Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmen Foy.
Carmen, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a child survivor of domestic violence, was bullied in middle school, and had self-image/self-esteem issues. I didn’t have anyone to educate me on social issues back then, so I had no idea what they were; I just knew that it didn’t feel good and was emotionally draining – especially as a kid.
When I got to high school, I engulfed myself in sports; so much that I was voted on by my senior class peers as “Most Athletic”, however, this didn’t take away the emotional scars I’d been carrying for so long. Fortunately, I learned to rely on my faith at an early age, and this is what got me through. I didn’t learn the real meaning of friendship until I got to college. This is where I met lifelong friends who valued me, treated me with respect, and taught me the meaning of what it’s like to have great peer relationships.
In my adult life, while leaving work one day I noticed a teenage girl being bullied by other girls. The instant emotional connection that I had with that young lady (without evening knowing her), at that very moment, brought back so many memories. I could definitely relate. And although I was on a great path in my life – a college graduate, the career I’d always wanted, working for a Fortune 500 company, and had attended a few personal development courses that taught me the meaning of purpose and value, I began to wonder, “What if this young girl who’s experiencing what I’d experienced doesn’t have the outlets like faith, sports, or a supportive circle like I had to help her through this? What if as a result of this, she feels she’s not valued and turn to a life of promiscuity and becomes another statistic?” It was clear to me that at that moment, I knew what my purpose in life was. It was to become to them (young girls), who I needed when I was their age. As a result, I began mentoring young girls and in June 2013, Rated PG PurityGirl, Inc. was born.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all. There were times when my childhood memories would come back to haunt me. So much that fear overruled my life, I dealt with anxiety, and I was totally stressed out. When this happened, I became stagnant and backed up – to a point where PurityGirl had to take a backseat to my emotions until I fully dealt with “Carmen”. This, too, was a blessing, because now when I stand to speak in front of young girls, I can be totally transparent in telling my imperfect story. How I made many mistakes, how fear & anxiety controlled my life, and how from time to time, I still fall prey to my history but with God’s help and guidance, I’m good. WE’RE good! So much, that I retired from Southwest Airlines in August 2018 to fulfill my purpose full-time. I praise God for His faithfulness, and I thank my husband (Barak Foy) for his love, support, and encouragement.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Rated PG PurityGirl – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
PurityGirl, Inc. is what I call a “Girl Advocacy” organization with a purpose to Educate, Empower, and Advocate for young girls on social issues of today (bullying, teen pregnancy, human trafficking, identity crisis, self-image/esteem, etc.) regardless of their socioeconomic status. Social issues have heightened in our world today and seem to have gotten worse – therefore, it is beyond necessary to educate our girls on these issues because knowledge is power.
Since its conception in June 2013, Purity Girl Inc. has answered the call by impacting the lives of thousands of girls from different communities and in various cities. With initiatives rooted in educating girls on what lies ahead of them in society so that they are empowered to make better choices and decisions, we’ve hosted Abstinence & Celibacy workshops, Health & Wellness seminars, and Teen Girl Roundtables – just to name a few. In the Summer of 2019, in addition to traveling to the country of Belize to do missions work with Sowing Seeds of Joy Missions Ministries (Dallas, Texas), PurityGirl Inc. launched a campaign called #EducateHER in which the organization would go on to make this initiative our mantra for the year, focusing on Self Worth, the Identity Crisis, Anti-Bullying, and even partnering with the Traffick911 organization (Dallas) to educate Girls on the world’s most powerful epidemic – Human Trafficking. The campaign was such a big success that we received several invitations to be a part of other youth summer events in the surrounding states and will continue to focus on this mission for years to come.
Purity Girl, Inc. believes that empowering girls to use their voices and stand for what they believe in provides them ownership and reminds them that they do matter. Our organization’s desire is to passionately support and educate our Girls – be the voice they seek to find, and the change they seek to have. Girls just want to be a part of something, and it’s up to us to make sure that what they are a part of is both empowering and life-changing.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like about Dallas is the support and opportunity that it has to offer. Dallas is a beautiful city that lends itself to organizations like PurityGirl, Inc. and doesn’t hesitate to fulfill the need. Our city is growing rapidly and is getting younger and younger … and this is good for PurityGirl, Inc.
We need more organizations for young boys – to develop them, guide them, and lead them. There are definitely some WONDERFUL organizations here in Dallas for boys, we just need more. What a great opportunity!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.RatedPurityGirl.org
- Phone: 214-444-9795
- Email: Info@RatedPurityGirl.org
- Instagram: @RatedPurityGirl
- Facebook: PurityGirl, Inc.
- Twitter: @RatedPurityGirl
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