Be Valued
Sana Cotten is the Founder and President of Unashamed, Inc, a ministry she began out of a personal and deep felt need for support to young people, primarily ages 14-26, that are in and transitioning out of the foster care system. Her personal story, work, and dedication has been shared on platforms such as the 700 Club and the Jennifer Hudson show. When asked why she does this type of ministry and work, Sana shared, “There is a whole group of kids out there that are forgotten about. They are out there without guidance, parents, and basic needs. They are living in shame due to experiences they have had. My goal is for these young people to experience freedom without shame and to live successful lives.”
Unashamed, Inc. is the only organization working with foster care youth in Middletown, CT, as well as the only nonprofit lead by a woman and a woman of color in the area. Sana and Unashamed, Inc. fill a significant gap in the community. Sana’s personal story and upbringing exemplify to youth and young adults in foster care that “they can not only survive but also thrive.” At the age of 4-years-old, Sana and her twin brother were placed into the foster care system due to her mother and grandmother, already having a prison history, were sex trafficking Sana in order to support their drug addiction. Although her first formal introduction to the church was through a bible study in the basement of her foster family, she now recognizes the Holy Spirit was always alongside her in the form of almost an imaginary friend that she would talk back and forth with. Through her experience with her foster family, she and her brother served on the usher board, youth choir, and more. Adopted at 8-years-old, by another faith-filled family, church would continue to be a part of her life. Although, it was a journey between her childhood and adulthood, including becoming a teen mom and encountering abusive relationships, before Sana became familiar with Jesus on a personal level beyond calling on the name of Jesus. It was then that she began learning the Word, how to pray, and how to fast.
"My goal is for these young people to experience freedom without shame and to live successful lives."
At 23-years-old, Sana married Joshua, a pastor’s kid who was also a part of a First Family. In this, she entered a different level of ministry she had not been in before. In efforts to fit in and be accepted, she hid she was a teen mom, a part of the foster care system, abused, and anything else that would challenge the picture of a “good Christian” and her place in the family she married into. In this season, the Holy Spirit spoke to Sana saying she was not called to sit on a pew and desired her to be unashamed. This led her to a journey of denouncing shame and birthing the non-profit she now leads with Joshua in full support as the Director of Mentorship. Together they are reaching youth through Unashamed, Inc. and through Joshua’s role as the youth pastor at their church.
As a youth in foster care, she developed a deep desire to help other young people in and transitioning out of the foster care system. Sana knows at a raw extent what it is to feel isolated, abandoned, and worthless. She and her team are directly addressing these shared core issues. Through consistent and transparent care and support that is rooted in God’s love, Sana and her team at Unashamed, Inc. are developing trust and providing accountability to unearth personal value, survival, and success in the lives of the young people they serve.
When she first began, she started with serving any at-risk youth or family with food, clothing, rent bills, or any of the other basic needs they had. Unashamed Inc. was a bridge for families that needed extra resources. Now in 2024, their focus is more specific to foster kids in and transitioning out of foster care, ages 14-26, as this is a population that is often forgotten about. They are likely to age out of the system versus being adopted. They often go house to house, shelters, group homes, etc. They are without guidance, parents, and basic needs. They are often living with shame due to their experiences. The goal is to provide them with the support they need and do life alongside them in order to see them live healthy and successful lives, allowing them to experience freedom without shame.
The prayer for Unashamed, Inc. is that they would reach more young people like Silvia. Silvia was in the first cohort Imagine Me, a workshop curriculum through Unashamed, Inc., focused on imagining and dreaming beyond their current situations. As a sophomore, Silvia would walk from her foster home to attend the class. Most days she was really quiet. Sana could see she was listening and engaged, but she did not often talk. After the classes, Sana would pull Silvia aside to have personal conversations and check-in on how she was doing. Sana shared her personal story and struggles, including how she dropped out of school at 15-years-old. She emphasized education and was there to help Silvia move forward with the support of the system in a way she had wished someone had done so for her. Silvia had not planned to attend college and instead age out of the system in order to live her life. Three years later, Silvia is still in the foster care system, going to school, and doing well. Silvia is even running a workshop at Building Wings, a conference hosted by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families where Sana will be a keynote speaker to speak about the power of advocacy and the impact of her relationship with Sana and her social worker in order to get to where she is now.
It has been a blessing for our team at UYWI to know our sister and to support her in her calling. We first met Sana as an Online Cohort participant in the UYWI Certification Program last year. Sana applied immediately after being invited by her cousin, Delita, also an alum, to attend a preview class. Delita had been raving for a while about the program. After the one glimpse into the program, Sana knew it was the right fit for her.
More recently, our team was able to host Sana at the UYWI office to work through her ministry vision and strategies. Through the process of Strategic Storyline, Sana was
encouraged to think outside of the box and was challenged to discern areas that no longer had value or aligned with the mission. She left with the confidence that her vision is not too big and is instead very achievable. Beyond the clarity towards her work and calling, it was also a time where our team was able to come alongside Sana, affirm she does not have to be strong or have it all together. It was a timely gift of both strategy and support. Having gone through the Strategic Storyline process, Sana fully believes we at UYWI see where she is and are invested in seeing her and her team win!
You can pray for Sana and Unashamed, Inc as they would like to expand their team in 2025. They ask for wisdom, knowledge, and favor around purchasing a new location as they are renting and have outgrown their current location. Please pray over their team and the young people they serve. Dedicating their lives to the foster care community is difficult work, but they believe God will open doors for youth to be successful. Pray for good fruit and success in the work they are doing.
Thank you for your prayers and partnership in supporting leaders, like Sana, to become the leaders God has called them to BE. Unashamed, Inc. is being a light in too often a dark place. We are blessed, because of your support, to be a resource to all the leaders like Sana doing incredible Christ-centered work with the next generation in urban communities.
Bless you,
TOMMY NIXON, CEO
Urban Youth Workers Institute
The future is young and urban. The world needs urban leaders to spread the Gospel. However, there is a desert in youth specific training for urban leaders.
OUR URBAN ALLIES PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN REACHING YOUTH WITH THE GOSPEL by providing Gospel-centered urban leadership certification to youth workers who are discipling the next generation. Urban leaders need UYWI, and we need UA’s to certify urban leaders. Together we are transforming youth with the Gospel.
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