YORK COUNTY — Nakeya Green likes to use the term “turning pain into purpose.”
After her mother passed away in 2016 following a three-year long battle with cancer, Green strived to carry on her legacy of being a neighbor to all.
“My mother was very involved within her community,” Green said. “There wasn’t a stranger she ever met.”
Whether it was volunteering her time at community events, or giving book bags to people in her building who needed them, Green’s mother was dedicated to helping others.
When she passed away, Green, who described her mom as her best friend, went into a dark place.
“I’m always upfront about that because I want others who are going through circumstances like that to know that you can come up out of it if you try to remove the pain and try to just find some sort of rainbow in the clouds,” she said. “What could I do on this earth to keep her momentum going and me from the anxiety and depression that i found myself in?”
That is how Green began her prom dress donation drive, Queen in a Dress, in which Green collected and bought prom gowns and accessories for high school girls who could not otherwise afford to buy them.
Green’s charitable acts gained attention from all over the community, and she can often be seen on local Facebook group pages updating her neighbors on her latest donation drives or just offering some friendly words.
Looking for ways to continue her work throughout the year, the York County resident and mother of three created another drive to help local families.
“I find myself that, when the prom dress drive is kind of over with and I’m just kind of collecting dresses, I’m like, what else can I do with my time to bring positive energy amongst others and amongst myself?” she said.
Green created a back-to-school drive to collect donations of school supplies for those in need, which was a success before COVID-19 caused students to be virtual.
Then, in October of this year, Green received news that she had been waiting for.
After a four-year battle with cancer, she found out that she was cancer-free on Oct. 17.
“I will never forget that day ever,” she said. “It’s been a long four years.”
After experiencing her mother’s battle with cancer, Green had to work hard to stay positive and not lose hope.
“I made it my mark to never, ever wear black to any of my treatments,” she said. “These were little mind things that didn’t cost me extra money, but it was little things.”
When Green announced her good news on Facebook earlier this month, she received support “beyond her imagination” from the community.
“They supported me through the four years. It was just overwhelming to see so many people happy that I could report that news,” she said.
Even in that same post where she shared good news about her life, Green was already talking about her new donation drive just a few sentences later.
To give back to the community in celebration of her joyous news, Green decided to help eight families for Christmas this year with wish lists and Christmas dinners.
“My 18-year-old son teased me, ‘Mom, can’t you just have a moment?'” she laughed.
While Green initially committed to helping three families this Christmas, five more families reached out in need of her assistance.
“The one thing about me is I do not, within my spirit, like turning anyone away,” she said.
Green is currently taking monetary and non-perishable donations for the families.
“We really need the food aspect because I would love for each family to get Christmas dinner,” she said. “So I’m telling people, a $20 or even a $10 Kroger gift card, any amount.”
She is also looking for volunteers to help drop off items to the families, likely Dec. 15.
“We have to remember, it’s not everybody‘s favorite time of year,” Green said. “Some people don’t have the luxury to have the Christmas feel, and I find that a lot of people are lower during the holidays than any other time of year because you’ve got the Christmas commercials constantly telling you to buy, buy, buy. Not everybody can buy, buy, buy.”
However, Green does not believe in referring to people as “poor” or “less fortunate.”
“We all need lift-ups,” she said. “I always say, it doesn’t matter the scenario, everybody needs a lift-up. Whether it’s a smile or a ‘You’re going to be okay.’ All of it has power.”
Though Green lifts other families up, she said that they lift her up in return.
“I get so many comments like, ‘I appreciate what you do, I appreciate your work,’ and you never realize the magnitude of what you do,” she said, tearing up. “You’re just doing what you do because it’s something that your mom would do or she taught you how to be.”
Those interested in donating or helping with the Christmas drive can contact Green at (757) 503-4324 or by email at queeninadress@gmail.com.
