Before she stepped foot in Flint, Necole Hayes was a child welfare worker in Oklahoma, driven by a passion for strengthening families. When she saw a news story about Flint, Michigan, something clicked. She felt called to bring that passion here.
Hayes arrived in Flint as a University of Michigan-Ann Arbor intern and became immersed in the mission of Motherly Intercession, a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of intergenerational incarceration. Years later, she now serves as its Executive Director.
“I started doing this work to be the change that I wanted to see in the world,” Hayes said. “Motherly Intercession opened my eyes to the possibilities of what we can do when we work together.”

That spirit of collaboration is central to everything the organization does—from parenting classes and family engagement to creating meaningful visits between children and incarcerated parents. Within Motherly Intercession, coordinators, caregivers, and incarcerated parents work together to build relationships and nurture growth.
“We build a community for people who have been impacted by incarceration, because it’s not only a grandparent affected—it’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins,” Hayes said. “That affects your family for generations.”
In 2024, Motherly Intercession received $115,250 in grant support from the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, including funding from the FlintNOW Fund, McCombs Family Flint Non-Endowed Fund, Robert S. and Virginia R. Landaal Family Fund, and Ann and Khalil Saab Family Fund.

This support has helped expand the Strengthening Family Villages program, which empowers incarcerated parents to reconnect with their families and even become peer leaders. Hayes recalled one father, Mr. Green, who helped co-facilitate classes in the Genesee County Jail. “It changed his life,” she said. “He was an example of leadership for his peers.”
Reflecting on the journey, Hayes added, “This is really the whole reason why I became a social worker. Community is everything to me.”