Honoring Lives.
Restoring Dignity.
Building
a Legacy of Care.
This fundraiser marks the beginning of
The Stewardship Project — a nonprofit
organization dedicated to providing memorials for those in our
communities who have gone without one, ensuring dignity to loved
ones we’ve lost.
We seek formation in response to a demonstrated need for equitable access to memorialization & dignified remembrance — especially among low-income or underserved families across our communities. Our founders are united in their commitment to addressing this gap with sustainable solutions, responsible program development, & long-term community partnerships.
Our first mission is to breathe life into two memorials for two cherished Americans whom made a meaningful impact on their communities & those they left behind.
OUR FIRST OF TWO MEMORIALS:
A Long-Overdue Gravestone for a Beloved Grandmother—Mrs. Lavern Wilson
Nearly a decade ago, Mrs. Lavern Wilson, a hardworking & endearing woman passed away — a beloved grandmother whose resting place remains unmarked to this day.
Each time her grandson, DeAndre, drives past the highway exit for Highland Memorial Gardens in Bessemer of Jefferson County in Alabama where she is buried, he still waves & cheerfully says, “Hey Grandma, I love you.”
One day, he was taken to visit her grave — a quiet moment of love & grief that revealed something heartbreaking: her resting place had no marker at all.
Only grass.
Seeing DeAndre kneel at his grandmother’s unmarked grave illuminated a truth many families face silently: the pain of wanting to honor a loved one but lacking the means to do so.
That moment became the seed in foreseeing the need for The Stewardship Project, a nonprofit focused on instilling dignity & giving peace to lost loved ones by helping needy families & individuals resurrect memorials.
Our Second of Two Memorials:
A Memorial Garden for Jeff Hollingsworth — A Man Devoted to Helping Others Heal
The second memorial honors Jeff Hollingsworth, a beloved member of the Oxford/Anniston community in Alabama & beyond, who passed away this year, Autumn of 2025.
Jeff was a grassroots man with a big heart, spending the past decade guiding those in Celebrate Recovery, helping people rebuild their lives with faith & compassion.
In his will, Jeff left his property to be converted into a halfway house — a place of refuge & renewal for those in need.
To honor his life & legacy, we are in motion to construct a memorial at the entrance of Cheaha State Park: a bronze turtle sculpture (his spirit animal), a stone bench, & a small native plant wildflower garden where visitors can pause & reflect.
This place was chosen due to
Jeff having annually hosted a retreat here for
those in Celebrate Recovery to come spend a weekend long
event of fellowship, strength, peace, & renewal.
The Larger Mission
These two acts of remembrance mark the beginning of a greater vision:
to create a nonprofit dedicated to restoring dignity, offering peace to grieving families, & providing lasting memorials for those who might otherwise go without.
The Stewardship Project will focus on:
- Creating custom memorials for individuals & families in need.
- Partnering with local communities & artisans, while abiding the local laws of jurisdictions in which memorials are to be erected.
- Eliminating the financial & emotional stress on those left behind.
The Stewardship Project is a vision brought into concrete manifestation of reality!
With your help, The Stewardship Project will become an invaluable nonprofit organization that impacts your American communities & fellow neighbors in a deeply meaningful & joyful way during the most difficult of times for individuals & families in need!
Please show your Support Today in breathing life into The Stewardship Project, uplifting the families & loved ones of those left behind, & bringing dignity & new life to our beloved Mrs. Lavern Wilson & Mr. Jeff Hollingsworth & many others to come.
We appreciate everything in this time of hardship & memorial.
Why This Matters
These memorials are modest in size — but enormous in impact.
A place to grieve.
A place to remember.
A place that invites connection, peace, and healing.
Your contribution restores dignity to those we’ve lost and provides comfort to those who remain—help make a meaningful impact on your community today!
About the Founders
The Stewardship Project is led by a small founding team of empathic passionate individuals with backgrounds in metal arts, community service, faith-based outreach, and social impact work.
The founders came together after witnessing the complex deep roots of suffering in our communities of those who could not afford a memorial for their loved ones & the massive implications it has on the short & long term psychology of those impacted. That experience revealed a deeply human need — the need for dignity, remembrance, & a physical place to honor those we’ve lost.
Together, our team is committed to:
- compassionate service
- public education & guidance
- responsible stewardship
- community partnership
- artistic craftsmanship
- long-term nonprofit development
Our shared mission is to build something greater than ourselves & lasting—a movement of care that strengthens community, morphing hardship towards healing & grief into something sacred.
How Funds Will Be Used
- Cast a bronze headstone marker using the lost wax method that’ll be attached to a stone base & installed at Mrs. Wilson’s gravesite .
- Create a Sculpture Memorial Garden for Mr. Hollingsworth that shall include: casting & installation of a bronze turtle sculpture using the lost wax method, installation of a stone bench, & creating a native plant wildflower garden at the entrance to Cheaha State Park.
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The casting process of metals is very material dense & involves intensive skilled-labor. The installation of both Memorials, Mrs. Wilson’s headstone & Mr. Hollingsworth’s sculpture garden, shall require pulling two separate permits in order to achieve smooth successful completion.
- Begin the nonprofit formation process (legal setup, nonprofit registration, and foundational costs, & open the door to the public for future meaningful project undertakings).
Every dollar directly fuels these first acts of dignity & launches a long-term mission of service.
Join Us
Help us breathe life into remembrance!
Your contribution helps create spaces of love, reflection, & legacy.
✨ Together, we can honor the past & build a future where every life is remembered.
Together, this 2025 holiday season of faith & community, we can take action through compassion & bring dignity, joy, & peace to all our neighbors in our communities!
✨ Important Note for Contributors ✨
As an expression of immeasurable gratitude & appreciation, every contributor—individual or organization—will be honored with their name inscribed on the Stewardship Memorial Contributors Plaque (unless choosing to remain anonymous).
This plaque will be placed at the Sculpture Memorial Garden at Cheaha State Park upon installation, standing as a lasting tribute to those whose compassion helped make this mission possible.
Don’t hesitate to reach out!
Contact The Stewardship
Project here or at:
Email:
thestewardshipproject@outlook.com
Donate, share, & follow our journey!
— The Stewardship Project
