Honoring My Nana, Evelyn “Nana” Brooks — 105 Years of Faith, Service & Legacy

Because of Nana example, I started my nonprofit SOTIAL Foundation Inc. a 501(c) Non-profit dedicated to serving others and strengthening community. Her life is the blueprint behind that work. SOTIAL stands for Serving Others Through Intentional Acts of Love....because it can't be RANDOM!

My name is Dionne, and I am the proud granddaughter of Evelyn “Nana” Brooks. This year, my Nana is turning 105 years old — a milestone that represents not only longevity, but a life of extraordinary faith, perseverance, and service to others.

Nana has lived through the Great Depression, World War II, segregation, the Civil Rights movement, and every era that followed. She built her life as a Black woman in Hopewell, New Jersey, raising her family in a predominantly white community with strength and dignity. She and my Pop-Pop raised a large family in the Sourland Mountains in Hopewell Township (Mercer County) New Jersey, farming rocky land while raising their children and serving their neighbors with generosity and love.

MY FUNDRAISING GOAL:

I am raising funds to make her 105th church celebration truly special and build up my non-profit to continue the legacy of service I learned from Nana. Proceeds will support

Nana is the matriarch of 5th living generations — There are over 100+ of us including children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, cousins, etc. We exist today because of her resilience and faith. Her life has been rooted in church, community, and helping others. She has spent decades as a faithful member of her church and a pillar in the local African American community. And even through discrimination and hardship, she never stopped believing in people or doing good.

Why This Celebration Matters

Everything I believe about service… I learned from Nana.

She showed me that helping others isn’t an event — it’s a lifestyle.

You show up.

You give.

You care.

You lift people when they are down.

Now, as she approaches 105 years old, I want to honor her in the most meaningful way possible — with a beautiful luncheon and a church celebration surrounded by family, community, and love.

This is more than a birthday celebration.

It’s a tribute to a century of impact!

A recognition of a Black woman whose life quietly shaped generations. When things were not so easy for her to do so. It is a

moment to give her flowers while she can still receive them.

This fundraiser is about honoring a woman who spent her life pouring into others. Now it’s our turn to pour into her.

The Legacy Continues

Nana has always believed the secret to life is simple: be thankful for what you have.

She has lived that truth for over a century.

Her life inspired my commitment to service.

Her faith shaped our family.

Her strength created a legacy that continues through all of us.

If she has ever inspired, you…

If you believe in honoring elders…

If you believe in celebrating Black history while it is still living and breathing among us…

Please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser.

Let’s come together to celebrate 105 years of love, resilience, faith, and service.

With gratitude,

Dionne

Granddaughter. Advocate. Legacy carrier.

To check out more about my Nana, you can see her stories

*All extra proceeds will be donated to my Nana, her church, Second Calvary Baptist Church Hopewell NJ and to my non-profit SOTIAL to make a different in the lives of the vulnerable (Marginalized communities, Food insecure families, Homeless, Veterans, etc.)

Check out more about my Nana see the links below!

https://youtu.be/4oPQbLrEB_Y?si=AB6p59QnVDg06JpX

https://youtu.be/5cCEjD1m8EE?si=NbCZ9xIH9R6yt1ha

https://www.towntopics.com/2022/03/02/longtime-sourland-mountain-resident-is-celebrated-as-living-history/

https://planetprinceton.com/2021/02/28/hopewells-nana-marks-her-100th-birthday-with-a-drive-by-celebration/

By donating you’re giving her the best present of all—the chance to contribute to something meaningful. Let’s work together to make a difference! Thank you for your support!