ABOUT US
Our goal is to help you overcome trauma and live the life you deserve.
Balancing Life & Kids, Inc. is a non-profit 501c3 organization that provides trauma-informed services to at-risk individuals with the aim of enhancing emotional stability, development, and strength. The organization serves both children and adults, with programs tailored to both groups respectively.
BLK serves both Pennsylvania and Georgia, and serves over 5,000 people annually.
With curated programs, events, and services, our goal is to decrease community violence, one healed person at a time.
Our hand picked board of directors grant their time and expertise into the organization to ensure that years of science, personal experiences, and longevity of effectiveness ensures that each program that we deliver leaves our participants whole and healed.
Our Board Members
Kishna J. Celce
Our executive director, Kishna Celce, has implemented and managed youth development programs for the last 18 years. She has created, facilitated, and sustained both afterschool and summer programming in Philadelphia and in Georgia. With a degree in Social Work and several clinical certifications in trauma-informed practices, Mrs. Celce has been providing trauma-informed programming for the past 2 years within the community and is now partnering with the Philadelphia Charter School system to provide trauma-informed emotional development programming to youth in the aims of decreasing truancy, decreasing violent and disruptive outburst in school, providing education and comprehension around processing emotions, developing skills around self/emotional regulation, and creating a safer environment for both students and staff within the schools.
LaKeya Williams
Meet our lead licensed therapist, La-Keya Williams. Lakeya currently possesses a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Rosemont College and two years of clinical psychology education from The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Instilling hope and resilience through treatment is a hallmark of her work. For almost 15 years, Lakeya has had the awesome privilege of providing therapy and case management to diverse individuals. Particularly, within intensive outpatient and outpatient settings, she has assisted individuals in compassionate care coordination and in creating and executing individualized plans to heal. As a cis-gender woman of color, Lakeya has both lived experience and clinical experience that attest to the importance of using culturally centered and trauma-informed interventions/clinical skills to dismantle barriers to treatment and healing for communities of color.
Dr. Elna Poulard
Dr. Poulard is the Founder and President of Family Support Circle, Inc. She has a wide range of experience in Home and Community-Based Programs, Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, Youth Development, Mentoring & Coaching, Juvenile Delinquency and Homeless Services. In addition to her vast experience, she has an infinite passion for helping others succeed in life. One of her main focuses is empowering young men and women to become leaders in their communities and in the world.
Garry Mills
In 2009 Garry Mills, a resident of West Oak Lane, was upset that several of his friends had died, victims of gun violence. To Garry, one death was one too many. “No More” became his deeply felt and spoken mantra. No more children being shot by one another. NO MORE funerals for young people murdered in their prime. NO MORE losing the contributions and aspirations of young people to an early grave. NO MORE! Garry felt a change had to be made; there had to be a positive response. Our mission is simple. “Shoot Basketballs NOT People uses basketball as the vehicle to save and change the lives of youth.” It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization helps all youths who struggle with the peer pressure to pursue destructive behavior as a way of life. SBNP yearns to decrease violence that inhibits our youth of their childhood and perpetuates a cycle in which too many of today’s victims become tomorrow’s criminals.
Nia Dayo Curtis-Taylor
Nia- Dayo graduated from West Chester University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. Nia-Dayo continued her graduate education and earned her Master's in Human Services with a concentration in Counseling from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Nia-Dayo is a Licensed Behavioral Specialist and Licensed Master Social Worker. Nia-Dayo has 20 years plus of helping children and families in the social service field. Since 2011, Nia-Dayo’s career focused on Out-Patient Counseling for Children, Adults and Families assisting them in reaching their therapeutic goals, effective communication skills for relationship building, while utilizing evidence base treatments. Nia-Dayo has worked in Community Mental Health Agencies, School base Out-Patient Therapy, Early intervention ( Development and Autism base birth-5 years) , Child Care Development and Behavioral Programs, Play Therapy, Behavioral Modifications, Mindfulness, and Relaxation Techniques.
Anthony Royster
Anthony Royster graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Eberly School of Business. He launched his professional career in sales where he successfully increased revenues by 298%. He facilitated the grand opening of the Finish Line, Athletic Shoes and Apparel, at the Macy’s Roosevelt location. Moreover, he was ranked third in the district relative to the Black Friday’s sales and named, “Top Loss Prevention Success Story” in the LP Newsletter. Soon afterward, Anthony became a Certified Financial Education Instructor by TD Bank where he was highly successful in meeting individual sales goals that subsequently boosted his overall team goals. He then moved on to become a licensed insurance agent for New York Life - his goal was to educate all families about the importance of getting their homes in order...the right way! Thus, he sold $10.2 million in life insurance and was presented the “Gold Award” in the African American market for being integral in the 50 Billion Dollar Empowerment Plan ultimately leading him to becoming an Executive Council Agent, which is reserved for top agents at New York Life.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT
Make an Impact
Balancing Life and Kids is an organization that works tirelessly to support adults and youth in our community. Our mission is to empower individuals with the tools they need to lead healthy, balanced lives, and we do this through classes, workshops, and other programs. To help us continue our important work, make a donation today. y supporting Balancing Life and Kids with a donation, you are not only contributing to a worthy cause but also helping yourself. Many donations are eligible for tax write-offs, which means you can reap the benefits both personally and professionally by giving back to Balancing Life and Kids.
