Christine Papayorgis was going through a difficult time feeling good about herself after she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2008. After losing her hair to chemotherapy, she "didn't feel like a woman"-- until she met Samantha Gil and learned about the Nest of Love organization.
“You have this organization that brings women together and it builds them up, she builds you up. She speaks life into your life, she encourages you. Anything she can do to help she's there. Samantha reaches out to me, and she checks on me if I ever need anything,” Papayorgis told Fox News.
Nest of Love is a nonprofit based in Miami that focuses on building up the lives of individuals who "are seeking advancement and equality through mentorship, leadership, wellness, and spiritual guidance programs." Gil, 33, founded the company in 2018 and since then has helped hundreds of women and young girls.
“We believe all women can embrace who they are, define their future, and change the world,” Gil told Fox News.
Gil said she was inspired to create Nest of Love by her grandmother who stepped in to raise her when she was a little girl.
“My grandmother is actually one of my key motivations for Nest of Love because she helped so many people and not in the ways that I do, but in other ways. And she was so giving and she didn't have anything to give,” Gil said.
Nest of Love has provided makeovers for women, backpacks and school supplies for young girls, created leadership seminars for personal and business growth, and established a safe and secure environment for women to come together and support each other.
In 2019, the organization caught the attention of Kylie Jenner and Ellen DeGeneres. Gil and a few of her mentees were invited to the “Ellen” show where she received $150,000 from Jenner for Nest of Love. The appearance was momentous for Nest of Love and allowed Gil to create more programs and events.
“I remember telling Kylie, 'you know, I think you're such a boss,' and she said, 'no, you're a boss,' and I was bawling out crying," Gil recalled.
The Nest of Love organization is continuing to expand its reach to help women across the country during the coronavirus pandemic. According to Gil, the company will be launching a campaign sponsored by Made in America to donate 250 masks to different homeless shelters around the country every month for one year.
“I try to encourage people the way that I would encourage myself or I wish that someone did for me," Gil said. "There are great people in this world. You just have to know who they are and when you see them, you just have to appreciate them and know that they're trying their best as well.”