Dr. Sonia R. White is highly respected for her humanitarian efforts on a global scale and believes in giving back. The Air Force Veteran, Radiology Health Professional and expert, Sonia R. Enterprises, L.L.C., founder, 5x Best Selling author, and mother of 3, has made it her mission to help others by utilizing her platform, abilities, experiences, and faith.
Dr. White’s accomplishments include the S.M.I.L.E. Foundation Inc., hosting the President’s Volunteer Service Awards (P.V.S.A.) in Houston, and her outreach initiative, The B.I.R.T.H. Project, “Bible Initiative Reaching The Homeless.”
Dr. White tells me that she has always had a heart for service and has enjoyed helping others since she was a child. Growing up in Waco, TX, she always dreamed big and on a global scale. She has been driven by those dreams, her heart for service, her desire to help others, and her faith.
In 2019, Dr. White founded the S.M.I.L.E. Foundation Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit inspired by both tragedy and triumph. Her passion for helping young minority men derives from the overflowing empowerment platforms for young women. As a mother of twin boys, she wanted to create a platform to empower young men after losing her brother to gun violence at a young age. “Preserving our youth to enjoy a successful and productive future is essential,” she states.
It’s disheartening to see young minority men die at young ages and be set up for the prison system. I hope to provide as many resources as possible for young men to thrive.
The foundation also provides STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education, financial literacy and more.
Recently, Dr. White hosted the third annual Presidential Lifetime Achievement Awards led by Americorps at Hotel Zaza Museum District. This event has become recognized as an immense honor and a highly anticipated annual event. Documented as the largest ceremony to date, the organizers recognized prestigious community service volunteers nationwide and it was a sold-out event with over 430 attendees.
Donations from the Presidential Awards supported her foundation’s free Smart Men In Leadership Excellence (S.M.I.L.E) lunch and learn. The workshop sponsored ten young men ages 10-19 and granted them access to stock portfolios. Featured guest speakers included Dr. Mathew Knowles, City Council Elect Ivan Sanchez, community leader Pastor Jamail Johnson, and business expert Jerome D. Love. This year, Dr. White will create an intro radiology course for individuals seeking to enter the medical field and formulate partnerships with S.T.E.M. academies.
Dr. White also has an outreach program called The B.I.R.T.H. Project, The Bible Initiative Reaching The Homeless in Houston, Texas. This project is dedicated to reaching the homeless by giving them hope and inspiration through the teachings of Jesus Christ. Dr. White reveals that the B.I.R.T.H. Project had initially been on her mind for years, but she never carried it out. “I would always give money or food to the homeless. Some people did not want this. I had food thrown back at me by a homeless person, which hurt me deeply. She explains that because of this unpleasant experience, it took courage for her to reach out to the homeless again after a few years.
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Deuteronomy 3:16
More than anything, Dr. White wanted to give hope to those who had lost it. She started offering Bibles and inspirational books to the homeless in hopes they would be encouraged not to give up. If they desired more, she wanted them to know that their circumstances could change with God. As someone once homeless, Dr. White knows and understands the hope and strength the Bible provides to help overcome adversity.
In 2017, Dr. White received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from former President Barack Obama. She gained notoriety for her outreach program, The B.I.R.T.H. Project, and has a Proclamation for this day from the Mayor of Houston, for its “Bible Initiative Reaching The Homeless”. Dr. White has always kept God first in her life, and He has been her foundation and rock. Dr. White graciously told me she wanted to share two Bible verses she meditates on that give her hope, courage and inspiration. Before she shares, she says, “The key to life for me has been keeping my Faith and Trust in Him always. I truly love giving back to others, it is a fulfillment in my soul.”
She then reads: Proverbs 11:25, A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. And Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Dr. White spends her life believing that a mustard seed of Faith is all that is required for God to create miracles. “Always preserve your Faith,” she advises. “Read the Bible; it is the Living Word and can assist and lead you when no one is there to support or be there for you. Maintain your integrity, create boundaries, and most of all, do what brings you joy.”
To learn more about Dr. White and her organizations, visit and www.smilementor.org
This article also appears in the Purpose & Power 2023 issue of TODAYSPURPOSEWOMAN.
