Empowering
Communnities Through
Awareness, Wellness
Accessibility& Connection
Providing education, awareness, resource connections, community engagement, and partnership opportunities for youth, families, and individuals impacted by vision loss, sarcoidosis, mental wellness challenges, and life circumstances.
About
BEAUTIFUL ANGELS
Beautiful Angels was inspired by a simple but powerful belief shared by
Maxine Mapp, Zina Harvey and Sandra Ford.
THREE STORIES. OUR PURPOSE. OUR COMMUNITY.
Inspiration Behind Our Name
Maxine Mapp
Maxine Mapp believed that every person is a beautiful angel regardless of their appearance, background, health challenges, or circumstances.
As an administrator at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago, she witnessed people and families navigating emotional, mental, and personal struggles. These experiences deepened her compassion and strengthened her commitment to helping others.
Her belief that every individual deserves dignity, kindness, and respect became the inspiration behind the name Beautiful Angels.
Although she is no longer with us, her spirit continues to guide our work and reminds us that one person's compassion can create a lasting legacy of hope and service.
Zina's Story
Living with Sarcoidosis
My sarcoidosis journey began in 1992, during a time when very little was known
about the disease. Back then, doctors often admitted they did not fully understand sarcoidosis, except that it appeared to affect Black communities at higher rates. Information, support, and awareness were limited, making an already difficult
journey even harder.
Over the years, sarcoidosis has impacted my lungs, breathing, sinuses, inflammation levels, and overall quality of life. I have undergone multiple medical procedures and faced countless challenges associated with living with a chronic illness. Through hospitalizations, treatments, surgeries, and ongoing care, I learned firsthand how overwhelming it can feel when searching for answers and support.
But I never allowed sarcoidosis to define my limits — only help shape my direction.
As the years went on, friends and acquaintances in my community who were also diagnosed with sarcoidosis began reaching out to me for help and advice.
Because I had lived with the disease for many years before them, they knew I understood the journey in a personal way. I became someone they could call on for encouragement, information, and support as they learned how to navigate their own diagnosis.
Those experiences showed me how important it is for people living with chronic illness to have someone who understands, listens, and helps connect them to reliable resources. It also deepened my desire to bring more awareness to sarcoidosis and to make sure people in our community do not feel alone while trying to find answers.
Despite my own challenges, I remained committed to serving others, working in my community, and helping young people discover their talents and potential through creative programs and outreach.
As my journey with sarcoidosis continued, I realized there was a growing need for greater awareness, education, and support within the community. My personal experiences reinforced the importance of creating opportunities for individuals and families to access reliable information, resources, and encouragement while
navigating chronic illness.
Through Beautiful Angels, I have expanded my commitment to service by helping raise awareness, connect people with resources, and build a community where individuals facing health challenges feel understood, supported, and empowered.
Sandra's Story
Living With Vision Loss
Before Beautiful Angels became what it is today, my journey began in the beauty industry.
I started my career as a hairstylist in 1987, and in 1997, I became a licensed cosmetologist. For more than three decades, my work behind the chair has been about so much more than hair care. The salon became a place of conversation, confidence, mentorship, healing, and community connection.
Through the years, I served women, families, and youth, and I saw firsthand how beauty, self-esteem, emotional support, and access to resources could change lives. I realized that when people feel seen, cared for, and encouraged, it can help them stand taller and believe in themselves again.
That passion became part of the foundation for Beautiful Angels, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to serve youth, families, and individuals in the community.
Over time, my personal journey expanded the mission even further.
After being diagnosed with glaucoma, a chronic and genetic eye condition, I continued serving my community while learning how to manage the challenges of vision loss. In 2019, after a procedure related to cataracts, I lost vision in my left eye. During that season, I connected with naturopathic doctors who helped restore my hope, faith, and strength during my healing journey.
But glaucoma continued to progress aggressively. My eye pressure rose rapidly, and within just a few months, I experienced severe vision loss in my right eye as well. Doctors were surprised by how quickly my vision changed. Today, I live with significant vision loss, and I also suffer from corneal neuropathy, which brings ongoing pain and daily challenges.
Even through all of these changes, my mission did not stop — it grew deeper.
Beautiful Angels now reflects both my professional experience and my lived experience. Through this organization, I want to continue supporting youth, families, and the community while also creating space for individuals living with disabilities, vision loss, trauma, and life transitions.
What began as a career in beauty became a calling in service. What began in the salon chair grew into something rooted in love, advocacy, empowerment, and purpose.
Beautiful Angels reminds me that even when life changes unexpectedly, purpose can still grow, faith can still lead, and community can still heal.
Our Mission In Action
Supportive Services & Referrals
Awareness & Resources
Inclusion & Empowerment
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We help connect individuals and families to trusted community resources, support services, and referral networks that promote well-being and access to care.
We provide education, awareness, and resource connections related to blindness and visual impairment, mental wellness, sarcoidosis, and community health through outreach, advocacy, and engagement.
We encourage inclusion, confidence, and community participatiom through creative engagement, volunteer opportunities, partnerships, and activities that help individuals discover their strnghts and potential.