"Even when I was little, pen and paper were my two favorite things in the whole world."
    Phyllis Greene has turned her love of writing tools into a business that provides development tools for small non-profit organizations and small businesses. Divine Help Services evolved as Greene found herself being asked again and again to help family, friends and even members of her church with forms, applications and resumes.
    "After a while, I thought, 'You know, this could be a business.'," Greene said.
    What was little more than a good idea started taking shape when she was introduced to the Detroit Entrepreneurship Institute in the late 1990s. She was on welfare at the time and employed by DEI as the result of a pilot offered through the City of Detroit’s Workforce Development program.
    Greene started in the computer lab and was later offered a position in fund development. She spent seven years helping other entrepreneurs and raising seven children before pursuing her own dream of business ownership on a full-time basis last year.
    According to the business' Web site, Green has defined her life around a New Testament scripture, Philippians 2:4: “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” With the mission to "help, aid and assist", Divine Help Services now offers consulting in nonprofit set-up, 501(c)(3) application, program/fund development, internet research and grant and proposal writing.
    “My goal is to see non-profits at a standard beyond what they’re operating at,” Greene explained. “There are so many needs in the community and so many non-profits that have a desire to do something, but don’t understand the structure or need clerical assistance.”
    Divine Help Services is also willing to work with small business owners looking to achieve their greatest level of success. And while she’s in the business of providing help, Greene recently received some help herself: a “boost” grant of $1,000 through DEI, which will help her to continue marketing and developing her own business.
    “DEI is a wonderful resource. It is a place that encourages,” Greene said.
    To learn more, visit Divine Help Services LLC's web site.