Finding Support and Belonging: Anaviya C.

“There are ALWAYS people at StepUp Ministry to support you. As soon as you walk through the doors, you will find love, support, community, and resources."

When Anaviya met Teresa McNair, StepUp’s Office and Intake Manager, they clicked instantly. When Teresa first invited her to tour our Life Skills Program, Anaviya was very interested but had recently found out she was pregnant and wanted to wait so she could fully participate in her StepUp experience. She had her baby…and then two more…and the years went by. Lucky for Anaviya, Teresa never stopped reaching out. “I thought: this program must be good if she keeps calling about it!” When she finally joined StepUp, everything changed. StepUp became her first real community since moving from Washington state to Raleigh, where she knew no one.

At StepUp, she found a place where she and her kids genuinely felt welcomed and supported. Each week, she looked forward to Tuesday because “I knew I’d be around people who made me feel like I belonged.”

During the program, two of her now five children were diagnosed with autism. Though the process was daunting, StepUp staff walked alongside her, providing resources and encouragement to ease her journey. StepUp’s Children’s Program was also key to her learning about autism and to understanding how to better parent all her children.

“StepUp helped provide resources, family, community, and support when I had none. I was working to create a life for myself and my children, a life VERY different than what I experienced.”

Transportation issues, debilitating long COVID symptoms, and even a heartbreaking miscarriage made her StepUp journey difficult, but Anaviya did not give up. Guiding her were the lessons she had learned at StepUp: “Know your worth. Fight for what’s best for you, and for what you want.”

Life Skills helped Anaviya regain her confidence, and inspired by her experience with high childcare costs, especially for her children with special needs, she became certified to operate a small childcare facility. And this year, after years of training and planning, Anaviya finally achieved her ultimate career goal by opening her own inclusive childcare business, Sparkle Tots Childcare!

“People believed in my idea. It made me feel like I can actually do this. I can’t help but be obsessed with the transformation I had through StepUp and the success I’ve seen and experienced.”

In June 2025, Anaviya and her family were part of a life-changing event—her StepUp graduation. Through the program, she had built lasting friendships, experienced unconditional support, and found what she calls her “family by choice.” She plans to continue her growth through StepUp’s Alumni program.

“The support, the love, the community… It’s all here. Anybody can benefit from StepUp. As long as they’re looking to make changes and willing to do the work, the sky is the limit.”