Empowering Communities Through Grief and Growth: The Transformative Leadership of Stephanie Crawford
Stephanie Crawford (M.Ed) is a Boston Public School Kindergarten Teacher, a PhD student in Early Childhood Education, a doula, a peer support lactation buddy, a mother to a six year old son, and the founder of Propa City Community Outreach. The inspiration for founding this particular organization came from a life-altering event over a decade ago.
In 2011, Stephanie’s 39 week old son was stillborn. It was through this extreme loss that she became more interested in maternal health and started Propa City Community Outreach, where she works with families experiencing loss and helps them look toward healing while simultaneously supporting them through their grief journey. The Community Outreach Center expanded to include a space that addresses the broader needs of the community when Stephanie recognized this broader gap in service and support.
“I find joy in hearing someone think that there’s a definite way that something has to go, and then giving them a little bit of liberation and autonomy.”
In 2024, for her incredible leadership, creativity in her work, and care for the community, Stephanie was nominated as a community leader for the Vital Village Networks Innovation Award. The term 'community leader' often emphasizes the 'leader' component more than the 'community' it represents; however, Stephanie underscores that true leadership is about working both for and alongside the community. It is important not only to see what the community needs, but to leverage it, centering who you can work with and how you can come together with others to support an individual holistically.
Through her innovative, community-focused, and compassionate leadership, Stephanie has fostered a cycle of families helping families. She has seen mothers who received her care become mentors themselves, and begin their own initiatives, projects, and journeys. Stephanie shares that this inspires her to continue being a community leader. She feels that, “to see that transition from when they were so dark, so low, as I was, from grief- to be able to take grief and hold it, and it doesn’t hold you,” has given purpose to her story of loss.
As expansive as Stephanie's work is, her advice on being a community leader can be broken down into two relatively simple categories: First, to observe community leaders who you find inspiring, and who exemplify qualities that you hope to embody in your leadership. For Stephanie, these included empathy, love, faith, and peace. The second: to just lead. Speak up where you can, be bold, and do it.
When asked where she finds the most enjoyment, she said it is through “helping families own their own journey, whichever one it is.” Through guiding others to realize that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, she has found that when you own your journey, you find more peace.
To connect with Stephanie:
Propa City website: Home | Propa City Community Outreach
Stephanie’s personal website for all things doula, education, and more: stephknowsbest.com
Instagram/Facebook: @propacity_co