’ve developed running my nonprofit thus far are humility, tenacity, and self-respect. My biggest advice relates to each of these. Firstly, stay humble. Stay kind. Put others before yourself. Trust in God as He leads you along this path. Remember that the most important measure of success is not your own personal gain, but the people you impact and the lives you touch. If you have a gift, put yourself out there. Steward well the talents you’ve been endowed. Secondly, don’t give up. Ever. Keep pushing. Things will always be slow in the beginning. There will be times that feel slow and like you are getting nowhere. But, stay steadfast. You will get there. You’ll find the right people to get you on your feet. And things will take off from there. Lastly, set your boundaries. Put policies in place. I had to learn the hard way that you can’t just blindly give everyone your ‘yes’. Pick your focus – then stick to it. Know your morals and limits – then stick to them. Not every wind that leads you will lead you the right way. Set your sights. Stay focused. Don’t stray.

Be hopeful. Be hardworking. Love God. Love People. Don’t stop.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

They let me fail.
Many parents try to guard their children from failure and disappointment. They think they’re protecting their child, but rather, they disadvantage them. They teach them to shrink. To think small. To dream small. To make the safe choice. Mine didn’t. They pushed me – hard – because they knew what I was capable of. They compelled me to try in everything. Great people are the product of greater parents. And I am so grateful to have parents as incredible as the ones I have.

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