Meet The Team:
Ashley Benton
Founder
Ashley Danielle Benton is the Founder, Owner, and President of The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc. She is the Mother of three children whom are the light of her life and a Grandmother to one, Princess Layla.
Ashley started this nonprofit after her Father, James Benton, was blessed with an organ donation from Chris Henry. Chris was a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. His Mother, Carolyn Henry Glaspy, donated his organs to save lives, and Ashley's Father was the liver recipient. This story can also be found on YouTube under The Legacy of Chris Henry. Even though Ashley's Father has gone to heaven after having a massive heart attack, she was blessed with 18 more months with him. After his passing she knew she wanted and needed to pay that blessing forward. Ashley's Father also fed the homeless and cared for people all over the city of Greensboro. What better way to pay it forward and keep his legacy alive than to follow and continue his footsteps. Ashley believes it is so rewarding to help someone without expecting anything in return. Their smiles and gratitude are enough for Ashley and her team. That's where her ultimate glory for her begins. She started out in 2002 with her daughter feeding a few people here and there and now she is feeding hundreds!
During the week Ashley donates her time to collecting donations, shopping for her friends in need, separating donated clothing for them, managing her household, and being a Mom. She is also studying to become a Social Worker. Ashley's passion and genuine love for people and for helping our friends in need motivates her every day. During her journey to help others, Ashley has also been blessed with opportunities such as meeting Oprah Winfrey, being a Featured OWNer on her OWN.com, Oprah's website, and being followed on Twitter by Oprah. Oprah sends Ashley messages and has publicly tweeted a "Happy Birthday Ash!" Ashley has also been to the Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Harvey Show after some special friends she has met along the way thought she deserved these tickets for making such an incredible impact in our community. Ashley has been on multiple news networks for her work as a humanitarian. Ashley has been on an amazing journey over the past three years, and is looking forward to continued success and helping more people in the years to come.
Amy Overby
Member
Amy Overby has been a loyal contributor to The Green Team Helping Hands Inc. since November 2013. She and Founder, Ashley Benton, have formed a special bond and after numerous conversations, meetings of the minds, and idea exchanges officially became a member in November 2015. Amy studied Criminal Justice at A&T University. She's a Mom, a loving wife, and also works for our Homeland Security. She looks forward to continued service and writing many grants to continue helping as many of our friends as possible. The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc. are proud to have her on our team.
Cathy Stewart
Member
Cathy Stewart joined The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc one year ago after wanting to donate her services anyway that she could. Cathy works for our local newspaper and loves to travel. She has a wonderful, personality and is a people's person. Cathy is a very loving person and very sensitive to the needs of others. She states that it's has been a blessing to be a member of a team that is willing to donate their time to caring for people that are homeless and/or hungry. She has seen the happiness and love that is given to the homeless by this team and very much wanted to be apart of that. Cathy is a very giving person and is truly happy to be a team member. She also became a Board of Director in 2015. Cathy has a smile that will light up a room without lights. The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc. are proud to have her represent us.
Alyssa Miller
Member
Alyssa Miller is seven years old and is in the second grade. She is the youngest member of The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc. Alyssa joined The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc in 2012 and loves every moment of helping others! She has a vibrant and outgoing personality. Alyssa maybe be small but that is not true about her heart. Her heart is as big as the sea! She talks to and plays with the many children that come through our serving line and does not forget to say yes sir and yes ma'am to her elders. Alyssa meets no strangers and is a perfect part of our team. She also assists with making the children that are less fortunate feel like they are not alone and generates smiles from them. Alyssa is a joyful child and is always so polite.
Latonya Ryals
Member
This is Latonya Ryals. Her and Ashley met in 2002 and has been friends ever since. When Latoya first met Ashley she would go with her sometime to feed the less fortunate. Latoya started working with Ashley because she saw the positivity in what she was doing. It was so gratifying. Latonya loves to help and by making sure that they have something to eat, makes her feel good. Latonya is currently a college student, studying to get her Bachelors Degree in Medical Assisting. She is also a Mom of two young girls, and is the Vice President on the PTA at her children's school. She joined The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc in 2012 and now holds a seat on the Board of Directors in 2015.
Debra Benton
Member
Introducing Debra Benton, mother of Ashley Benton. Debra has watched Ashley since the beginning of her vision when she was only feeding 18 people, at that point she too decided she wanted to be a part of a beautiful mission that Ashley had. She is very loving, thoughtful and unselfish in her attitude of giving back. Debra was the wife of the late James Benton whose legacy The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc. honors. Her approach to the homeless is so unselfish that she knew this was something that she wanted to be a part of and I has watched the homeless light up when The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc. is in there midst. What a wonderful feeling you get when someone says thank you for something that we take for granted, that makes their day. Debra loves being a part of this group. She joined the board of directors in 2015. Debra has retired from The Greensboro News and Record (local newspaper) after 40 years of devotion. She now dedicates most of her time to helping the homeless.
Alex Bryant
Marketing Director
Alex Bryant is an award-winning television coordinator and social media strategist. He contributes to the Green Team Helping Hands remotely from Austin, Texas to assist with the organization's digital and design needs. Alex is a natural giver and is always finding ways to give back beyond traditional methods. He thoroughly enjoys surprising others with meaningful experiences to cherish for a lifetime. Alex officially joined the team in 2013.
Jasmine Benton
Member
Introducing Jasmine Benton, the oldest of Ashley's three children.
Currently, Jasmine is a teacher for a Head Start/Pre-kindergarten program. She teaches NC Pre-K, where she enjoys working with children and their families. Jasmine graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University(NC A&T SU) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development and Family Studies and is now finishing up her Masters of Arts in Teaching degree from NC A&T SU. When her mother founded The Green Team Helping Hands Inc. she was extremely excited. She joined in 2012 to help support her mother's aspirations to assist individuals with limited resources. Jasmine continues to volunteer and collect donations so that she can give back to the community; so individuals can know that there are people that love them through whatever they may be facing and The Green Team Helping Hands Inc., is here to help them.
Alicia Miller
Member
Alicia Miller, is 11 years old and in the 6th grade. She has also helps out every week with feeding the homeless. Alicia is a very loving, and very helpful young lady. When Ashley Benton created this team she asked to be apart of it. Alicia is a very sensitive to the needs of others and is super caring. It comes comes natural to her to be of assistance to others. She loves to sing, dance, cheer, and is being raised to always be kind and respect others. Alicia joined The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc in 2012.
Anna Johnson
Member
Anna Johnson started following The Green Team Helping Hands Inc. since 2013. She loves to help "boots to the ground charities" where the money really goes to help those in need. Having worked for many years on charity event committees of various charity organizations, she realizes the work involved in procuring donations. Anna has served on the Board of Trustees for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Mountain States Chapter and is also very active with the Pink Heals Organization. In addition, she has won several industry awards in her field. Ashley Benton really impressed her with her hard work and special ways with those in need. She started with monetary donations but was quick to dress up the non-profit with their own uniforms so they would be distinguishable for the Greensboro, NC community and beyond. Anna owns a decorated sportswear factory in Arizona since 1988, Super Embroidery and Screenprinting (www.Superemb.com), and co-owner of a second business with her sister Diana Johnson since 2012 named, Diana Johnson's Catering (www.DianaJohnsonsCatering.com)
Jada Hooks
Member
Jada Hooks is the youngest of Ashley Benton's three children. She is 16 years of age and a junior in high school. She plays basketball, soccer, and is one of the original members of The Green Team Helping Hands, Inc. Jada started helping her Mom feed the homeless when she was very young. Ashley has instilled in her that it's better to give than to receive. Every week Jada helps her Mother, Ashley, prepare for their weekly feedings. Jada is very proud of everything that her Mother has accomplished in a short period. She loves caring for people that are less fortunate because it teaches her gratitude. She remembers when her and her Mother first started this team. They alone would pass out Blessing Bags and sandwiches, gloves and hats to 18 people. Now they are helping hundreds! Jada also helps disabled children at her school. She has a genuine love for people.
Allison Romo
Graphic Designer
Allison Romo joined the Green Team Helping Hands in 2017 as a graphic designer assisting the organizations' outreach to the community. Working remotely from Austin, Texas, she feels like she's a footstep away from the love and warmth the members share online with her. Allison continues to help more non-profit organizations from her hometown and surrounding cities, sharing her passion of design for admirable causes.