Leslie Shired
Leslie’s life philosophy follows the quote by the memorable Maya Angelou - “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This is why Leslie has strived to empower children, families, and the communities surrounding her in her efforts to strengthen connections, unite communities, and bridge barriers, just as she was inspired by the various amounts of strong and resilient role models in her life. Born in South Carolina, but raised in a small town of less than 3,000 people in New Mexico, that is where Leslie’s spark for working with underserved families and children in rural areas began. Leslie’s passion for serving diverse families is inspired by being raised in a multicultural household to a single mother who was an Immigrant from Mexico. This has inspired and led Leslie to help organizations, as well as herself, serve hundreds of families - from children impacted by SED to working with first-time mothers who were trying to navigate motherhood during COVID. Leslie’s drive is to serve, provide a safe and nonjudgmental environment, and above all else support her community. Beyond what she does professionally, being around friends and family and enjoying occasional farmers and flea markets, as well as a good hike, bring Leslie joy. Leslie is filled with the sincerest gratitude on beginning and building this experience with the Playtime Project.
