Muneera Walker was knee
deep in census work in her Lower Merion community when the pandemic began. Soon
after, she saw her neighbors struggle to have enough food.
A former owner of a
general contracting business and avid volunteer, Walker launched her nonprofit
organization, Neighbors Helping Neighbors on the Main Line in response to food insecurity in
her community. Since March 2020, the effort has taken off and the charitable
organization has delivered food weekly to 60 families in Lower Merion Township
and another 50 families in Philadelphia.
The organization is
seeking its own space to expand programming and outreach capabilities that
would enable Neighbors Helping Neighbors the ability to provide aid to those in
need in Bucks County as well.
Walker launched another
“tentacle” of the organization, E Squared, Excelling in Education. About 50
students have received free virtual educational assistance in various subject
areas from the organization’s pool of current and retired educators, parents,
grandparents, high school students and all types of neighbors.
“As horrific as this time
is for our nation and our world, I’m grateful that the shift toward virtual is
actually helping me help the students in ways that I probably would not have
thought of,” Walker said. “You always get some good with the bad.”
Neighbors Helping
Neighbors on the Main Line is funded primarily through private donations. Other
organizations, including a local food pantry, contribute food over-abundance to
the cause.
“My goal has always been
to elevate the opportunities and stature of our Black and Latinx communities in
Lower Merion,” Walker said. “They have suffered disparities from the past that
require strategic work and a lot of energy to correct. Neighbors Helping
Neighbors is my opportunity and our opportunity to heal our community.”
As the nonprofit began to
grow beyond Lower Merion – including Philadelphia, Montgomery County, Delaware
County and soon Bucks County – a volunteer recommended that Walker seek out guidance
from SCORE Bucks County for insight on grant funding, insurance coverage,
business planning and more.
“SCORE has been a great
asset to Neighbors Helping Neighbors,” Walker said. “It’s a phenomenal resource
and everyone should know about it.”
SCORE Bucks County
volunteer Kumar Natarajan
and Rob
Purdy began mentoring Walker during the summer.
“Muneera has found a very
successful strategy and is most definitely meeting the needs of the
communities,” Purdy said.
Most recently, the
nonprofit has expanded to offer a VS3, Virtual School Sensory Support Program,
which provides free sensory items, such as wobble cushions and fidgets for
individuals with special needs.
What began as an
initiative to feed Walker’s Lower Merion neighbors has since grown to become so
much more.
“The main focus is to
assist families in any way they need in order to help them rise up,” Walker
said, adding that help can come in the form of food donations, educational
services, financial assistance, coat drives and more. “Neighbors Helping
Neighbors is all about helping each family and each child however they need
help.”
Walker credits her team of
20 dedicated volunteers, along with her SCORE Bucks mentors with empowering her
organization to make an impact.
“My desire is to be a
lasting entity of help and change for ours and the expanded communities,” she
said. “It’s not me. It’s not each individual volunteer. It’s not SCORE. It’s
all of us. Together we’re changing the face of our community.”
To learn more visit https://www.nhnonthemainline.com/.
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more
than 8.5 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business
mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small
businesses.?With 50 members across the county, SCORE
Bucks?County?provides over 1,500 free mentoring services annually
to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and
small business seminars. To stay up to date on news and happenings, join
SCORE Bucks County’s email list. Text SCOREBUCKS to 22828.
