Today we’d like to introduce you to Summer Phillips.
Hi Summer, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up in South Central, on the East side, I always knew that I wanted to do more for my community. I knew that my community deserved so much more than what they were given. This was the driving force for starting “Save The Hood First”.
In 2016, I fundraised to create “Cold Weather Care Packages” for my houseless neighbors in lieu of having a birthday party. After receiving a tremendous amount of support from friends and followers on Instagram and Facebook, I started to volunteer with other non-profits and even sold baked goods to raise money for back-to-school supplies.
After going through many name changes, “Save The Hood First” became the official name with the mission of leading toward a positive social change and showing the importance of community. So here I am, 5+ years later, serving in professional roles in the Mental Health/Social Services field, creating and finding resources for the community.
With each purchase and referral of services provided by myself, a portion of proceeds goes back into the community, supporting the mission of Save The Hood First.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve always been transparent of the journey that it took to get “Save The Hood First” to where it’s at, and I’m still not done. As time has passed, I’ve worked hard to upgrade my business in terms of finding resources, networking and just being better overall.
I tried the non-profit world with the help from many people (special shout out to “Crawford Cares”), but it was not the right lane for “Save The Hood First”. Now I am recognized as a business, but who knows where I will end up in the next few years.
My main struggle was creating a product that people would actually want to purchase. I also wanted to ensure that I could offer products at an affordable price while still making a profit to be able to fund projects in mind.
Currently, I’d say the struggle is the content creation world. It is so hard to keep up with the maintenance of social media, but I recognize it is a tool to continue to reach others who do not know “Save The Hood First”.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work in Mental Health, providing behavioral services and resources. I’ve worked in almost every role, ranging from an advocate to a case manager. I’m always known as the person who knows a little bit about everything. If there’s a resource for a need, I can probably point you in the right direction. I make it a point to soak up knowledge about everything, to better help the people I serve.
What does success mean to you?
Success is a journey. I think it will never be a final stop for success. I feel that we are taught the American dream, climbing the corporate ladder. Now, this generation is all about self-success, creating businesses; entrepreneurship. I feel that as long as you are setting goals that push you further and make you happy, you are reaching success.
Contact Info:
- Website: Savethehoodfirst.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/savethehoodfirst
