Chanel Adams, of Guyanese parentage, is the founder of the non-profit, The SlimHeart Campaign. Launched in 2012, the networking and charitable outlet was created to help non-profit organizations raise awareness and strengthen relationships, while emphasizing the importance of youth giving back to their communities.
The SlimHeart Campaign’s signature event, “The Soul to Sole Shoe Drive,” is an annual shoe drive that collects new and gently-worn dress shoes for young teens that are in need for prom. Once the shoes are collected, Adams and her team distribute them to various organizations hosting prom drives in the New York State area, including Junior League of Brooklyn, Princess Chambers Inc., and Sen. Kevin Parker’s Prom Dress Giveaway. This year Adams said she and her team collected more than 900 pairs of dress shoes.
In addition to her philanthropy, Adams is a fashion enthusiast and communications maven.
In 2013, she received her Masters of Arts Degree in Public Relations from the New York Institute of Technology and started The GlamMaverick PR. Chanel said her public relations boutique helps Brooklyn start-ups tell their unique stories and elevate brands appeal through social media, creative media strategies, and event planning and media production.
Adams is also the creator of “The GlamMaverick,” a lifestyle blog that focuses on what she likes to call “the uncommon glamour.”
Among her numerous endeavors in assisting nonprofits, Chanel also has more than 10 years of work experience in civil service after working for the New York City Employees’ Retirement System and the New York City Sheriff’s Office.
If that isn’t enough, Adams adds that her expertise is now being put to use while working in the WCBS-TV Newsroom, assisting the senior vice president of news, managing the operation of an entire newsroom and creating content for the station’s social media outlets.
A native of Brooklyn, Adams says she always seeks to give back to her community, while creating her own path through life.
Living in a Guyanese household, her parents instilled in her the importance of having an education. She is a 2005 graduate of St. John’s University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Arts.
Adams said she believes in doing what one loves, and turning it into a career “by any means necessary.”
She is a true “Jane of all Trades” making a genuine impact on everyone she meets.
“My mother has definitely inspired me in my personal and work paths,” Adams said. “Growing up, my mom was very strict with me, and everyone knew that.
“As a kid, you do not understand why all the rules, and you feel like you have a mean mother,” she said. “Now, as an adult, it all makes sense. If my mom was not as strict with me as she was, I may not be the woman I am today. I am proud to be the daughter of a strict Guyanese mother.”
In regards to her work path, Adams said her mother always told her: “When you do good, good will always come to you. Even when they treat you bad, still treat them good.”
“The hard work evidently pays off,” Adams said. “I saw the dedication my mom put in as a nurse almost every day at 4 am, when she got dressed in her scrubs and left for work — not just for the sake of bills but for me. Receiving this award is a small piece of my hard work paying off.”
Adams says this is “really and truly an honor to be receiving the Caribbean Life Impact Award.
“I am a believer of ‘every little bit counts,” she said. “The little things are what make the biggest impact. I still think I have more work on my part to do but very thankful to be honored for the little impact I have made thus far.”
