Our Mission
Our mission is to develop and support programs that directly impact and improve the lives of individuals and families through community involvement and charitable donations
Our Story
Vanese Agape Family Service & Learning Center (VAFSLC) is a family-owned and operated 501c3 non-profit corporation that disburses over 98% of our donations directly to various community programs and services. Founded in 2001 by a group of individuals focused on bettering the community for themselves and future generations, they saw the need for resources, developmental programs, and activities that would create the most effective approach for growth in the families and individuals in the community. Each member committed to making personal financial contributions and investments of at least $1,500/year to the organization and they were willing to sacrifice the necessary time needed to accomplish the goal to serve their community.
Vanese Agape is named after the late Lashanna Vanese Dukes-Dunn who was the epitome of a young Christian wife and mother who died of Lupus at the age of 29. One of the members that helped founded the organization was the cousin of Lashanna, the late Keisha F. Bodden, a young Christian mother of three children who had a great commitment to educating young minds and improving the quality of life for children of all ages. Keisha battled breast cancer for 11 years and spent a great deal of time and energy finding ways to impact the community around her in a positive way. She died from breast cancer at the young age of 32. Vanese Agape is committed to honoring their family values and carrying on the work that they started.
“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.”
— St. Augustine
As we strive to continue carrying the heart of our founders in serving communities well, we continue to grow and find new ways to make the lives of the communities around us the best that they can be to walk out our mission as an organization.
