“You simply can’t choose where you were born.” 

When Wakefield High School junior Angel Igboanugo created the Patience Ezeh Foundation with her mom, those were the words that spoke volumes in her head. Between juggling more than seven extracurricular activities, as well as student council and multiple honors societies, for her, this wasn’t a resume filler; she had enough of that. 

Named after her late grandmother, The Patience Ezeh Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to providing essential resources to individuals and families in need. Through its Mommy Miracle Mission, the organization supplies prenatal care items, baby clothes, diapers, wipes and other necessities for new mothers and infants. Its Confidence Program supports individuals experiencing homelessness through clothing donations, hygiene kits and canned food. Additionally, the Packed for Purpose initiative equips children with backpacks and school supplies to support their education. The foundation operates a donation drop-off box in Raleigh, N.C., and distributes contributions to shelters and schools in Ghana, Nigeria and the United States. While its reach is already international, Angel remains ambitious to expand even further.

“I want my nonprofit on a much larger scale. [I want to] focus on growing globally,” Angel Igboanugo said. “[There are so many places] that are often overlooked, [including] small villages that no one really thinks about.”

During the 2025 Thanksgiving period, in the wake of the SNAP benefit cuts, the Patience Ezeh Foundation shared around 120 food items to homeless people on the streets and in local shelters, including the Helen Wright Center in Raleigh. That same December, Igboanugo traveled to a port for her Packed for Purpose distribution in Okigwe, Nigeria, where she donated more than 50 backpacks to students, alongside pencil cases, notebooks, erasers and other essential school supplies. 

“My biggest regret was just not buying more stuff,” Angel Igboanugo said. “There was so much need that I saw, and I didn’t realize how much people were actually struggling.” 

Within her community at Wakefield, clubs such as the Science Honors Society and the Red Cross Club have made significant contributions to the organization’s efforts. Fellow students, such as Imaobong Paul, assisted in providing donations for her December Packed for Purpose trip to Nigeria.

“I knew due to the political climate during the Thanksgiving season, a lot of people’s families were struggling,” Paul said. “We all need to support each other, [and I think] non-profits like this do a good job at facilitating that.” 

Additional contributions have come from students across Raleigh, including Southeast Raleigh High School and South Garner High School. Even students outside of Angel’s immediate circle have found meaningful ways to get involved. Phoebe Wakaman, a junior at South Garner High School, describes how rewarding it has been to contribute to something larger than herself. 

“[You don’t think much] of the volunteer work you do on a simple Saturday, but your commitment and hours are going towards a greater good,” Wakaman said. “[We need more] social media outreach to connect people to donation opportunities.”

Much of the foundation’s success is also rooted in support. Angel’s mother and co-founder, Ihuoma Igboanugo, has worked alongside her daughter since the organization’s creation. As Angel’s grandmother passed away during childbirth, the organization’s outreach toward pregnant women and families in need is a deeply personal incentive. 

“Our non-profit was born out of the desire to give back to the community,” Ihuoma Igboanugo said. “Whether it’s school supplies [or] financial assistance, [our organization] operates to cater to the needs of pregnant women, young children and families within low socio-economic backgrounds.”

According to UNICEF, millions of children, including approximately 10.5 million in Nigeria between the ages of five and 14, are not in school due to poverty and economic hardship. An estimated 16 percent of children lack consistent access to education. When it comes to education, having access to adequate supplies is undoubtedly a necessity; without notebooks, pencils and backpacks, even the most determined students face barriers to their academic success. As Wakefield UNICEF president, Stella Tekotte, understands, education is not simply a privilege, but a fundamental right for children. 

“Education is a right for children, as it lays the groundwork that uplifts and fosters their future,” Tekotte said. “Nonprofits are so important because they enable people to fundraise and advocate with their own agency and [can directly impact] children’s education.”

Angel’s mission, from Raleigh to Nigeria, is to ensure that where someone is born does not determine how far they can go, along with working as hard as she can to bridge the gap between the socioeconomic disparities she sees.

“I’ve always been someone who noticed all [of] the injustice in the world,” Angel Igboanugo said. “[So it’s just disheartening] seeing how [many] people struggled because of circumstances they couldn’t control.”