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WELCOME TO

SOULSTAINABLE LIVING MAGAZINE! Greetings, Good People: Welcome to the first issue of Soulstainable Living magazine!! What a whirlwind that we are continuing to experience over this past year. It’s amazing how our world has changed since this time last year. Personally, I have experienced many changes but mostly I have been in a period of restoration and reflection. At the end of last year, I had planned to do a 2020 wrap up but between school, work, life, etc… I never found the desire or time to get it together. However, I finally decided to reach out again to my sister, Selena Fleming of Selena’s Write, to help me get back on track. Thankfully, she will be handling all of my marketing needs from here on out. Reach out to her for marketing/communication needs. You won’t be disappointed. My last update came in May 2020 and at the time, I was just grappling with what we have deemed “a new normal.” I was trying to figure out what that newness would look like. I’m not sure that I have figured it out, but today I’m settled into a peaceful place of working through each day as it comes. And that’s what I want to offer to you: be present for every moment. I hope you enjoy this latest edition of my sometimes newsletter. I’m going to try to get one out monthly or at least quarterly because I do have so much good news to share. Which reminds me: some of you know that I am a doctoral student and I have recently passed my comprehensive exams. I am getting ready to begin my data collection and writing my dissertation...yaaay! Then I will graduate in May 2022!! I hope you will be able to celebrate with me. “Won't You Celebrate with Me” by Lucille Clifton

www.soulstainableliving.com

Cooking with the Littles Soulstainable Littles are a collection of my “heart” children, nieces, nephews, godchildren, cousins, besties, friends’ kids, etc. aged 0 - 13 who I have been hanging with forever. We would get together monthly pre-pandemic to do a variety of things from reading events, plays, hanging at the house, swim parties, etc.

In August, one of them reached out to me and wondered why we hadn’t done anything since March and that is how our pandemic era, Cooking with the Littles came to be. Shout out to Alyssa Belasco, Executive Director of NY Kitchen for her generous donation to our Littles.

Cooking with the Littles has brought me so much joy! Growing up, and even now, cooking with my mom has always been a tradition I look forward to.

Helping the Littles navigate their way throughout the kitchen has been a pleasure to experience. - Keilani Graham

@soulstainableliving

DOES ANYBODY HAVE A DOLLAR? In 2010, I started Charity ROCs to serve as an online mutual aid platform that would allow community members to assist other community members with donations of goods or services. I never collected money because I felt that it would be too complicated to manage. However, this past year, I was motivated to post a random “Does Anybody Have a Dollar?” charitable ask to assist community members in need. Guess what? We managed to collect over $13,000 through these generous donations! Together, we paid for... Medications not covered by insurance for a diabetic, senior citizen who is also a double amputee ($500) Traffic tickets and court costs for a young single father to regain his license for employment ($2700) The costs for a local activist to handle some personal bills ($3800) Legal fees and outstanding balance to help a single mother (also a veteran) return to school to finish her last semester ($1100) Car repairs for a single mom to be able to continue her employment ($500) Legal fees for a single mother to repair her credit ($2200) In order to maintain the dignity of the recipients, all of our assistance is intended to remain anonymous. Now let me be clear, anonymous or not, I do keep receipts and good records of where the money went I do not take any personal requests but instead, move forward if I see that someone posts something they need and I’m called to assist. Considering all the ways that we have helped over the past 10+ years, I am planning to develop a non-profit because I want to help more people...stay tuned!

Interview Spotlights THE POWER OF RESILIENCE

SELF-CARE DURING COVID

A discussion with Dante Worth on the power of resilience.

A discussion with Ajoua Jackson and Village Vibez II.

HOPE AND INJUSTICE

MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS

A discussion with Ashley Cross.

A conversation with Tokeya and her daughter, Keilani, about the way the pandemic has shifted their relationship.

MEET THE FABULOUS ONES

MILESTONES LOADING I passed my dissertation proposal defense I am currently enrolled in Doctor of Education in Top Education Leadership, withPicks a focus on Higher Education (Ed.D) at University of Rochester

@Soulstainable

EQUITY IN FOCUS

Have you met the team at Soulstainable Living? Meet the Fabulous Ones: Keilani Graham and Lena Fleming.

Equity and Inclusion Strategist, focusing on racial equity and educational equity (PK - 20+) I was hired as a Racial Equity Consultant for Greater Rochester Health Foundation’s Healthy & Equitable Futures grant

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