Uncrowned Community Builders

Born in Alton, Illinois the third child of Melvin and Lena Harris, Wendy Christine Harris moved to Buffalo, New York with her family 9 months after she was born. So she considers herself a native Buffalonian. Educated in Buffalo and a graduate of the State University College at Buffalo, Wendy H. Anderson is currently the owner of a home-based business. The business is called WORDS and as a Grantwriter Consultant, Wendy attends to the needs of nonprofit organizations and individuals in the areas of proposal writing and program development. Additionally, she conducts grantwriting workshops, writes business plans, and is a Notary Public. WORDS offers a variety of administrative services including word processing, professional writing, proofing, editing/revising, and photocopying and duplicating. Services are targeted to inner city and minority organizations because they are the most in need of financial resources. And for this reason, WORDS fees are set below the market rate.

Wendy has over 13 years of grantwriting experience, which she learned while working at the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County. She attributes her success, and professional and management skills to the time spent at the United Way. Working in the nonprofit arena most of her professional career, Wendy learned valuable first hand lessons by working with and serving disadvantaged and/or underprivileged individuals and populations. The various programs and initiatives of the United Way afforded her this opportunity. It was so life changing, in fact, that she would take her sons with her to volunteer and donate their and talents when time permitted them to do so. For this she is truly grateful, because this giving and helping attitude remains with them today.

Amahl, the oldest son, lives in Las Vegas where he is studying for his bachelors' degree in Media Production at the University of Nevada. Anwar, the youngest son, received a fellowship from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where he is in a doctoral program and studying to be pharmacologist/scientist. Safiya, her youngest child, is married with two sons, and living in Germany.

Wendy currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Precious Jewels Day Care Center, and has served on other boards in the past. The center serves infants to toddlers and is located in the inner city, serving young working parents or those attending school. When time permits, she is always willing to volunteer for the center, and other organizations as well.

Active in her church, New Hope Baptist Church, Wendy serves as a Deaconess alongside her husband, James E. Anderson, who serves as a Deacon. She sings in the Gospel Choir, teaches Sunday School to adolescent children, and is a member of the Nurses Guild. She is a member of New Hope's Women United, which conducts a women's conference every fall, and serves on other church committees when requested. She believes one should not sit down in church. There is too much work to be done and we should be about our Father's business.

Wendy is also an author, having written The Art of Grantwriting. The book is a how-to guide for writing proposals. It is very reader friendly and is for the beginner or novice grantwriter. Wendy is presently working on a novel, which has been a lifelong dream. She also writes feature articles for The Word, a local Christian newspaper. Wendy feels very blessed to have a loving husband, a daughter and two sons, 2 grandsons, two living mothers, and a large extended family including seven brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, and aunts, cousins, etc. To God be the Glory.