We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlene Morin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlene, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
AhavahDARE. Inc wasn’t something I planned for initially. My future aspirations in which I am still in pursuit of, is to become a Judge. I always knew I wanted to work with, and amongst young men within the criminal justice system, for more reasons than one. The thought process started, one day as I sat down awaiting the train at the Golden Glades Tri-Rail Train station headed to Opa-Locka as I attended the nearby HBCU Florida Memorial University. I picked up a Miami Herold article, headlined “Seventeen (17) men between the ages of 11- 19 yrs. old facing life in prison for non-homicidal crimes”.

Non-criminal homicides include killing in self-defense, a misadventure like a hunting accident or automobile wreck without a violation of law like reckless driving, or legal (government) execution; In laymen’s terms, non-criminal homicide covering a variety of circumstances which can result in the death of an individual. These homicides are not considered felonious incidents. And yet, seventeen (17) young men under the age of twenty one (21), in the state of Florida were facing life- sentences.

It was on this day, that the fire within began to grow. That article ignited something within that has led me where I am today. With time and further education, I decided to venture into helping these men during the afterlife of incarceration, as I saw a great need to decrease recidivism. Recidivism is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have experienced negative consequences of that behavior. Who would have thought 13 year later I would be starting a nonprofit catering to these very men.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets AhavahDARE apart is simply the love behind the action. AHAVAH means actions or acts of love, love, in Hebrew. And DARE as we know, means to have the courage to do something; defy or challenge (someone) to do something; challenge in order to prove courage. AhavahDARE: Action of love challenge. With the understanding that love is an action, and that it requires work, its not a feeling, but it begins as a divine thought, that then transcends into action in order to obtain the desired outcome. Either way you put it, telling someone you love them are mere words for the earth to receive, but to apply yourself to those words, in the form of an act of kindness or carnal gestures, brings those words to life.

I am really excited about what is to come for the clients and future clients of AhavahDARE. Although I have just begun, and still working out the details of this organization, I can truly see the lives of many men changing and progressing in the direction of success and purpose.

I can truly say I am here today because of the will within me, and the need to see better for those who has served and paid their debt to society. A second chance. This road to building a nonprofit from scratch is not easy, as with anything in life. Learning the financial inns- and outs, do’s and don’ts’ rules and regulations, and most important proper “peopling” skills is a task in itself, hence the reason for me returning to school, so that I may better equip myself and my board members on how to successfully run an organization.

As I delve deeper into building this organization, I have learned to lean on networking in order to help bring light to the cause, and time management skills. A lesson I can say I’ve come across is to maintain and or remain transparent at all times. People are all about getting to know what they don’t know and building trust. You are the best representation of you.

I want the world to understand that second chances are not as common as we think, because of a concept called Fundamental Attribution Error, which refers to an individual’s tendency to attribute another’s actions to their character or personality, while attributing their behavior to external situational factors outside of their control. Research shows that everyday human behavior is heavily influenced by external factors, yet when evaluating others’ behavior, you may wrongly perceive their actions as stemming from internal factors. which is something we all do. So, remember this mere habit that we have all formed consciously and or subconsciously and know that everyone deserves a second chance, even Ex-offenders. AhavahDARE’ s you to ACT in LOVE. #LoveDare.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a true homebody, but when bestie comes to visit, or decides to do a staycation, around this time of year Miami has South Beach Seafood Festival, and that’s the first thing we participate in as she loves sea food. Next, we would head out to Wynwood Art District in order to flood our Instagram’s with dope pictures with beautiful art filled backgrounds. I love the W hotel in Miami, so we would definitely stay there. One of the nights dinners would take place at the World Famous House of Mac. Some other food establishments consist of Tap 42 Craft Kitchen & Bar – Midtown Miami, Red Rooster down in Overtown, that’s a vibe! don’t let the area fool you out of a good time and great food. And of course, can’t be in the south and not have some Haitian Caribbean food, Kasa Champet Restaurant and Lounge in Pembroke Pines, Fort Lauderdale area, and everyone’s favorite mom and pop whole in the wall China Hut Haitian restaurant located in Lauderhill. Trust me when I say the food is amazing and the name is unique. We are big on food so that’s pretty much what our week would consist of, and some time at the beaches of course. Maybe a Haitian night club here and there. And last some quick night caps at the Blue Martini.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, the Lord God above who has ordered my steps, graced me with purpose, and placed this gift within. I cannot do this walk without God. Second, the support and the motivation from my soul sisters and family village as the process of forming a nonprofit is not for the weak. And I can truly say everyone has done their fair share of ensuring I stay the course. Learning to joggle two jobs, school, and parenting a toddler, my village is a MUST HAVE! And I appreciate them so much.

Website: https://ahavahdare.com/

Instagram: ahavahdare.inc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/charlene-morin-a8273341

Other: IG: Sobeyondfancy_2u

Image Credits
Photo: MetroProduction MyrthoJ Keyfootage Studios Hair and MUA: VPrettyFaces-Vanessa Alce BeeAesthetic – Alexandra Achille

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