Meet Pamela Peterson-Dickens of Help Make A Difference Outreach and Sweet P’s Galaxy Lemonade

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Peterson-Dickens.

Hi Pamela, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
I started out with a Women’s Outreach Ministry named First Lady Enterprize in 2012. We started meeting at various locations hosting 1st Friday’s Ladies Night Out with our sessions called “Real Women In NEED Of Real Talk. Every female age 18 & up were welcomed to come without a title to their name. They were whatever their legal name was. No such and such mom, wife, pastor… etc. Sometimes women can get caught up in titles or being what everyone wants them to be that we lose who God called us to be. Eventually, I became a minister, Life Coach, and a Notary to add being a Wife, mother, grandmother, and Licensed Cosmetologist. 

Throughout our sessions we talked on being Motivated, Inspiring, Education, and Beauty. Not what’s on the outside but the inside as well. We then started Project Serenity, which is dear to my heart bc it was named after my daughter Serenity, who has Spuna Bifida. We started hosting a Christmas Prom in (2014 – present). We bring joy to families with Children with Special Needs and their siblings. We host a toy drive and get very the toys away at the prom. Parents have come from as far as Fayettville, Clinton, Raleigh, and Greenville to the Tarboro/Rocky Mt area. 

Parents get to enjoy their babies being around other children with different abilities like their children. They can feel free if a child is steaming, screaming or crying. People don’t judge at our events bc every child is different and unique in their own way. Other Organizations will help sponsor with volunteers, gifts, food, and decorations to help make our Prom be successful. We now have started a Lemonade Business during the Pandemic. A portion of the proceeds goes back into our events that we host. Our Lemonade business is named after me Sweet P’s Galaxy Lemonade, and we carry over 20 flavors. Prayerfully, we can get sponsors so we can finish building out our Concession Trailer and open a Storefront. Our goal is to teach our kids who are becoming young adults to become entrepreneurs. By allowing them to work it also helps to teach them Entrepreneurial and social skills. I love working with women and children with Special Needs. We now have a certified 501(c)3 Nonprofit named Help Make as Difference Outreach where we house all the programs I have mentioned. We do need sponsors and always looking for volunteers when we are hosting events. 

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?
No, it hasn’t been. Some challenges were people to come out to our meetings and events. Getting volunteers when we are having events. Sponsorships has definitely been challenging in the past. 

We’ve been impressed with Help Make A Difference Outreach and Sweet P’s Galaxy Lemonade, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Starting with Help Make A Difference Outreach, we host social events for families with children with Special Needs and their siblings. We would like for more families to get connected and be involved when we are bringing awareness to the community about children with special needs and their lifestyle. What we as parents go through. Hopefully to bridge the cap and get children not to bully but become buddies and help our children out and become friends. Sweet P’s Galaxy Lemonade came about during the Pandemic and became a great conversation starter to share about children with Special Needs. My daughter Serenity would normally be at the cashier spot when her health allows it. We share flyers about who Help Make A Difference Outreach, Project Serenity, and Sweet P’s Galaxy Lemonade is, and how we bring awareness to the Community. Not only do we make Lemonade, we use a lot of fruit purees that we make ourselves. We custom-make Lemonades for our clients. We even let them name it. We carry over 20+flavors. A portion of the proceeds goes into the nonprofit to continue to host our social events, which are October Awareness for Spina Bifida, Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence, December- Nation Disability Day (Christmas Prom), and Rainbow Tea Awareness fundraiser. 

What’s next?
As I continue to lean more about nonprofits, I plan on updating our board members and committees. We are looking to be in a brick-and-mortar before the cold comes in to offer various concession foods and drinks. We would like for our employees to be people with different abilities, along with a buddy to assist them in working. Also, to have a space to hold parenting classes that helps prepare families for IEPs, Advocacy, and going from youth to adults, and the things we may face with our children. 

Pricing:

• Lemonade 1/2 Gallon $13
• Lemonade Gallon $25
• Lemonade 16oz $4
• NONPROFIT SHIRTS $20

Image Credits
Pamela Peterson-Dickens