About The Founder

About Me
My name is Nataki "Pinky Redd" Gardner (she/her).

I am a domestic violence survivor.
I’ve experienced homelessness more than once and lived in a shelter with my toddler son.
There were days when I didn’t know how I would feed my children.
I’ve battled financial hardship, depression, and anxiety.
I’m also an ally and a proud mother of children in the LGBTQ+ community.

These experiences have shaped my purpose. I’ve dedicated my life to helping others who face similar challenges, offering compassion, understanding, and real solutions that restore hope.

I began my service journey by supporting underserved pregnant women and mothers with children under five through a nonprofit agency, providing advocacy and resources through in-home visits. I also served as a therapeutic foster parent, creating a safe and nurturing environment for displaced children through a local nonprofit.

As the Founder of Building Up The Community Inc. (BUTC), I bring more than three decades of leadership experience in customer service, conflict resolution, team building, time management, budgeting, strategic planning, marketing, branding, communications, human resources, financial management, and decision-making.

For years, I was unsure of my true calling. I built several successful businesses, including two daycare centers in Indianapolis, Indiana; a proven hair growth product line that connected me with women around the world; an award-nominated international marketing firm; and a fleet of trucks operating nationwide. Each venture enriched my life, but something still felt incomplete. I prayed and asked God, “What do You want me to do for Your kingdom?”

That’s when it became clear my purpose is to help people who are where I once was, and everyone in between.

In 2020, before BUTC was officially founded, I started feeding the unhoused and others in need. I call them my “friends.” That name matters to me because everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and cared for. The term “homeless” carries stigma, but “friends” reminds us of our shared humanity. Likewise, I don’t use the word “poverty.” I call it “challenges” because everyone faces them, and everyone can overcome them.

In 2023, I launched the Teen Money Talk Financial Literacy Workshops.
In 2024, we expanded to Houston, Texas, adding a mentorship program that teaches teens personal finance, conflict resolution, life skills, entrepreneurship, and career exploration in ways that truly resonate.

That same year, we introduced the BUTC Mental Health Program, providing affordable and accessible therapy for youth, teens, adults, and families facing socioeconomic challenges. Led by licensed clinicians and MSW interns under the guidance of a dedicated LCSW-S Clinical Program Director, the program promotes mental wellness and helps break the stigma surrounding it.

In 2025, we opened our Youth Emergency & Transitional Shelter for young adults aged 18–24 in Fort Bend County, Texas, providing safe housing, mental health therapy, employment assistance, financial literacy, life skills training, transportation, case management, structure, and the tools needed to achieve stability and independence.

When people seek help, they deserve to feel safe, respected, and supported, not judged or criticized. My vision for Building Up The Community Inc. is to create a refuge of this kind: a space where individuals can access housing, meals, financial literacy, business education, mental health services, employment resources, volunteer opportunities, and other essential support services.

Our mission is to build strong communities through targeted programs that address homelessness, mental health, food insecurity, and financial literacy.  Our organization offers a comprehensive range of services, including affordable mental health services, youth programs, transitional housing for young adults, and essential support such as food and necessities. We are dedicated to reducing disparities and supporting individuals on their path to stability and success by providing the resources, respect, compassion, and love necessary to help people rebuild their lives.

BUTC promises to impact at least one life every single day.

We are building a better tomorrow today for those who no longer see hope or a way forward.

To every donor, sponsor, board member, stakeholder, volunteer, staff member, friend, and supporter, I promise that every dollar, supply, piece of equipment, and donation will be used solely to improve the lives of the people we serve.

Healing is a lifelong journey, and although I’m still on my own healing journey, I know it’s time to use my story to help heal others.

I’ve learned that I don’t help people by only shining a light on the problem; I help them by shining a light on the solution.

Even if everything isn’t clear yet, I trust that everything I need to serve the community is already on the way.

 Nataki “Pinky Redd” Gardner
Founder & Executive Director
Building Up The Community Inc.

Where There Is Hope There Is A Way