Our Founder's Story- A Legacy of Love

The Story Behind the Desiree Cox Foundation Inc.

In Loving Memory of Desiree Cox

Every foundation has a beginning, but some beginnings are written long before an organization is established.

The story of the Desiree Cox Foundation Inc. did not begin with a building, a donation, a sponsor, or a registration certificate. It began with compassion. It began with a little girl who believed that even the smallest thing she possessed could make a difference in someone else's life. And it grew into a journey of love, sacrifice, and service shared between a mother and her daughter. My name is Baushell Cox, Founder and President of the Desiree Cox Foundation Inc., and this is not simply the story of an organization.

This is my story. This is my mother's story. This is our legacy.

A Little Girl With a Heart to Give

As a child, I always found myself wanting to help others. I would give away my belongings, share what I had, and sometimes even give away the very last thing that belonged to me. There were moments when my mother could not understand why I was so willing to give things away, especially when we ourselves did not have much. But what she did not fully understand at first, I believe she eventually began to recognize. There was a genuine heart of compassion within her daughter. I did not need to have plenty before I felt moved to give. I simply needed to see that someone else had a need. And two childhood experiences remain especially close to my heart.

The Blue Soap and the Bottle of Oil

I remember a time when my mother had only one cake of blue laundry soap and a small amount of cooking oil remaining in a bottle. Those were the supplies we had left in our home. One day, a young friend from our village approached me. Her mother was away, and she needed soap to wash clothes and cooking oil to prepare something for her siblings before her mother returned. As I listened to her, my heart was moved. I told her, "Let me see what I can do." I knew we had only one cake of soap. It was the same soap we needed for our own laundry. I also knew that the little cooking oil we had needed to last until my mother could purchase groceries again. Nevertheless, I went to my mother.

When I explained what my friend needed, my mother reminded me that the soap and oil were all we had.

But in my heart, I already saw a way to help. I said, "Mommy, the soap is big enough. We can cut it. She can have some, and we can still have some." And concerning the oil, I believed that even though it was little, we could share some and keep the remainder for ourselves. My mother was astonished. Before she had clearly agreed or disagreed, I went ahead and divided the soap and shared some of the oil. I was not thinking about the sacrifice in the way an adult would. I was thinking about someone who needed help and what I believed we could do. My mother could hardly understand why her little daughter would give away part of the last supplies in our home. But that moment revealed something about the heart I carried.

I did not believe we needed to have everything before we could share something.

One Bedroom, Two Beds, and Room for One More

Another memory takes me back to a time when my family lived in a one-bedroom home with two beds. I remember listening to a young lady from the church I attended. She was older than me, and although we knew each other through church, we were not especially close. She had been staying with her aunt so she could attend school, but she was experiencing difficulties in that living arrangement. She never asked me if she could come and live with us. She was simply sharing what she was going through. But as I listened, something within me was moved with compassion. I approached my mother and asked whether we could allow this young lady to stay with us while she continued her education. My mother could not understand why I was so determined to help someone I barely knew, especially when we had only one bedroom. And once again, I moved ahead of my mother's answer. I told the young lady she could come and stay with us before my mother had actually given permission. I remember the look between my mother and me when the young lady arrived. My mother looked at me, and I looked at my mother. There were questions in that silence. We did not have an extra bedroom. We did not have much space. And my mother had every reason to question what I had done. But I believe she recognized the compassion that had moved me. Rather than turning the young lady away, my mother agreed to make room for her, with an understanding of the arrangements and responsibilities that would be necessary.

What I initially thought might be a temporary arrangement became approximately five years, possibly longer, of sharing our home. During that time, the young lady was able to continue attending school. As I reflect on that experience today, I recognize my mother's sacrifice in a way I could not fully appreciate as a child. I saw someone who needed help.

My mother understood the responsibility that helping would require. And together, we became part of that young lady's journey.

We had only one bedroom and two beds, but we found room for compassion.

The Compassion That Connected Our Hearts

As I grew older, I began to recognize something beautiful about my mother. The same compassion that moved me to give was already living within her. I watched her extend help to our family, including my siblings, her brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, and friends. She had her own heart for helping people. And I believe that as she watched the compassion expressed through me, something within her was stirred even more deeply. What she once questioned about my willingness to give became something we could embrace together. Over time, we became partners in helping others. We assisted family members, friends, children, people within schools, individuals in our communities, and even strangers. There were many experiences, many sacrifices, and many acts of kindness that may never be publicly known. We were not operating under the name of a foundation. We did not have donors or sponsors supporting our efforts. We gave from our personal resources, sometimes while facing financial struggles and difficulties of our own. There were moments when what we had was barely enough for ourselves. Yet we still found ways to help.

We were not wealthy in material possessions, but we were rich in compassion.

Our giving was not about recognition. It was not about being seen or applauded.

It was simply about loving people through our actions.

The Day My Life Changed Forever

On June 12, 2020, my beloved mother, Desiree Cox, passed away due to COVID-19.

That day changed my life forever. I lost more than my mother. I lost someone who had walked beside me through life's journey, someone who had shared in my desire to help others, and someone whose love and sacrifices had become deeply connected to my own purpose. Her passing left an emptiness that words cannot fully describe.

There are memories I will always treasure, conversations I wish we could have again, and moments when I wish she were still physically here to witness what has grown from the compassion we shared.

But even through the pain of losing her, I came to understand that her legacy did not have to end with her passing.

The love we shared could continue. The kindness we practiced could reach further.

And the compassion that connected our hearts could become a source of hope for others.

From Personal Giving to a Foundation of Hope

The Desiree Cox Foundation Inc. was established in loving memory of my mother, but its purpose was rooted in the work we had already begun together.

What we once did personally, using our own limited resources, I desired to continue through an organization that could reach more people and serve more communities.

Today, the foundation carries forward that spirit of compassion through its commitment to helping underserved families, supporting children and youth, providing food and clothing assistance, encouraging seniors, and extending care to those facing difficult circumstances.

The needs may be greater, the work may be broader, and the vision may continue to grow.

But the heart behind it remains the same. It is the heart that once divided a cake of blue soap.

It is the heart that shared the little cooking oil remaining in a bottle. It is the heart that made room in a one-bedroom home so a young lady could continue her education. It is the heart of a mother and daughter who believed that helping others should never depend entirely on how much they possessed.

The foundation did not create our compassion. Our compassion gave birth to the foundation.

Her Love Lives On. Her Legacy Continues.

Today, I carry my mother's memory into every part of this work. When we provide food to a family, I remember the little we once shared. When we help a child, I remember the young girl I once was. When we support someone facing hardship, I remember the sacrifices my mother made. And when I think about the future of the Desiree Cox Foundation Inc., I remember that this journey began long before there was an organization. It began with love. It grew through sacrifice.

And it continues through service. I cannot bring my mother back, but I can honor her life by continuing the compassion we shared. My prayer is that every person who becomes part of this foundation whether as a volunteer, donor, partner, or someone receiving assistance will understand that they are becoming part of something deeply personal.

They are becoming part of a legacy that began with two hearts willing to give.

I was once a little girl trying to convince my mother that we could share the little we had. Today, I am a woman carrying forward the legacy of what my mother and I learned to do together.

And as long as God gives me the strength and opportunity, I will continue. Not simply because I founded an organization.

But because love taught me to give, compassion taught me to serve, and my mother's memory reminds me why this work matters.

Her love lives on. Her legacy continues. And through every life we touch, our story continues to be written.

With love, remembrance, and purpose,

Baushell Cox
Founder & President
Desiree Cox Foundation Inc.

In Loving Memory of Desiree Cox
June 12, 2020

A Legacy of Love. A Mission of Compassion. A Commitment to Serve.