FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6/17/20

Contact:
Rev. Dr. Michelle A. Simmons
(215) 842-2360
[email protected]

Local Nonprofit Executive Michelle Simmons Named to NSBA Leadership Council

Germantown, PA – Rev. Dr. Michelle Simmons, Founder & CEO of Why Not Prosper, Philadelphia, PA was recently named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council. NSBA is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization, and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis. Simmons, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins the NSBA Leadership Council alongside other small-business advocates from across the country as they work to promote the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C.

“As the operator of a nonprofit advocating criminal justice reform, I see daily the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation,” stated Simmons. “Joining NSBA’s Leadership Council will enable me to take our collective message to the people that need to hear it most: Congress.”

Simmons joined the NSBA Leadership Council as part of her efforts to tackle the many critical issues facing small business, including tax reform, regulatory restraint, health care costs and how the Affordable Care Act will impact small business. The NSBA Leadership Council is focused on providing valuable networking between small-business advocates from across the country while ensuring small business a seat at the table as Congress and regulators take up key small-business proposals.

“I am proud to have Rev. Simmons as part of our Leadership Council,” stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. “She came to us highly recommended and I look forward our coordinated efforts for years to come.”

Please click here to learn more about Why Not Prosper.

For more on the NSBA Leadership Council, please visit www.nsba.biz
 
Why Not Prosper has a mission to help women from prison systems discover their own strength by providing them with the support and resources that will empower them to become responsible, economically self-sufficient and contributing members of the community.
 
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​We have made some temporary changes to our processes and programs due to the COVID19 virus. One major shift is that we cannot have a community dinner for our women until things are a little less restricting.
 
As we addressed this with our women, the thought was presented that we should turn our restriction into a blessing by using our time (and food) to do something good. The result is the Share the Bounty project.
 
As the world faces the challenges of COVID-19, the fear of diminishing access to fresh food and produce grows nationwide. The greater Philadelphia area ranks in the top 10 U.S. cities with the highest number of food insecure residents, with more than 12% of the population in our region before the pandemic. Here in Philadelphia County, the number is higher than the national average, with an estimated 302,685 people living with food insecurity and increasing.
 
During the pandemic we have been getting more food donations than usual from ShopRite, Relish Restaurant (takeout) and Wawa and we felt it was important that our neighbors have access to this food.
 
So, our women have decided to “share the bounty” and distribute this food to the community. Share the Bounty involves distribution of food 4 days a week.
 
Why Not Prosper women package the food according to what we have available and we ensure that the packages are balanced and have protein in them at least a couple of times a week. We are practicing social distancing and always include clean, healthy practices for food handling.
 
The food packages are set out on two tables at our offices and there is a measured distance of 6 feet. Our neighbors stop by our location and are very grateful for the food and very respectful of our social distancing requirements.
 
We are currently serving an average of 45 families a day.