Exploring Life & Business with Malkia Fielder of Angels Encamped Foundation

Today we’d like to introduce you to Malkia Fielder.

Hi Malkia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was raised in a home and church that taught me to take care of others. We participated in a lot of community events catering to the homeless and less fortunate. In 2015, I collaborated with a few family members to make our efforts an official organization.

We started off cooking and meal prepping for the homeless and distributing around the inner city. We began reaching out to local organizations and facilities to become a resource and emergency response team for them.

Gradually, as we began to feed more, we also began to distribute more hygiene products and clothing items. In approx. Jan 2020 we opened our first community clothing closet, open to the public.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not all roads have been smooth. There were many obstacles trying to get started. Many people in this industry that are considered “big” or “successful” have friends in high places. For us, we are all we have… and those who are around to truly see our efforts.

It’s also difficult at times to truly prove to those who aren’t close to you, that you are serious and active, without publicity. We believe in respecting the needy, therefore don’t take a lot of pictures. Politics is another thing that brings challenges. Politicians control the revenue and rules, which aren’t always in favor of those we are assisting. Therefore we have to be creative in ways to support our mission.

As you know, we’re big fans of Angels Encamped Foundation. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Angels Encamped Foundation is a non-profit 501c3 organization serving the homeless and those in need in the Kansas City, MO urban core. We were founded in 2015 by our current president, Malkia “Kiki” Fielder.

Our main focus is to assist in transitioning the homeless and provide to those in need, daily living requirements, like food, clothing, personal hygiene items, shelter, and resources. We focus on the needs of all people in our community, especially children. We are working hard to create and implement programs to save them from poverty, homelessness, violence, illiteracy, and preventable life experience crisis’.

We are privileged to have volunteers and members ranging in ages from exquisite two years old to our wonderful senior citizens.

The vision for Angels Encamped Foundation came from the love and compassion our founder and president Malkia “KiKi” Fielder has to help everyone around her to the best of her ability. There have been times in her life that she sacrificed all she had to help others and felt as though she was a phone call away from homelessness. There were days she felt alone, even though she knew she wasn’t. These experiences made her determined to make sure others around her didn’t have to experience these things if she could help it.

She shared her thoughts and experiences with a few close, like-minded people who helped her begin to follow her heart and dream to help the homeless and those in need as an organization. Since Angels Encamped Foundation’s start, we have learned to share what people need; some need homes and food, while others need a friend, someone to listen or a hug. No matter the need, we are dedicated to being available to assist those that are trying to help themselves, to ensure true progress.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I believe that being consistent is very important for the effectiveness of my organization.

Contact Info:

• Email: angelsencampedfoundation@gmail.com
• Website: www.AngelsEncampedFoundationKCMO.org