Natasha Nicole Guynes

Natasha Nicole Guynes, beloved daughter, friend, advocate, visionary leader, and founder of the HER Resiliency Center, passed away on May 16, 2026, at the age of 45. Born on September 26, 1980, in Bossier City, Louisiana, Natasha lived a life defined by resilience, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to helping others heal and thrive.

Natasha spent her formative years in Louisiana and Oklahoma. She graduated from Jenks High School in 1999 before attending the University of Oklahoma. She later moved to Washington, D.C., where she earned her degree in Political Science from Trinity Washington College, laying the foundation for a life devoted to advocacy, leadership, and service.

Natasha Guynes is being remembered for her extraordinary work as the founder and CEO of the HER Resiliency Center, a survivor-led nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting vulnerable young women who have experienced complex trauma, addiction, homelessness, and exploitation. Natasha transformed pain into purpose and service after maintaining sobriety for more than 24 years through Alcoholics Anonymous.

In April 2015, Natasha founded HER Resiliency Center with a mission to provide holistic support, intensive guidance, and pathways to independence for women often overlooked by society. Under her leadership, the organization grew into a nationally recognized voice for trauma-informed care and women’s recovery, serving communities throughout the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas.

Natasha also led cross-sector partnerships with federal, state, and local government agencies to align workforce development, funding, and policy initiatives that advanced economic mobility for women impacted by trauma. Through her powerful voice and authentic storytelling, she positioned HER Resiliency Center as a nationally respected organization, earning national media attention, including coverage in The Washington Post, television appearances, and public advocacy campaigns focused on healing, recovery, and long-term independence.

Among the most impactful aspects of Natasha’s work was HER Resiliency Center’s street outreach program, which engaged women across multiple neighborhoods by providing food, hygiene kits, safety resources, and compassionate connection. She believed deeply in the power of community and created spaces where women could build trust, develop healthy relationships, and support one another in recovery and healing.

Certified in the “Creating Cultures of Trauma-Informed Care Model,” Natasha ensured that HER’s approach remained person-centered, compassionate, and grounded in dignity and respect. Her leadership style reflected the belief that every woman deserved not only survival, but opportunity, purpose, and hope.

Natasha will be remembered for her courage, authenticity, fierce determination, and the countless lives she transformed through her work. She had an extraordinary ability to make others feel seen, valued, and capable of rebuilding their futures. Her legacy lives on not only through the HER Resiliency Center, but through every woman who found healing, strength, and possibility because Natasha believed in them first.

She is survived by her family, friends, colleagues, and the many women and community members whose lives were forever changed by her compassion and leadership. Her impact will continue for generations through the mission she built and the hope she inspired. A viewing will be held on Thursday, May 21, from 3:00–7:00 p.m. at Charles S. Zannino Funeral Home, 263 South Conkling Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21224. In lieu of flowers. Donation may be made to the Dupont Circle Club in Natasha's name. (see link below)

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