When she was a teenager, Elizabeth Ford, of Purcellville, Virginia, made a promise to herself: Never be homeless and hungry again.

Her mother suffered from mental health issues and struggled to hold a steady job, leaving Ford to basically fend for herself. She was kicked out of middle and high school for fighting and using drugs. She spent her days asking customers outside a 7-Eleven convenience store for quarters so she could scrape up enough to buy a hot dog, pizza and nachos. Nights, she couch-surfed at friends’ houses.

Fast forward: Ford, 46, got a bachelor’s degree, launched a successful career in government contracting and eight years ago founded a nonprofit called BetterALife that provides children and their families in Loudoun and Fairfax counties with a variety of services. Those include helping students with homework at a weekly club, supplying lunches and meals, teaching children how to cook and giving gifts at the holidays.