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On Thursday, Communities of Tomorrow opened in a new location in the Abbott Building just off Lafayette Square. Founder and CEO Teara Harris is passionate and devoted to helping those in need find resources for a better life.

“My main focus is connecting people to resources or to put them in a level playing field. You can do better when you have tools in your toolbox,” Harris said. “So far, we have helped 86 families find resources.”

Communities of Tomorrow is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting marginalized individuals to local, state and federal resources. The company initially started off as a passion project for Harris. When she worked in manufacturing, Harris saw that employers weren’t hiring people without a GED, who had the skills necessary for jobs.   

“I was like ‘this has to stop.’ I went to the president of the company and asked him, could we do this program? At first he said no, but then I kept on asking because I don’t give up until one day he said OK, let’s give this a try,” Harris said.

Harris’s persistence and integrity paid off and opened to the doors for others to get the resources needed to earn their GED and gain access to better jobs. 

“In a day, I ended up being the bridge between the resource or the program with the individual and connecting them together,” Harris said.

Harris works to help those in need find suitable resources and advocate for policies that allow for marginalized individuals to find jobs, housing and even medical treatment. She is involved throughout Troup and Meriwether County supporting entrepreneurship and helping women to expand or start their own business. Currently, Harris serves on the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Workforce Development board and the Sweetland Amphitheater Advisory Board.

Coming from hardships and enduring the many twists of life, Harris remains a positive role model and leader for those in need.

“I have had to work hard to be where I am today. All those hard experiences laid the foundation of who I am today,” Harris said.

For more information on Communities of Tomorrow visit https://communitiestomorrow.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/COFT2020/.