Serving With A Purpose was founded on the belief that students should not have to overcome poverty before they can access education and opportunity.

 

Serving With A Purpose (S.W.A.P.) is a community-centered nonprofit organization focused on removing barriers that prevent students and families in underserved communities from thriving academically, emotionally, and economically. Through school-based wraparound support, workforce development, family empowerment initiatives, and collaborative community partnerships, S.W.A.P. works to create pathways toward long-term stability, dignity, and success.

At the heart of the organization are the S.W.A.P. Resource Centers — dignity-centered support hubs embedded directly within Title I schools. These centers provide students and families with immediate access to essential resources such as clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, shoes, food assistance, household essentials, and additional wraparound support services. By placing resources directly inside trusted school environments, S.W.A.P. helps reduce barriers to access, increase family engagement, and strengthen educational stability for students.

As the organization continues to grow, S.W.A.P. is also expanding initiatives focused on workforce development, financial literacy, mental wellness, and long-term family empowerment. Through programs such as Pathways To Purpose and future social enterprise initiatives like Shop With A Purpose, the organization is building a sustainable ecosystem designed not only to respond to crisis, but to help families move toward economic stability and self-sufficiency.

 

Founder’s Story

Serving With A Purpose was founded by Dr. Melissa Toney, an educator, leader, advocate, and visionary passionate about educational equity and community transformation. Before founding the organization, Dr. Toney served as a kindergarten teacher and also worked at the middle and high school levels. She later supported educational leadership at both the campus and district levels, including working alongside a superintendent of schools and board of trustees.

Throughout her years in education, Dr. Toney consistently witnessed how unmet basic needs directly impacted students’ confidence, attendance, behavior, mental wellness, and academic performance. She saw educators personally stepping in to support students in crisis and families struggling to navigate fragmented systems while trying to survive daily hardships.

Those experiences deeply impacted her and revealed a critical truth: many students are expected to succeed academically while lacking the basic stability and support necessary to do so.

Driven by a passion to create meaningful, sustainable change, Dr. Toney founded Serving With A Purpose to help redefine what support looks like within schools and communities. What began as a vision to support students with basic needs has grown into a broader movement focused on restoring dignity, strengthening families, and creating healthier communities where students and families can truly thrive.

Today, Dr. Toney continues leading the organization with the belief that “Help is NOT coming…We are the help.”