Dana Burns, Founder and CEO of the Permanent Voice Foundation, poses for a photo with her daughter Tierra Neal on July 30th at WABA Hair & Beauty Supply in Phoenix. Burns says Tierra was her inspiration for starting the Permanent Voice FoundationJoseph Cooke / The Republic Although born and raised in southern Phoenix, Dana Burns didn’t always see herself as a voice for her community. But as she looks back on all that she has overcome, she hears a call to service. Burns often says that victory is in her voice, and uses phrases like “I will” and “I can” to describe her efforts to achieve her goals – not “maybe” or “hopefully”. But before she was ready to donate to her community, she had to give everything to bring her daughter home. “It’s just me and her,” Burns told The Arizona Republic. “Everything I do is for her and, of course, the community, but she’s my number one.” Finding Her Voice Burns raised her daughter Tierra Neal from an early age, but they are not biologically related. The two got close when Burns was with Neal’s father, but Burns soon realized that she and her daughter needed to distance themselves from him. But since she and Neal were not related, the court ruled that Neal had to stay with her father. It was a confusing, heartbreaking time for both of them. Neal was about 6 years old when Burns and her father separated and 11 years old when Burns’ battle for guardianship began. Neal recalls her father telling her not to see Burns anymore. She felt trapped and scared. “I was scared when (my father) told me I couldn’t see her,” said Neal. “I wanted to see her, but I was scared to say something.” But when Neal’s father was arrested after leading the police in a 2017 car chase with Neal in the back seat, Burns was able to raise enough money to hire a lawyer . Eventually, she was awarded the tutelage of Neal. That’s when she was inspired to start her nonprofit A Permanent Voice Foundation, the name of which symbolizes her custody battle. “I felt like I didn’t have a voice going through these dishes,” said Burns. “She didn’t have a voice as a child that said, ‘Don’t take me from her’.” She added the word “permanent” to symbolize Neal’s permanent guardianship. It had been two years since she could see Neal and the two worked to re-establish their relationship, and eventually Neal became a permanent member of A Permanent Voice Foundation’s Target, Child Welfare Policy, and the Arizona Department of Child Safety to reform in Phoenix. Faces of Arizona: Being diagnosed with autism helped Morgan Harper Nichols better understand her art – and herself. She decided that this would be her calling. “I literally fell in love with these people,” said Burns. “So the summer ended, but I felt the need to keep helping these people … We went out and served them, interacted with them, played games with them and the life that could be seen happened.” Learn from their past and refine their openness to speak firmly, effectively, and without anger. It seems that with each passing day she is finding more causes and people to connect with. It is natural for her to give wherever she can. She has used her platform and new found connections to speak out on issues affecting South Phoenix, such as crosswalks at dangerous intersections, parental mental health and police responsibilities, in addition to her work for the seniors who use her services to take. “I am a willing servant,” said Burns. “I am a willing participant to help others. I think our goal is to serve others, to respect others, to love others, to share love with one another. ”When the relationship between Burns and Neal blossomed again, the two were able to lead protests and clothing, food – and organize toy drives several times a year for the senior citizens of GrandFamilies Place, even as the pandemic weighed on nonprofits like yours. Last Christmas, her friend and supporter Roy Dawson – executive director of the Arizona Center for African American Resources – referred former Buffalo Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander to A Permanent Voice as Burns prepares for a Christmas trip. She didn’t want to ask too much of him, but Alexander insisted on giving her $ 5,000 to buy everything she needed. She was able to bring Christmas presents to all 54 families she works with. “During the pandemic, gifts became scarce,” recalls Burns. “But God always has a ram in the bush. (Alexander) has really blessed these families. ”Much of Burns’ work over the past few years has resulted from partnering with other organizations and grants that she calls” Blessings. ” Most recently, she teamed up with local radio station Mega 104.3 FM and Waba Hair and Beauty Supply to host a fundraiser and start a GoFundMe to buy 50 laptops for seniors raising their grandchildren at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s office empowering incarcerated people, reducing relapses, and encouraging people to leave toxic environments. The idea came to her after reading Vernon Brundage Jr.’s book of the same name, which combined self-help, basketball, and writing. Dana Burns, Founder and CEO of the Permanent Voice Foundation, poses for a photo at WABA Hair & Beauty Supply in Phoenix on July 30th. Joseph Cooke / The Republic have a positive opinion of themselves and their lives. Burns said she understood her plight as someone who had been incarcerated before and could overcome it, earn four college degrees, and embark on a new path. Burns was jailed for 30 days after pleading guilty of theft in 2004. In 2006 she was arrested again, this time with Neal’s father, on charges of stealing her employer, the City of Phoenix. News outlets aired their previous conviction but apparently never reported that while Neal’s father pleaded guilty of trafficking in human beings and was sentenced to five years in prison, all charges against Burns’ experiences that led them to change their lives and change it for others were dismissed to dedicate. “It’s just a standstill,” said Burns. “It’s just a break in our music. We got our pause, fast forward, and play, right? So you’re on this hiatus right now and anytime that release day will be your game date if you push the game forward, Love. A Call to Service South Phoenix may not be the richest community, but it is rich because of the families who have lived there for generations as well “We are rich people in southern Phoenix, rich in love, rich in compassion for our people,” she said. “We respect one another in South Phoenix. It’s just love down there. ”The strength in her community is something Burns hopes her charitable endeavors expand to. For Neal, now 16, her mother’s efforts in the community have helped her realize how great a single action can be. “With little things like clothes and food, you can change a lot of people’s lives,” said Neal. “You can be a blessing to others.” Burns’ only complaint is that she is a person and cannot do everything on her own, something Neal teases her about because she engages outside of her regular job. There were times when Burns wished she were a superwoman so that she could be present for her daughter and the community at the same time, Burns said. These days, Neal wants to become an actress, her grades are stable, and her personal life is peaceful. Her interest in the arts made her more confident, but it took much of her inspiration from Burns. During a recent conversation she chuckled as she explained why she said Burns is so strong. “You do a lot of things yourself,” Neal said to Burns. “By God, of course, but it’s always good. You always do a good job. ”Megan Taros covers South Phoenix for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip? You can reach her at mtaros@gannett.com or on Twitter @megataros. Their reporting is supported by Report for America and a grant from the Vitalyst Health Foundation. This story is part of the Faces of Arizona series. Do you have any feedback or ideas about who we should cover? Mail it to Editor Kaila White at kaila.white@arizonarepublic.com Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
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