Yolanda Y. Farmer-Hamilton If Atlanta is a city of hospitality, Yolanda is an excellent example of what makes it so. She is the second daughter of 5 siblings, raised by both parents who instilled Christian values. Yolanda grew up serving God from an early age. She remembers the struggles and challenges which shaped her personality to become a humble and determined person. She graduated from the Atlanta Public School Systems. Shortly after graduating, she attended Albany State University, Albany, GA majoring in Nursing to become a Registered Nurse. Yolanda has a diverse background in Retail Sales, Customer Service Administrator and Operational Management working in multiple states, making a remarkable impact wherever she labored. In 2000, Yolanda created Matrix & Associates, a property management company whose passions were to assist low-income and homeless families with affordable housing. Along with "Ladies Framing, Inc.," a local home building company, she placed Section 8 families into their new homes.
Yolanda implemented and developed a program to help qualify tenants to become first-time homebuyers with the Atlanta Area Housing Authorities' participation to administrate the "Development and Educational First Homebuyers Program in conjunction with the "Housing Choice Voucher Program." She obtained her Georgia Real Estate License so that she could work on a larger scale. She is an inventor as well, developing a water-saving product, waiting to serve the world. In 2005 and 2006, she played a vital role in the placement of many Hurricane Katrina victims, relocating them into the Atlanta area. She volunteered to provide rides to food banks, homeless shelters, shopping centers to purchase food, clothes, and personal items and get their Georgia IDs to the victims. They received Georgians' overwhelming hospitality, who allowed them to live in their available rental properties without charge. Her warm prayers and hugs assured and encouraged Katrina's victims to begin their new lives in unfamiliar communities.
She was nominated and received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award under President Obama's Administration's leadership in 2016 for her volunteer work in serving the Greater Atlanta community. She also volunteered her time of over 100 hours to Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. She worshipped, attended, and studied the Word of God in several churches in her community. As a student at Beulah Heights University, she equips herself with the knowledge and tools to further the educational growth potential that God has appointed her. Yolanda obtained her associate degree in 2015 and bachelor's degree in 2018, striving academically on the Dean's list. She is also a member of the National Honor Society. Yolanda is currently pursuing her master's degree and expects to graduate in 2022, majoring in Religious Studies. She plans to continue her education in the marketplace. In 2018, she obtained her Certification of Chaplainship. In 2020, she was certified as a Business Chaplain from the American Chaplain Association, which equipped her to serve at any capacity in Corporate America.
Yolanda, with many experiences, wishes to become an Author. Her new book about Domestic Gun Violence encourages women to allow God to help them overcome any adversity that life brings. "Make your mess your message" is her motto and a (Romans 8:28) platform that she lives by. Yolanda is a true pioneer that dedicates her life to helping others. She is ambitious, strong-willed, humble, and her graceful determination allows her to share her knowledge with anyone willing to hear her story. She is a proud Servant-Leader, more than grateful to serve God who leads her through her incredible journey.