Written by Tanya Terry
Receiving the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award is a big deal for anyone! She may not talk about her achievements much. But if you look at what local Mental Health Professional Dr. Tiffany Quinn has accomplished, you would probably not be as surprised she was recently bestowed with the honor!
Dr. Quinn…
- is a four-time best-selling book writer and the author of five journals that sell on Amazon.
- serves on the boards of several esteemed organizations, including MDHHS, Serenity House, Mothers of Joy Institute for Parenting and The Etiquette and Self-Image Institute.
- is administrator for the Flint Social Worker Network, a community of over 700 professionals dedicated to promoting collaboration and advocacy in social work.
- is guided by her deep sense of compassion, empathy, and commitment to social justice.
- lives by her motto: “Trust in God’s process as you transform from a humble caterpillar to a beautiful butterfly, stay humble and keep working hard and payday will come after a while.”
- is an active member of the COGIC church for over 40 years and Bountiful Love Church for over 25 years.
- strives to empower individuals and communities to overcome challenges and reach their full potential.
Quinn, who is 60, received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award on March 23 during a Women’s History Empowerment Brunch.
“It was a surprise,” said Quinn. “I didn’t know I was going to be receiving it. I know that we were going to surprise another community service worker. It was overwhelming. It was exciting. I just had so many different emotions around receiving the honor.”
The Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award is given only to those who have given at least 20 years of service within their communities. The volunteer service award is a president’s opportunity to honor volunteers within the community.
Candidates must be nominated by an individual within a certified organization.
Along with the honor itself, Quinn received a signed certificate, a beautiful plaque and even a gold medal!
Quinn was nominated for the award by Dr. Darcelle Robinson, who, like Quinn, majored in social work in college
“Darcelle started Hoodies for the Homeless,” explained Quinn. “So, I met Darcelle during a community outreach event. We were working with the homeless population at that time (about 10 years ago). “
So, Robinson told Quinn she had been observing her work in the community for years!
The PVSA (Presidential Volunteer Service Award) Committee then looked at Quinn’s story, and the committee approved and selected Quinn for the prestigious award.
Donations with Love sponsors Hoodies for the Homeless and is certified to nominate for the award each year.
Hoodies for the Homeless is an outdoor event that takes place at the end of October to beginning of November when the weather is cold. The Center of Hope and area shelters act as partners for the event.
“Sometimes community partners will serve chili. This past year Hurley Hospital donated bags. So, we were able to put basic need products in the bags with the hoodies. It was for men, women and children this time.”
Quinn has enjoyed writing since elementary school and has taken notes in church for many years.
But her life has not been one without challenges. On May 4, 2019, Dr. Tiffany Quinn experienced the heartache of losing her son, Kourtney Jones, to an undiagnosed heart condition. He was only 31.
“When I lost my son in 2019, I noticed that I was writing a lot. Writing was sort of like my self-care. It was my therapeutic grief coping mechanism.”
Quinn published the journal “Self Care” that which she put affirmations in. After helping with a creative workshop, she started using journaling as a way to help others deal with grief.
Her next journal was “Write to Heal.”
“There’s a lot of research around writing and around journaling, and how it can help you reduce your anxiety and stress and things like that.”
The other books and journals are on Amazon. They include her most recent bestseller “Joy 365 Days a Year,” “Unseen Heroes: Stories of Triumph in Social Work,” “Girl, Get Up and Win” with Telisha Berry and other writers, “Girl, Get Up and Win Everyday,” “The Self Care Men’s Journal,” “The Devotional Self Care Journal,” “The Self Care 365 Days of Gratitude,” as well as a social work notebook.
To further share what she has learned. Quinn facilitates the Hope To Heal free grief group, a vision of Dr. Kenyetta Johnson, which started in October 2023.
Quin had careers in accounting and retail management, as well as had her own business in downtown Flint before entering the social work field.
She explained to the Courier why she got into social work.
“I was a single mom. I was very poor, on the north side of Flint. I would help people with resources. I worked at the resource center under Sybyl Atwood, and I learned about all of these resources that people didn’t seem to know about. A lot of times when people call me to the table – like I’m on the Michigan Health and Human Services Board – one of the things they need me to do is always bring in an unseen or unnoticed resource. So, I do that. I am like a community connector.”
It is that ability to turn tragedy to triumph, that heart and that resourcefulness that has led Dr. Tifany Quinn to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joseph Biden.
