About Us

Our Founder

Brenda Byrd was born and raised in Bridgeton. She graduated from Bridgeton High School class of 1980. At the age of eight her Mother was murdered by an act of gun violence. Her father was absent from the family so there was uncertainty as to who for her and her six siblings. Her eldest sister turned eighteen a month later and petitioned the court for guardianship and she won. She was never offered counseling after this tragedy and it never occurred to them that they needed therapy. This was in part due to the fact that mental health therapy was not socially accepted in African American Community. She volunteered herself for therapy at the age of 25 to help her deal with the traumatic event. That was when her life changed and she learned the value of the therapeutic process and the need to help individuals receive mental health services. She has devoted most of her personal and professional life helping individuals realize that what happened to them do not define who they are or who they can become. She completed her Master degree in Human Services in 2010 at Lincoln University. She is now a Licenses Professional Counselor and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She is a proud mother to her son Hunter J Byrd the Vice President of ByrdWings. Over time, she realized how this one event had affected generations of her family. Her dream is to help to change the trajectory of the lives of individuals and help them to realize that what they have been through or going through do not define who they are. She has always wanted to start a Non-Profit organization to help other individuals who have suffered from traumatic experiences; experiences that often lead to substance abuse, homelessness, and broken families. With that goal in mind she started ByrdWings in honor of two of her sisters Thomasina Byrd and Tressie Byrd Ingram who sadly passed away before they had the opportunity to soar above their adversity.