Meet the Team
Nekiya Brown - Co President
Ms. Nekiya Brown is a very loving and caring person, and she is proud to have been a foster mother for 17 years. Throughout the years, Ms. Brown has fostered over 67 children and reunited many children back with their families. She is also proud to be a recipient of the Foster Parent Achievement Award in 2023.
Ms. Brown is a mentor for other foster moms and foster children through the organization, Be Oiled. She has also previously worked for the Department of Human Services (DHS) and provided services for adults in the shelter system. She is a licensed herbalist by trade.
Ms. Brown has adopted three children that had been in care for several years and now they are a permanent part of her family.
Helen Lee - Co President
Do. Hard. Things. This is a constant reminder for Ms. Helen Lee. Being a foster mother is so hard, but also so rewarding, especially for Ms. Lee in knowing that she gave a child a safe and loving home during the time the child was in her care. It takes a village to raise a child, and Ms. Lee and the others at Nourishing Hearts are passionate about creating and serving as a village of love and support for the children who need it as well as for the families who care for foster children.
Ms. Lee has been a corporate lawyer for 16+ years and is a native of Flushing, Queens. NYC has opened up so many opportunities for Ms. Lee and her family, and she is happy to be able to give back to her community through Nourishing Hearts. Ms. Lee looks forward to all the amazing things that she and her Nourishing Hearts teammates hope to do for children and families with the support of our community.
Latisha Lee - Corporate Secretary & VP for Outreach
Ms. Latisha Lee is the Corporate Secretary and Vp of outreach for Nourishing Hearts INC. She is an experienced paraprofessional with over 20 years experience working in some of New York City’s toughest neighborhoods. Latisha is passionate about the wellbeing, self-image and confidence of the children and at-risk youth she encounters. With her deep appreciation for how Nourishing Hearts INC seeks to improve the quality of life for the children and at-risk youth in our communities, Latisha was immediately on board to lend her expertise. When not out helping our youth Latisha is an avid camper who enjoys the great outdoors. Latisha knows all the logistics and planning it takes to get out the door with everything you need to not only survive but thrive in the wilderness.
Tanya Fowlkes - Treasurer
Tanya has been an activities therapist for adults with mental health illness and then a case manager for single adult men, families, and now single adult women. Her passion for helping the disenfranchised has only grown since her years of foster parenting. She believes that her life and work experiences has brought her to a place of understanding her calling is to help. This opportunity to work with this new and fabulous organization is the best way to showcase all that she has leaned and experience. Tanya is looking forward being apart of nourishing hearts becoming a house hold name and impacting the world in a positive light.
Juanita Hill- VP for Youth Development and Grants
“Service is my motto, especially serving children and families.” For over 22 years, Juanita has worked tirelessly within the foster care system in various roles that include social worker, care coordinator, trauma trainer, and children's counselor. This is more than a career for Juanita, as she continues to try to effect positive change for the youth and families that she has encountered—and continues to encounter every day—in the foster care system.