About me
Faith Saunders has worked as a trainer for more than 25 years, and during this time, has served in different roles across several organizations in the for-profit, not-for-profit, and government sectors. Despite working in diverse fields, her passion for helping people from different backgrounds has always remained constant.
Faith started her career at Rutgers University, formerly known as the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). During her 12-year tenure, she was responsible for administering and enhancing various programs. She received a master’s degree in Psychiatric Rehabilitation from the same university and served as an adjunct professor for the School of Health Related Professionals for multiple years. After departing from Rutgers, Faith established Career Connection Employment Resource Institute (CCERI), a statewide employment initiative funded by the State of New Jersey.
Faith made the shift to becoming a ‘full-time’ entrepreneur in 2014 after founding Discover A New Future, where she offers management and professional development workshops. For five years, she was the Executive Producer and host of the Discover A New Future Show, which was aired weekly on Princeton Community TV. Faith is also the author of two books: BREAK FREE: 52 Tips to Escape from Your Self-imposed Prison and Journal to Wellness: Live the Life you Desire and Deserve. She has also contributed to other books, such as Stephanie Clark’s “Life as a Single Mom: It Isn’t Easy, or Is It?” published in 2007.
In her personal life, Faith balanced a demanding professional career while raising two young children as a single parent. This was no easy task. This experience led her to create I Can Make A Difference, a nonprofit organization that provides emotional support to single parents. Faith strongly believes that emotionally healthy parents raise children who are better able to cope with life’s challenges. Established in 2010, the organization has made a significant impact on the lives of many.
Faith was once asked how she would describe herself. She replied, “someone who is trying to leave the world a better place than when I entered it.”
What do you do and why do you do it?
During this phase of my life, my goal is to create a lasting legacy that will benefit single parents for generations to come. Hence, I founded I Can Make A Difference (iCMAD), a nonprofit geared at supporting single parents with their emotional wellness.
As a single parent, I experienced firsthand some of the challenges that many single parents face, such as childcare, transportation, and financial instability. However, single parents today face many more challenges than before. For example, it’s more challenging to keep children safe in today’s world of cell phones and the internet than it was when my own children were young.
As single parents, we will continue to encounter various hurdles; that is life. However, the outcomes will be strongly influenced by how they are perceived and addressed. This is where iCMAD comes in – our programs are designed to help single parents develop healthy coping strategies to navigate the challenges of parenting. We firmly believe that emotionally stable parents are better equipped to raise emotionally stable children.
What changed for you after age 50?
I decided that I wanted to live life on my terms. At 52, I left the security of a 9-5 job and became a ‘full-time’ entrepreneur. That was the beginning of a wonderful, sometimes scary but fulfilling journey.
What would you tell the 20 or 30-year-old YOU?
What do you think you’ll tell yourself in retrospect at the end of your life?
I did my best. Job well done.
What impact do you think increased visibility can have on your business?
It will assist iCMAD to be able to assist more single parents and increase our funding.
Who or what inspires you and why?
My mother. Although she was not a single parent, my mother touched many people’s lives. She was compassionate, empathetic, and demonstrated this through action. My mother passed in 2021 in Jamaica. So many people told my siblings and myself about what my mother did for them. Things like…
- “There were many days that I would have gone to bed hungry if your mother did not give me something to eat.”
- “Ms. Edna told me to come by and when I did, she gave me a pair of shoes. I did not know she noticed the ones I had had a hole.”
- “We did not have any money to send our child to school, and your parents gave it to us.”
My siblings and I knew she was kind but were blown away by some of what we heard.
