Helping Children Reach Their Full Potential
"Teach, expose, encourage the youth"
About Us
Our Mission at “Baldwin’s Hopes and Dreams, Inc.” is to involve children and their families with a program which teaches, exposes, and encourages young individuals to develop their full academic potential.
Background
Mrs. Jimmie Lee Baldwin Johnson
Mrs. Jimmie Lee Baldwin Johnson, is the mother of the current Executive Director Mrs. Pamela Golson. She was a caregiver to her children and also to children around her community as well. She traveled miles to ensure her family was provided with meals and other household needs.
Mrs. Johnson also served as an LPN for years at a U.S. Public Health hospital before relocating and working as a hemodialysis technician. She was dedicated and had a passion to service teen moms and dads by providing transportation, housing and other support. She was a mentor and a counselor and spared no effort to help individuals rise above their circumstances. She received many awards over the years, but her greatest gratitude came from providing care to help others have a better life.
Mrs. Lizzie Mae Baldwin
Mrs. Lizzie Mae Baldwin cared for more than 100 individuals in her lifetime. She opened her home to families that migrated from Georgia, Florida, and New Jersey to Michigan during the time of the Great Migration.
She became a caregiver for various families with children ranging from infants up to teenagers. She also took care of her nieces, nephews, cousins, and other children every summer in order to ensure she helped those that she thought needed respite.
Mrs. Baldwin is the grandmother of the current Executive Director Mrs. Pamela Golson.
Mrs. Lauretta Young Baldwin
Mrs. Lauretta Young Baldwin, aunt of current Executive Director Mrs. Pamela Golson, was a kindergarten teacher at Stephen Foster Elementary in the Brewster Projects in Detroit, Michigan. She had a true passion for education and was dedicated to mold the young minds of children who were often overlooked living in underprivileged areas. She had opportunities to go to other schools and teach, but remained in the projects where she felt the students were in need. She later became a supervisor for student teachers and continued to influence those around her.
Mrs. Baldwin took Mrs. Golson under her wings during her youth and exposed her to a variety of cultural experiences and activities including musical events, teas, arts and crafts and other special programs. She even exposed her to college-sponsored events, allowing her to learn of schools within and outside of Michigan’s boundaries. As a result of her influence, Mrs. Golson too became a teacher and has carried forward the caregiving spirit to serve youth across her community.
Mrs. Pamela Golson
Pamela Golson is the founder and Executive Director of Baldwin's Hopes and Dreams, Inc. Mrs. Golson was born and raised in Detroit but has lived the majority of her adult life in Georgia. She attended and graduated from Western Michigan University and Clark Atlanta University, earning Bachelor and Master degrees.
Mrs. Golson is a retired school teacher and currently works as a Title 1 tutor. Her career includes teaching special and regular education classes in urban and rural school systems. She has experience working with children with autism and severe emotional and behavioral challenges. She has mentored and tutored elementary and middle school students for over 30 years. She began free tutorials during the summers so students, especially those with special needs, would not regress academically. She provided free tutorial to ESOL students/adults after school, as well as piano lessons. Mrs. Golson extended her services to family and friends in an at home summer camp. She included her children in the camp and also allowed them to assist her during tutorial sessions. Today, her children work actively in the community in robotics, STEM, Agriculture, mentoring groups, and athletics.
Her passion for helping others stems from her Detroit family roots through her grandmother, mother, and aunt. "If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain."
These three women have paved the way for the non-profit mentoring and tutoring program now known as Baldwin's Hopes and Dreams, Inc. They each had the common goal to help others achieve their hopes and dreams by simply providing them with care and an opportunity to achieve.