Irene Anderson was born in rural Mississippi. She suffered the loss of her father before she reached her third year of birth. Raised in Memphis, Tennessee until her teen years when she moved to Chicago, Illinois, Irene assumed the responsibility of her two younger siblings while her mother struggled to make ends meet. She joined the high school cheerleading team and pursued her education at the local college.

As an adult, she became a successful Mary Kay consultant, and partnered her husband’s entrepreneurial endeavors. She passed away at an early age, leaving behind two daughters and a teenaged son.

The Irene Anderson grant supports families who mourn the loss of loved ones.  The grant supplements underinsured families to allow for grief counseling, probate support, and burial expenses.