Heel to Heal is my brain child that came out of me seeing the need and jumping into action head first. Let me share with you how this all came to be...
In 2011 I would read the statuses of an associate and my heart would just break in pieces. The stories were nothing short of a movie or book. So one day I inboxed her and asked where did she work because I wanted to help in any capacity that I c
ould. Come to find out the school was my former middle school. I was stunned and knew that this was where I NEEDED to be. So she put me in touch with the aftercare coordinator and she allowed me to come in and speak to the girls twice a month. This resulted in me starting my mentoring group that I called Girls Rap. It was a huge success but the school itself was in transition so I had to discontinue the group. While mentoring and speaking was still in my spirit, I had to focus more on my daughter and her last year of high school and preparation for college. I'm a single mother so I had to prioritize and put my child at the top of the list for the 2012/2013 school year. I continued to develop ideas and volunteer but it was always this nagging feeling that I could do more even if it was just through Facebook until my true direction was clearer. One Sunday in church, the topic was about 'Purpose' The message hit home so hard that my daughter and I went straight home to create the logo and that's how Heel to Heal came to be. The play on the words is my love for wearing high heels and my commitment to help heal my community. In order to engage people and to keep them informed I would post about jobs, training, fun and community information or just stories that journal my life as a woman, mother, friend , advocate etc. It has always been in me to help so some things just come natural. I've been the PTA President for 3 of my daughters schools, assisted with organizing demonstrations and meetings of school leadership as it relates to the quality of education and part of the Parents Advisory Board that worked with consultants on curriculum. I'm fighting for the success of everyone; especially children. Short term goal...
I am looking to partner with the recreation center in my neighborhood. During my mentoring group it was an eye and heart opening experience to hear the stories. One exercise in particular stands out so vividly to me. I decorated a mirror and the instruction was to say something good about the person to your left and right; then yourself. Most had nothing good to say about themselves. To hear that they had never been told that they were pretty had me is awe. We often feel that our own experiences are the same as others and that's so far from the truth. When a girl has nothing good to say about herself the community is in trouble! For the first day of school 2013, I headed to the metro station dressed in my logo T-Shirt and signature high heels to pass out granola bars with my cards attached to them. Just a gesture to greet the kids and parents on their first day back to school and to let them know someone cares. I know someone may have left out without breakfast and/or an encouraging word. I also wanted to hear from the community. I had the pleasure to meet and talk to some AMAZING people. The conversations were deep in such a short period of time but it let me know that personal attention from someone rooted in this community is needed and I am the chosen one. One woman said to me, "We need people like you here" She didn't say in this world or DC; she said HERE! That one word made all of the difference. Heel to Heal is not some big company with all of the bells & whistles, YET - it's just ME; making a grassroots effort in my community....ONE STEP AT A TIME! Long term goal...
Heel to Heal will ultimately be a non-profit. But right now I'm just doing the work on my own until I get to that point. I am researching and reading up on how to start the process. But I'm not letting paperwork or formalities get in the way of the bigger picture. Thanks so much for allowing me to share! Heel to Heal
Stepping Towards Better Lives and Communities
A Better You, A Better We!
