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Notable Neighbor: Tynika Smith
Bloomington City CouncilWednesday, April 30, 2025
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Transcript
[0:00] (gentle music)
[0:01] - Lotion, soap, mouthwash, we have it all.
[0:03] My name is Tynika Smith,
we're at my house.
[0:06] I'm a Bloomington resident.
[0:07] I have been for maybe about 12 years now.
[0:10] We have hoodies on top of hoodies
[0:12] that a business donated.
[0:14] Seven years ago, it started little
[0:16] with one of the big, big encampments
[0:18] before I got demolished over south.
[0:20] And I seen people standing there.
[0:21] I'm like, "Hmm, maybe they can use this."
[0:23] And once I did that, it
just went from there.
[0:26] Every year, it's gotten
bigger and bigger and bigger.
[0:29] I have four kids.
[0:30] All of my kids reside
in Bloomington schools.
[0:33] I have four jobs and I juggle it.
[0:36] Even while I'm sleeping,
my head is still going.
[0:38] My mind is still going on
[0:39] what I can do, who I can reach
out to, what can we get done?
[0:42] Put one of each thing
in there. Yep, go ahead.
[0:44] I wanted to get them involved
[0:45] because it teaches them not to judge.
[0:47] They're just like us. They're
just down on their luck.
[0:50] A lot of people are one incident
away from being homeless.
[0:53] They're one accident away.
[0:55] I started getting a community involved
[0:57] that started making posts like,
[0:58] okay, some people have stuff
that they're no longer using.
[1:01] So all my donations
come from the community.
[1:04] I'm very strategic with it
[1:05] and I like it to be almost perfect
[1:07] just because my name is on it.
[1:09] I don't have any big corporations
behind me, it's just me.
[1:12] I'm gonna put this separate.
[1:13] I am working on becoming a
501C3, that's in the works.
[1:16] So then we're done with that one.
[1:17] So everything's moving
in the right direction.
[1:19] The next project I am
working on is Mother's Day.
[1:22] They're still mothers,
they're still women.
[1:24] Just to get that little gift back,
[1:25] that little oomph with
makeup and hair ties
[1:27] and stuff to make them
feel cute and pretty.
[1:29] And after that is one of my
bigger events is Father's Day.
[1:32] Last year I did do
Father's Day in the park.
[1:34] It was a big hit. I think
we served 76 people.
[1:37] I was nominated. Didn't even know.
[1:39] A lot of people nominate me for stuff
[1:40] and I have no idea until
they sent me the email.
[1:42] It was Bloomington
Changemaker Award last year.
[1:44] No idea about it. It was awesome.
[1:46] You want put that one in there?
I've always been a giver.
[1:48] I've always been the one
that watches over others
[1:51] and if they need it, I've
always been that person.
[1:53] I don't know what it is,
[1:55] but watching other people
smile to keep that same smile.
[1:57] I love smiling, I like laughing.
[1:59] So to have another person have that smile,
[2:01] it just, it, I don't
know, it just warms me.
[2:03] And when you love doing what you do,
[2:05] it just comes natural.