Dear Friends and Partners of A Better Chance, A Better Community (ABC2):
The board and staff are deeply saddened to inform the community that our founder and CEO, Chester Williams, passed away on Monday, December 8, 2025.
Chester Williams was a 45 year-old visionary, mentor, devoted son, and guiding light for Northeastern NC and beyond. He told FSG that his vision for the nonprofit he founded came to him in middle school, “but I didn’t have a platform just yet. Years later, I started ABC2 (https://www.abc-2.net/) with five other young people from my high school who had the same desire and passion that I did. We have made community change together since then by connecting young peoples’ passions to resources and instilling community pride in them, whether they stay or decide to leave for college.”
Since 2012, Chester has fed, informed, convened, trained, and inspired his neighbors and community through A Better Chance, A Better Community. “Chester was a bright light and encouraged everyone around him, especially the student
Ambassadors,” shares board member and friend, Amiya Smith. “He gave youth so many opportunities to network, grow, and step into leadership, and he was always willing to provide whatever support he could. That is just a small part of what made Chester so special.” He also shared his leadership statewide through various organizations and boards, most recently as the chair of the Halifax County NAACP.
The board of directors and staff are rallying around Chester’s beloved mother, ABC2’s Positive Impact Officer, Maybell Williams. She has been and will remain a cornerstone of ABC2’s work, even through this difficult time. She has been faithful comfort for both Chester and the organization, and we are supporting her on this new unexpected journey.
We also remain thankful that our amazing staff, Tiwana Smallwood and Chantel Gillus, have continued the work of ABC2’s six programs through Chester’s illness, including support for our World Changers. We’ve also been joined by our partners at MDC’s Rural Prosperity & Investment team who are helping with temporary administrative and program management (https://mdcinc.org/projects/).
In an interview with CareShare in 2022, Chester shared that he “gave birth to something to the community, and my baby has grown and my baby is about to be a preteen, and I’m just amazed at how it has evolved even beyond what I put on paper, so I’m proud of it and I’m ready to see it grow and blossom into what it truly can and will become.” This board and staff are committed to keeping that work going in Chester Williams’ name. Like he did, we look forward to working with you to make Northeastern NC stronger and better for all its young people.
In the Spirit of Community,
The 2025 ABC2 Board of Directors
Amiya Smith
Kelby Hicks
Linda Wiggins
MaryJane Lyonnais
Shaniqua Harvey
