Cheryl Hanes, founder and executive director of ComeUnity Village, has worked with children and youth all her adult life. Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Cheryl graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in journalism. She further matriculated at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK (education), South University in Columbia, SC (paralegal studies) and More Than Conquerors College in Charlotte, NC (Christian ministry).

Cheryl has enjoyed countless years of serving others both locally and abroad. For years she volunteered through Victory Christian Center with a children’s outreach program which visited the homes and transported the children to the multipurpose facility for meals, recreation, field trips and education weekly, as well as provided clothing and groceries as needed. Cheryl also volunteered at the women’s shelter provided through the church.

Cheryl has taught 3^rd grade, children’s church, and bible and ministry school. In addition, she has travelled internationally for missions to Haiti, South Africa, and Jamaica. Cheryl is a published author, an editor, a wellness advocate, and an ordained minister. She enjoys writing, laughing, teaching, music, serving and hearing other people’s stories.

She became a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) volunteer in 2006 in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, NC), and upon recommendation was soon hired as a GAL supervisor. In 2008, sensing a pull to return to the Triangle, she applied and was hired as a supervisor with the Wake County GAL program.

During her work with GAL and collaboration with Child Welfare and other local agencies, the dire need for safe homes for children in the foster care system became increasingly magnified to her. In 2014, Cheryl became a licensed foster parent and has cared for therapeutic youth ages 7-18 years old over the past 10 years. She worked for nearly 16 years with the GAL program before taking early retirement to continue her pursuits full-time and to follow the “call” to build a community that will come together in unity to build a village to support aging out youth in their transition into adulthood, hence ComeUnity Village. Because it takes a village, and we all need one.