Who We Are

Advocacy to Alleviate Homelessness is made up of one staff member, a board of directors, and support from many community volunteers.

JanetHocutt-Hairston

Janet Hocutt-Hairston, Founder & Executive Director
After more than a combined 25 years of tenure in the corporate and non-profit sector, Janet decided to follow her passion for serving others by founding the Advocacy to Alleviate Homelessness, in 2014.  Since that time she has spent countless hours addressing the needs of the community. She is a professional and community coach, grassroots organizer, and an honorary clinical instructor for Walden University. Her work with the homeless has been featured on ABCNews11 and WARZ, and she has been recognized with awards for her work in the community. Janet is a visionary and a collaborative leader who believes the best way to end homelessness is through partnership and working with other individuals and organizations, she believes there is strength in unity.

Kishia Carrington James, Board Member
Dr. James currently serves as the Director of Counseling Services at Jarvis Christian University and an Instructor at San Francisco State University. Dr. James is a published author with over 23 years of service in Higher Education and PK-12 Education. She holds an EdD in Educational Leadership from Fayetteville State University, master’s degree in School Administration, National Board Certification in School Counseling, master’s degree in School Counseling, and bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from North Carolina Central University. She has a passion to provide equitable supports to marginalized and underserved populations and has been recognized in The Herald-Sun newspaper for being a fervent educator with a conscientious lens for all students’ development and academic success, therefore leading efforts to provide wraparound supports to students through Intervention Teams throughout a school district. She works diligently to eradicate barriers that hinder youth and young adults from experiencing an equitable learning experience and supports the needs of families and communities.

Shawanna Taylor, Board Member

Shawanna Taylor is an accomplished Global Services Delivery Manager with over two decades of experience leading client services, operational excellence, and organizational growth across diverse industries. She earned a Master in Business Administration from Campbell University and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Shawn manages service delivery for enterprise customers representing $4.6 million in revenue, where she has driven measurable results such as securing multimillion-dollar contract renewals. She brings a strong record of strategic leadership, client service administration, and change management, skills that directly translate to effective board governance and nonprofit advocacy.  Her career reflects not only operational expertise but also a commitment to building healthy, sustainable systems that serve people first.

Shawn believes that ending homelessness requires both compassionate advocacy and strong organizational stewardship. By combining her professional expertise with her passion for service, she is uniquely positioned to help guide policy, strengthen accountability, and build bridges across communities to create lasting change.

Latonya Harrison, Treasurer
Latonya holds a MS in Human Services and a BS in Business Management. She is a tax professional and business owner of Harrison’s Tax and Consulting, LLC and possesses a wealth of knowledge in the nonprofit industry including Grant writing, and is a certified credit specialist. When possible, Latonya participates in AAH charitable events and fundraisers. Latonya brings an abundance of experience, and expertise to our Board of Directors.