Meet Nikki

Changing lives one bowl at a time.

Nikki has worn many different hats since she joined our staff at Helping Up Mission. She puts her natural talents to use as a hairdresser, choir director, cook, resident assistant, and more.

But with a smile, she recalls the day the HUM’s director of women’s programs looked at her and said, “You should be out in the street (serving others).”

Nikki is passionate about reaching men and women who are trapped in the hopeless cycle of addiction. Through her special “restoration” soups, Nikki and the Mobile Street Outreach team are “pouring hope into dying souls” one bowl at a time in some of the most dangerous areas of Baltimore.

“I’m the only female in the outreach,” she shares. “We used to have a van and we would go out and we would just look for places where there is heavy drug trafficking. I’m from Baltimore, and I used to use, so I know some areas.”

She not only knows some areas, she knows the struggles, explaining, “I am a recovering addict. I’m 26 years clean. I once thought I would never stop. My oldest son was born with drugs in his system. But there is hope, and we’ve got to let others know that.” She continues, “We must go out, even though it is dangerous, because they will never come to us. They are ashamed. They’ve given up all hope. This shows them that we value them even more than they value themselves at that point.”

One of the ways Nikki reaches people who are trapped in addiction is with her now-famous soups. She loves cooking, but you can’t always follow a specific recipe when you’re working with donated food. When the food gets unloaded, calls of “Hey Nikki, can you use this?... What about this?” echo through the warehouse.

If there is turkey, she makes turkey soup. When ham is available, it’s ham and bean soup. Sometimes there is chicken for chicken noodle soup. 

But one specific ingredient is used in every single soup that Nikki creates – and that ingredient is the leading of the Holy Spirit! Without a recipe, consistent ingredients, or specific measurements, Nikki prays as she cooks and gives all credit to the Lord when things come together. 

“I am so amazed at what He does,” she shares. “When the people eat the soup, they go back into the alleys and ditches and get other people. People stop getting high for that moment to come get the soup. I’m just grateful that God uses me as His instrument.”

And for Nikki, the goal is to get people into recovery and build relationships. She isn’t ashamed to identify with things that still hold many of them back. Molestation, assault, a child born addicted to drugs – you name it, she’s been through it. But, she can also tell them how God brought her through it and changed her life.

We are truly blessed to have people like Nikki here at Helping Up Mission!