Meet Yvonne Pointer

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yvonne Pointer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Yvonne , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

On December 6, 1984, my fourteen-year-old daughter, Gloria, was raped and murdered. Her case remained unsolved for twenty-nine years. I promised her, as I stood over her satin-lined casket, that I would find her killer. Over the years, my search took me into some very dark places physically, mentally and spiritually. I will confess that I was often discouraged, but the promise kept me moving forward. One night, when it felt as if I could not go any further, I cried out to God for release. I actually wanted to die. My strength was failing, and the pain was too overwhelming. I remembered simply saying, as I stood in the stairwell with tears streaming down my face, that I did not have a reason to live. The harder I cried, the more discouraged I became. Suddenly, a gentle whisper filled my thoughts, “I will be your reason.” On that night, my purpose was born. I would serve others. Serve those who, like myself, needed a reason to live. It was that service that saved my life and provided me with a purpose.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I operate two nonprofits, Positive Plus, a self-help support group for women facing trauma, and the Gloria Pointer Teen Movement in Ghana, West Africa. Positive Plus meets monthly and has formed Sister Circles where participants can share in a sacred space their life struggles. We seek solutions that can be found with the person sitting next to you.
In Ghana, I fund schools, orphanages, a library, a clinic, and more in memory of my daughter.

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

The three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge would be
Faith. hope and tenacity.
The advice that I would have for folks is to find strength in a power greater than themselves.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Without sounding clichéd, I would say that the Bible has played the most significant role in my development. I have found great consolation from people in the scriptures who have endured hardships but kept the faith.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.yvonnepointer.com
• Facebook: yvonne pointer