Nadine's Season of Feast or Famine
Donation protected
The world is trying to break me into a million tiny pieces, rendering me helpless, hopeless and invisible, I choose to fight back with this public campaign, praying I can get back on my feet and become a testimony to my faith, tenacity and determination to help myself and others who find themselves in this situation. It's a matter of feast or famine.
Three years or so ago, I decided to become an entrepreneur after overcoming health issues related to obesity and poor nutrition. A niche literally opened up before me, so I wrote a business plan and went to work. I got side tracked when early on it became evident to me that the people who needed my services most were in a vulnerable population that could not afford to pay. I am a personal chef who created a business to deliver nutrition counseling, basic food handling education, and nutritious retail products; a three pronged approach to wellness that I call Nutrition Synergies LLC. I saved my own life with this approach, and wanted to save others. I didn’t have much money when I started. I raised $5000 in 2013 with KIVA Zip, a crowdfunding platform for struggling entrepreneurs. That was the seed money that got the business off the ground. I provided services for WIC (Women and Infant Children) and other social program recipients out of my pocket, because those folks did not have access to any hands on intervention, to assist them in their quest to provide better nutrition for themselves and their families. You see, I was a for profit business operating as a nonprofit funding out of pocket! I ran the business with my heart and not my head, but God provided, and I was surviving!
Early last year, I answered a solicitation for Washington DC Government to open a café in impoverished Ward 8. I won the award for the café, and spent the last year preparing to occupy the space, working along with DC Government Deputy Mayor’s Office for Economic Development (DMPED). I literally sank every dime I had into this project, because for me, it was a dream come true; the opportunity to have a brick and mortar presence as well as serve a community that is so close to my heart. I was to deliver clean, whole food and basic nutrition education to a food desert community! DMPED botched the build out of the café so badly, that the District of Columbia Regulatory Agency, (DCRA) could not grant me a business license to occupy the space. All of my time, efforts and monies expended to this process was lost, with DMPED telling me thanks but no thanks as they withdrew my award for the café on May 8, 2015. When I sought legal help, everyone wanted huge amounts of money that I just didn’t have. It’s not easy being the little guy.
I was fortunate to start my business in a communal commercial space in Washington DC, named Union Kitchen. This made operating legally affordable. I am still there today, but I can no longer support the business financially. My personal finances have tanked. I am in collections with several of my personal credit accounts. I am facing foreclosure with my modest home, and two weeks ago, my mother, my best friend in life transitioned to be with the Lord. I have strange emotions welling up inside. On the one hand, the deck seems stacked so badly against me, that I want to give up, go bankrupt and whatever goes along with that. (famine)
On the other hand, my faith and my entrepreneurial spirit say, God will make a way, you just have to find it, and believe. (feast)
Although I am struggling financially, I am a brilliant chef, who is blessed with the humanity and personality to work with vulnerable populations from infants to seniors. I have developed many products worthy of broad retail distribution, if I could get the labeling and packaging up to par. I enjoy teaching, and will do so anywhere and anytime, I have developed curriculum and training elements for my targeted populations, but cannot find funding to teach.
My total financial downfall is close to $100,000. I am trying to raise $10,000, where 5 percent goes back to the funding platform, and $9500 would allow me to fully brand and distribute five retail products. I would choose my signature pies, quiche, wholegrain pound cakes, salads and wraps. I would be able to pay two months’ rent in advance. The retail line would generate revenues to sustain the business, so I can pay myself and begin to make arrangements to crawl out of the financial hole I am in personally.
It is difficult for me to offer incentives for your donations, but I would definitely keep that option open as things improve for me. If any of you are in the Washington DC area, I would definitely serve you great pie, quiche and coffee!
Please visit www.nutritionsynergies.com , @nutritionsyndc (twitter) and Nutrition Synergies LLC on Facebook to learn more about me.
The Christian faith says, “You have not because you ask not.” I believe in the power of God, and I am asking and thanking you in advance.
Three years or so ago, I decided to become an entrepreneur after overcoming health issues related to obesity and poor nutrition. A niche literally opened up before me, so I wrote a business plan and went to work. I got side tracked when early on it became evident to me that the people who needed my services most were in a vulnerable population that could not afford to pay. I am a personal chef who created a business to deliver nutrition counseling, basic food handling education, and nutritious retail products; a three pronged approach to wellness that I call Nutrition Synergies LLC. I saved my own life with this approach, and wanted to save others. I didn’t have much money when I started. I raised $5000 in 2013 with KIVA Zip, a crowdfunding platform for struggling entrepreneurs. That was the seed money that got the business off the ground. I provided services for WIC (Women and Infant Children) and other social program recipients out of my pocket, because those folks did not have access to any hands on intervention, to assist them in their quest to provide better nutrition for themselves and their families. You see, I was a for profit business operating as a nonprofit funding out of pocket! I ran the business with my heart and not my head, but God provided, and I was surviving!
Early last year, I answered a solicitation for Washington DC Government to open a café in impoverished Ward 8. I won the award for the café, and spent the last year preparing to occupy the space, working along with DC Government Deputy Mayor’s Office for Economic Development (DMPED). I literally sank every dime I had into this project, because for me, it was a dream come true; the opportunity to have a brick and mortar presence as well as serve a community that is so close to my heart. I was to deliver clean, whole food and basic nutrition education to a food desert community! DMPED botched the build out of the café so badly, that the District of Columbia Regulatory Agency, (DCRA) could not grant me a business license to occupy the space. All of my time, efforts and monies expended to this process was lost, with DMPED telling me thanks but no thanks as they withdrew my award for the café on May 8, 2015. When I sought legal help, everyone wanted huge amounts of money that I just didn’t have. It’s not easy being the little guy.
I was fortunate to start my business in a communal commercial space in Washington DC, named Union Kitchen. This made operating legally affordable. I am still there today, but I can no longer support the business financially. My personal finances have tanked. I am in collections with several of my personal credit accounts. I am facing foreclosure with my modest home, and two weeks ago, my mother, my best friend in life transitioned to be with the Lord. I have strange emotions welling up inside. On the one hand, the deck seems stacked so badly against me, that I want to give up, go bankrupt and whatever goes along with that. (famine)
On the other hand, my faith and my entrepreneurial spirit say, God will make a way, you just have to find it, and believe. (feast)
Although I am struggling financially, I am a brilliant chef, who is blessed with the humanity and personality to work with vulnerable populations from infants to seniors. I have developed many products worthy of broad retail distribution, if I could get the labeling and packaging up to par. I enjoy teaching, and will do so anywhere and anytime, I have developed curriculum and training elements for my targeted populations, but cannot find funding to teach.
My total financial downfall is close to $100,000. I am trying to raise $10,000, where 5 percent goes back to the funding platform, and $9500 would allow me to fully brand and distribute five retail products. I would choose my signature pies, quiche, wholegrain pound cakes, salads and wraps. I would be able to pay two months’ rent in advance. The retail line would generate revenues to sustain the business, so I can pay myself and begin to make arrangements to crawl out of the financial hole I am in personally.
It is difficult for me to offer incentives for your donations, but I would definitely keep that option open as things improve for me. If any of you are in the Washington DC area, I would definitely serve you great pie, quiche and coffee!
Please visit www.nutritionsynergies.com , @nutritionsyndc (twitter) and Nutrition Synergies LLC on Facebook to learn more about me.
The Christian faith says, “You have not because you ask not.” I believe in the power of God, and I am asking and thanking you in advance.
Organizer
Nadine Joyner
Organizer
Washington D.C., DC
