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What makes people do what they do? Why do they serve others, start new ventures or create nonprofits in a region filled with nonprofits?
For Nikki Greene the answer is simple: “Love.”
Her remedy is “Love is the Brand,” a nonprofit she incorporated last year to offer “wrap-around” referral services and emergency funding for individuals caught in the hopeless spiral involved with getting immediate help for a variety of maladies and conditions.
For the past 10 years, Greene worked in the nonprofit arena with agencies including Doorways (a residential assistance program with a focus on HIV positive individuals) and Peter & Paul Community Services (an ecumenical agency that provides housing and supportive services primarily for the homeless)
Serving as a caseworker, Greene’ helped put individuals in contact with various agencies to address their needs. The complexities, barriers, and dead ends involved with her work proved frustrating, especially during the pandemic.
“I work with homeless individuals who had all sorts of issues that led to their homelessness.” Greene said.
“There were life skills issues, mental health and substance abuse issues that piled up on each other. It wasn’t easy getting them quick and direct assistance.”
Homelessness is an ongoing problem in the region. A “point-in-time” study conducted in 2018 by the St. Louis County & City Continuums of Care found that on a single night, 1,050 county and city residents experienced some level of homelessness, including 172 families with children.
Greene said she always finds herself “passing the buck,” sending people places with the hope that they’d get the services they needed without really knowing if she was successful.
“For example,” Greene explained, “I may have found funding for mental health issues, but there are many homeless people who don’t have a mental health diagnosis. So, I found myself sending clients to multiple organizations but oftentimes they got lost in the shuffle.”
Greene, a single mother, said Love is the Brand is based on her real-life experiences.
“I’ve been there. I’ve been in situations where people will tell you what to do but don’t tell you how to do it. Then they make you feel bad or stupid for what you didn’t know,” she explained.
“I want to help people pull themselves out of that low self-esteem and lack of information trap that holds many of them back.”
As a caseworker, Greene noted how relatively small things could upend people’s lives.
“I’ve seen people whose lives have been ruined over small things. They may need a couple hundred bucks to pay a utility bill; they may need to buy a new tire to get to a job interview or buy some groceries until payday,” Greene said, adding: But because they don’t have mental health or HIV issues, they can’t get immediate assistance.”
Greene wants to include what she calls a “Flex-Funding Program” within her nonprofit.
“If you need to fix a flat tire, get bus fare to go back and forth to work or have food in the house for your kids…I want to have an emergency fund for those specific needs,” Greene said. “You can be a struggling single woman or single dad…I want an organization that serves everyone.”
Greene is also a karaoke fanatic. She’s a mainstay at karaoke nights hosted by the Original Crusoe’s at 3152 Osceola Street.
“I love karaoke,” Greene confessed. “To me, it represents freedom and who you are. I especially love the diversity at Caruso’s. You can be older, younger, Black or white…it doesn’t matter. We’re free to be whoever we are. Through karaoke we share a sense of community.”
To start fund-raising for Love is the Brand, Greene kicked off a “Karaoke Fun-Raiser” where locals compete throughout March and April. Funds raised from the contests will go toward her first “Community Love Block Party” on May 27.
The block-long festival will feature live music, DJs, bands, the karaoke contest winners, games, silent auctions, raffles and aBounce house, face-painting, and a magician for kids. Crusoe’s will provide the food and there will be vendors on hand to offering information on homelessness, housing, mental health services, HIV awareness and other vital educational, employment and health services.
To Learn more about “Love is the Brand” visit:https://www.loveisthebrand.org/
or contact Greene at 314-866-3227.
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