While he and his older brother stayed together in the system, Cornelius was separated from his four other siblings. It would take 19 years before he reunited with them again.
By all accounts, Cornelius has every right to be angry about his life. He has endured unthinkable trauma but yet, he’s a cycle breaker. He is a loving, attentive father to his children, he has served honorably in the military and he’s now the CEO and Founder of SlimStrength Activewear, a faith-based sports apparel company.
Faith, fatherhood, and fitness have all helped Cornelius be the incredible man he is today but he says he wants to do more. Being an Ambassador for Connect Our Kids means he can channel his pain into a higher purpose. It’s important to Cornelius that the next generation of foster youth doesn’t go through what he experienced.
“Had Connect Our Kids existed in my day, they could have found me a good, permanent home or who knows, I could have ended up living with a distant relative I don’t know about. That’s what Connect Our Kids is doing now. They’re finding family members these kids didn’t even know existed! I think that’s incredible.”
Cornelius made the generous commitment to donate a portion of his proceeds from SlimStrength to support the Connect Our Kids mission. He shares his story to make a difference in the lives of children in the foster care system. “If I could give one message to everybody it would be that if you take a child into your home, please have the heart for it. You gotta have heart and also, watch your words. They matter.”
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We feel honored that Cornelius Johnson is part of the Connect Our Kids family. To support Cornelius, be sure to visit his sports apparel website linked in the article. If you want to nominate an Ambassador, email us here.
