A local woman is helping those in need one social media post at a time.

Many are calling her the “Black Fairy Godmother.” She focuses on underserved and marginalized communities.

“I was in math class and I kept getting different notifications that there was a woman in Maryland who needed $1,000 by 12:00 to prevent her eviction,” says East Orange resident Simone Gordon, otherwise known as the Black Fairy Godmother.

“During the time I was in math class, I know I should have been learning, but I went ahead and I raised those funds on my Facebook platform. We raised that $1,000 in one hour,” she says.

The 34-year-old activist, advocate, nursing student and mother says that she is no stranger to struggle.

“In 2017, my son was diagnosed with autism and I lost my job working at a bank. So I couldn’t get the resources from big nonprofits and I was always on a waiting list,” Gordon says.

And although she may have her own struggles, Gordon still makes time to help others, especially those looking for emergency assistance. She uses social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to post her calls to action

“I either do a live or I do a graphic and let people know exactly what the person’s story is,” Gordon says.

Angela Bynum is one of many deserving recipients of the Black Fairy Godmother's charitable work. The mom from Orange who found herself homeless, without a job, a new diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and nowhere to turn – all in the middle of the pandemic - turned to Gordon for a little help.

“She put us up in a hotel from October to November and it was amazing what she did for me, because I would never have thought someone that didn’t know me and did that for me,” Bynum says.

“I’m not just going to throw money toward our community. I want to go ahead and stabilize us, try to get us the best education and to also be permanent business owners and to strive for the best,” says Gordon.

Gordon isn’t just fundraising for others via social media, she is also expanding her reach and starting organizations with specific targets, all the while leaving behind a trail of fairy dust.

Gordon says that this all started because an anonymous donor helped her get back on her feet and paid her tuition and re-enrolled her at Essex County College. She says that she looks at this as paying that kindness forward.