She Didn't Wait for Someone Else to Do It
A Lift Together Community Grant Story
There's a version of this story where Afrika Hendley just goes to work, sells homes, and minds her business.
But that's not who Afrika is.
Afrika is a licensed real estate agent and a nearly 10-year resident of the Clear Lake/Bunche Manor neighborhood, right in the heart of West Lakes. After moving in with her mother at a nearby senior community, she'd walk out to Clear Lake every single day, drawn to the water, and find herself curious about the neighborhood sitting just on the other side. Her sister bought a house so the family would have more space, and Afrika pointed them straight toward Clear Lake. When they settled in, she discovered that her cousin had married a relative of one of her new neighbors. She'll tell you herself: it was all meant to be.
Before real estate, she was a leasing consultant at Pendana at West Lakes during its earliest days. She knows many of those residents by name, by face, by their children. She watched them return to the neighborhood after their previous apartments were torn down to build something new. And while she was grateful they had somewhere safe to land, something kept nagging at her.
"I like that we have a safe space for them to live," she said, "but I also want them to build generational wealth. I want them to have something to pass down to their kids."
That feeling didn't let her go.
Working in real estate gave Afrika a front-row seat to something most people never see until it's too late.
She's watched clients sell homes they bought less than a decade ago and walk away with $250,000 in equity. She's also watched families lose property they never should have lost, not because of bad luck, but because no one ever taught them how to protect it.
The turning point came when she attended an estate planning seminar in Washington Shores. The presenter walked the room through a scenario that stopped everyone cold: Grandmother passes away without a will. She has five children. Her property gets split five ways. One of those children dies, leaving ten grandchildren. Now the property is divided even further. Then a predatory investor buys one of those fractional shares and takes the family to court, forcing the entire property to be sold.
"That's how a lot of land is lost in communities where there is a lack of education on how to properly do your estate plan," Afrika said. "We need education on that."
She walked out of that seminar with a mission.
The idea was already there. The Lift Together Community Grant made it real.
Afrika didn't come to the Lift Together Community Grant with a polished pitch deck. She came to it through a conversation with Tim Ayers of West Lakes Partnership, who told her about the program and to apply.
"I didn't really know that grant money existed," she admitted.
That's the thing about Afrika. The vision was never the problem. The resources were just the missing piece.
She applied for $1,450 through Lift Orlando's Lift Together Community Grant program, which funds small, resident-led projects in West Lakes, Washington Shores, Lake Mann, and Johnson Village. Grants range from $500 to $1,500 and are open to residents, informal groups, and small nonprofits who want to do something real for their neighbors.
With the funding secured, Afrika got to work.
Building legacy through knowledge
On January 31, 2026 from 5 to 8 p.m., Afrika opened the doors at the Heart of West Lakes Wellness Center and hosted a free community seminar on estate planning, wills, power of attorney, enhanced life estate deeds, and generational wealth protection.
Students and faculty from FAMU Law School's Economic Justice department offered their services completely pro bono.
The grant covered the venue rental, catered food, and giveaways for attendees. About 20 neighbors came through the door despite an unseasonable cold front that rolled through Orlando that week.
For some of them, the biggest moment wasn't a legal concept or a complicated document. It was learning that they could get a will done for free.
"Sometimes you think, I've got to go to an attorney and I have to pay for this," Afrika said. "But if FAMU Law School is offering it pro bono, what is the reason why you don't have it already set up?"
That question landed. Attendees picked up intake forms. Some followed up. One participant, who had misplaced her paperwork, called Afrika later and got it emailed right to her. Afrika also posted a follow-up video to YouTube so that anyone in the community, at any time, can access the information and request the intake forms directly from her.
"It's out there indefinitely," she said.
It really takes a village.
When we asked Afrika what Lift Together means to her, she didn't hesitate.
"A village. We're really a village and we're all taking care of each other."
She described it as "each one, teach one." The knowledge came to her. She brought it to her neighbors. That's the whole thing.
Afrika isn't done. She wants to see seminars like this happen quarterly at minimum. She wants to be a trusted real estate resource for the entire West Lakes community, making sure that when homes go up for sale, residents have someone in their corner who sees the neighborhood the way they see it.
"Outsiders when they come in, they don't see it like how we see it," she said. She does.
Want to Lift where you live?
The Lift Together Community Grant program exists because people like Afrika exist. Residents who see a problem, feel called to do something about it, and just need a little support to make it happen.
Grants range from $500 to $1,500 and are open to residents of West Lakes, Washington Shores, Lake Mann, and Johnson Village. You don't need to be an organization. You just need an idea and two neighbors willing to help you pull it off.
If Afrika's story resonates with you, or if you want to get your own estate planning intake forms, you can reach her directly at afrikajadehendley@kw.com or 407.340.7020.
And if you're ready to apply for a Lift Together grant of your own, visit liftorlando.org/lifttogether to learn more.
Your neighborhood is waiting on you!
