Maria Adelaida Suarez

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

My name is Maria Adelaida Suarez. I’m originally from Colombia and currently live in Georgia. I’m an entrepreneur, business professional, wife, mother, and co-founder of Bringing Happiness Foundation. Helping others has always been very important to me, and through the foundation I’ve been able to combine my professional experience with my passion for giving back and creating opportunities for children and families in need.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

One thing I love about Georgia is the sense of community. There are so many people, families, and local businesses that genuinely want to help others. I’ve seen firsthand how generous people can be when they understand that even a small contribution can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

Bringing Happiness Foundation is a nonprofit organization that my sister, Lina Suarez, and I founded in 2020. Our mission is to support children, families, and elderly individuals who are facing difficult circumstances, both here in Georgia and in Colombia.

Our work includes providing meals, food, clothing, basic necessities, school and sports supplies, and emergency assistance to communities in need. One of the programs that is especially close to our hearts focuses on helping provide nutritious meals to hundreds of children.

The foundation started from a very simple belief: you don’t have to change the entire world to make a difference. If you can change the life of one child or one family, that matters. From there, the organization continued to grow as more people joined us and supported our mission.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

My advice would be to start with a clear purpose and understand why you are doing it. Whether you are starting a business or a nonprofit organization, there will always be challenges, unexpected expenses, and moments when you question yourself.

You have to stay focused on your purpose, be willing to learn, surround yourself with good people, and keep going even when the results are not immediate. I also believe that relationships are extremely important. Treat people well, keep your word, and build trust. Those things will take you very far.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

Some of the moments I will never forget are not necessarily words, but the reactions we see from the children and families we help.

Seeing a child smile because they received a meal, clothing, school supplies, or something as simple as a soccer ball reminds us why we started Bringing Happiness Foundation.

Where do you see your company in the future?

I see Bringing Happiness Foundation continuing to grow and becoming an organization that can provide sustainable, long-term support rather than only temporary assistance.

One of our biggest goals is to expand our programs for children, especially nutrition, education, and sports programs. We want to develop more partnerships with businesses, organizations, and individuals so that together we can reach many more families in Georgia, Colombia, and eventually other communities as well.

Ultimately, I would love for Bringing Happiness Foundation to be known as an organization that creates real, measurable change in the lives of children and the elderly.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

One of the biggest misconceptions about nonprofit organizations is that everything is simply about collecting donations and giving things away.

There is actually a tremendous amount of work behind every program. It involves planning, budgeting, logistics, partnerships, fundraising, volunteers, accountability, and making sure that resources reach the people who truly need them.

Another misconception is that you need to have a lot of money to make a difference. You don’t. People can help by volunteering, donating supplies, sharing our mission, connecting us with businesses, or simply encouraging others to get involved.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

One of our biggest challenges has been finding consistent funding while continuing to grow our programs.

There are always more people who need help than resources available, and that can be emotionally difficult. We have learned to focus on what we can accomplish, build strong relationships with our supporters, create partnerships with businesses, apply for grants, organize fundraising events, and continuously look for new ways to bring people together around our mission.

Every challenge has taught us to become more creative, organized, and persistent.

What was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

I didn’t have one particular favorite music artist or athlete growing up. Instead, I’ve admired many people who combine talent with discipline, perseverance, and humility. Those qualities are especially meaningful to me because sports have become an important part of our family and are also something we proudly support through Bringing Happiness Foundation.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

Absolutely. I want to recognize my sister and co-founder, Lina Suarez, as well as every volunteer, donor, business, friend, and family member who has supported Bringing Happiness Foundation.

A nonprofit organization is never built by one person. Everything we have been able to accomplish has happened because people believed in our mission and were willing to contribute their time, resources, connections, or support.

And most importantly, I want to recognize the children and families we serve. They are the reason we continue doing this work.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

Readers can learn more about Bringing Happiness Foundation by visiting bringinghappiness.org and following us on social media.

We are always looking for people who would like to volunteer, donate, partner with us, sponsor a program, or simply help us spread the word. Every person who gets involved helps us bring a little more happiness to someone who needs it.