Angela Oakley returns to Chicagoland to support mothers impacted by gun violence

She left Chicagoland for the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Now Angela Oakley is back and she's coming home with purpose. Angela is here with Ariel Denae Rainey, founder of Paint the Hood Orange, an initiative aimed at uplifting local mothers who have lost children to gun violence. Hello. How are you? We are so honored to have you. We have so many fans of Real Housewives here on Good Day Chicago. Angela, welcome to you. So talk a little bit about what you're going to be doing while you're home. I know you grew up in Harvey and all of this kicks off with a street renaming in your honor. I am elated. I am so happy to be back home. I have already eaten everything that I can hold. So now I'm going to be eating everything that I can hold. I just want to get to my family, get loved on, and just see my people. This is my city. I'm so happy to be back. Well, we're happy as well. And probably some people out there are surprised. They're like, wait, she's from Harvey? Tell us about growing up in Harvey and how you made your way to Atlanta. You've been so successful, not just on the show, but with your career as well. You know what? I grew up with a lot of love, and growing up in Harvey, love was the only currency I needed. I had a grandmother and a mother who instilled in me that I should educate myself to get to where I needed to be. I became educated, I set goals, and I just knocked them out. But it definitely started with the love that I had with my family and the community around me. So Harvey loved me on up. Yeah, tell me a little bit about this Paint the Hood Orange initiative and the luncheon. And then I want to talk to the founder as well, who's going to join us in just a second. But talk about your participation in this and how much it means to you to do this for the community. It means a lot to me to do this for the community. Paint the Hood Orange and I align because I am unfortunately Thank you. Well, my daughter's father was a victim of gun violence and I had to raise a child as a single mother as the result of him being taken from her. And I met Ariel and we just aligned, we clicked, we cried, we just loved on each other and I wanted to support her in any way that I could and here we are. Ariel, I want to bring you into the conversation. Tell me about your organization and how you're helping local mothers heal. Yes, so Paint the Hood Orange is an initiative of Hustle Mommies, and we are a social service agency that's dedicating to helping moms that have been impacted by gun violence but also have other needs that they have as it relates to social service needs. And so when Angela contacted me and we reached out and we just had a conversation, she represents the Hustle Mommy, the mom who went to school, started a business. Launched a business in the community and really wanted to give back. And it's so important that we're having this lunch because our special guest is moms throughout the Southland where she grew up, Westside, Southside, near Northside, the Chicagoland area, who either lost a child. Or who also lost a baby to gun violence. Some have even been shot themselves as victims of domestic violence. So having these women in the space and working with amazing people like Mayor Thaddeus Jones and his team in Calumet City and so many different people across the Southland is super important. And we're just thankful that Angela is finally using this opportunity to tell her story to give back to other moms. You know, I know that you're talking about the south suburbs as well, but here in the city of Chicago, Ariel, you talk to the mayor or someone with the police department, they're like, oh, it's getting safer, it's better. When you speak to these moms and people in the community, Ariel, do you see that? Well, I'm from Englewood, and Hustle Mommies is Chicagoland-wide, so the city and the surrounding suburbs. And although gun violence has went down, in the black and brown communities where there are socioeconomic issues, they don't feel that way. Our moms do not feel safe. However, we've been working with different elected officials and individuals to really help them with that story, and they've been working with us. On helping with solutions and providing resources with those moms and families that's been impacted. But it's still an issue because stats show us that black communities still have the highest rates of gun violence compared to other communities. I know you talk a lot about resources and that Angela is going to be helping out with this. What kind of resources are we talking about for these moms? And if there's a family member watching who needs help, where can they go? Yes. So we're collaborating with our Mom Who Grew From Concrete program where we have teamed up with therapists throughout the Chicagoland area to make sure they get healing because healing is important because grief and what I call hood trauma is real. We also help with basic living needs, things like that. And so Angela is dedicated to helping our moms with mental health, but also because she's a hustle mommy and launched a successful business, making sure moms are healing, but also if they have a hustle that they're looking to create generational wealth. by launching a business, she's going to be supporting that through mentorship and other opportunities. And so if you're looking for resources, because a lot of people, whether you experienced gun violence two, three, five, 10 years ago, we are here for you. You can go to hustlemommies.org and subscribe. Angela Oakley and her foundation, Angela D. Reed Foundation is going to continue to work with us. And we're going to make sure we get these moms together with their hustles and a mental and get them emotionally and physically back to themselves. Angela, before we let you go, what is next for you? Next is launching my foundation, the Angela D. Reed Foundation, to pick up from where we're starting today and carry on and move forward and help these people in need. And there's still tickets available for the lunch, and I have to ask that as well. Absolutely, absolutely, come out and there's no charge, just come support, I'll be happy to see everyone. Any advice for single moms out there, Angela, who might be struggling and they're like, you know what, I wanna start a side hustle. How do you start? What is the first step? First step is believing, right? And when I was a single mom, I wrote a promise note to my daughter, and I made a promise of everything I wanted to have for her, and I just started checking off my list. Yes. Studies say that people who write goals accomplish them far more than people who don't write them at all. So I'm a big goal writer, and looking at my child served as my... My focus, my force, and my reasons. So look at that baby and become motivated to give them a better life. Yeah, there's no better motivation. I've got a little soon-to-be nine-month-old at home, and I agree with you. I'm like, you look at that little baby, and you're like, oh, what can I do for you? Angela, restaurant recommendations. Since you're back in town, where do you have to go? Here we go. Last night, we went to a place called Southern Cuisine. Southern Chicago, that's my favorite, Southern Chicago, it was so good. It was so good and I don't eat leftovers when I tell you I was eating leftovers this morning. It is so good. Okay, well, we've got our weekend plans. Ladies, thank you so much, Ariel. Best of luck with the organization and good luck to you as well, Angela, with your new foundation that you're launching. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you.