#community service

The First @ReclaimYourVoice Event || Planning the event was easy enough. I booked a room through the Toronto Public Library system and promoted it on Facebook. Most of the people I was connected to knew me only as a photographer so I’m sure they were surprised to see me promoting an event for people who’d been abused, but the response was incredible. 76 people not only confirmed their attendance but also left comments on the event page, applauding this initiative and saying how excited they were to attend. Their enthusiasm gave me another boost of confidence and I couldn’t wait for this to happen.⁣
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When the big day came, my friends and I set up the space, laid out an abundance of refreshments, opened the doors and waited…and waited…and waited. But none of those 76 people showed up. Painful. I felt deflated. For so many people to have promised their support and to have none of them keep their word really hurt. I delayed the start of the event as long as I could, thinking that perhaps those 76 people were just having trouble finding the place, but after 45 minutes went by it became clear that they weren’t coming. Despite the crushing disappointment I felt, I had to put on a brave face and start the event. ⁣
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I went to the front of the room to welcome the 20 people who were there, all friends of mine and the other speakers, when suddenly my lifelong, paralyzing fear of public speaking resurfaced with a vengeance. 

I hadn’t addressed a room since making presentations in high school and several years had passed since then so I simply assumed that I didn’t have stage fright anymore. I was completely wrong. Simply standing up to greet the small group filled me with absolute terror. After I welcomed everyone, I took my seat and one by one the other speakers shared their stories beautifully and gracefully while I sat waiting with my heart pounding, overcome with nerves. When it was my turn to tell my story, I went shakily to the front of the room and began to read from the speech I had prepared. When I got to the part about LO abusing his animals I started to cry and my whole body trembled. I paused to take a few deep breaths in an attempt to regain my composure but it didn’t help. As I fought my way through the torturous 15 minute speech, I repeatedly paused to breathe deeply hoping desperately that it would help calm me down, but it was of no use―I just had to power through. Interestingly, it was when I arrived at the part of my story where I finished speaking about the abuse itself and began talking about my healing that I finally calmed down. I stopped trembling and the tears ceased as well.⁣
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To be completely honest, I didn’t feel good when the event was done. I felt low and gloomy, partially due to all the uncomfortable feelings that had arisen when I spoke (which I later learned is common after revisiting and releasing painful memories and not necessarily a bad sign) but also because of all the people who said they would show up but didn’t. I felt that maybe hosting this event had been a mistake. But my friend Cher, who had also shared her story that day, gushed to me about how amazing it had been. She once again caught me off guard with her positive view of this event and showed me that despite the heaviness I was feeling, something powerful had happened that day.⁣

“WE SERVE THE PEOPLE”

New York City chapter of the Black Panther Party’s Harlem office, circa 1970 with racks of free clothes for the community in front.

domiknow97:

brujeria-n-bongs:

Y'all this is very special! UPLift Herbs is offering our first group service!
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This year on December 12th, the Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe we will be holding service, giving thanks and petitioning La Reina Morena for her blessing.
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She can grant any request but will only do so if the petition serves your highest good. If you put faith in her, she will never forsake you.
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We have more information on our Instagram page @upliftherbs. If you’d like to learn more or sign up you can DM us on Instagram, Dm @brujeria-n-bongs on Tumblr, or email us at [email protected]. 

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Sliding Scale: $3-$33
Suggested donation: $12
30 spaces available

Venmo: @UPLiftHerbsLLC

Cashapp: $UPLiftHerbsLLC 

Paypal: paypal.me/UPLiftHerbs

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Tomorrow begins a 9-day process of prayer, ritual, and offering thanks called a novena. We sit in service, make offerings, and ask for Guadalupe to give strength and compassion. We bless seeds for the coming year and charge the petition candles over these 9 days. On the 9th and final day of the novena, which will be her feast day (Dec 12th) we’ll light a candle for each participant in the ritual, read their petition, make offerings in their honor, and help some people out.
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You do not have to know anything about Guadalupe. We are not Christians, you don’t have to be either.
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No petition is guaranteed. Coming with honest intent, an open heart and a genuine need for help will always guarantee a response from Guadalupe.
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Catholicism is used as a spiritual skeleton (somewhat) for me but as I’ve developed my craft it’s grown so much more and is far past religion. I truly follow Guadalupe for Guadalupe and view her as a multi-faceted divine being. Not just white-God’s baby maker and I am not into terf divine feminine shit either so miss me, unsubscribe, and die angry if you can for wombyan Spirituality sorry.
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Guadalupe, to me, is the seasons of growth and decay she’s the embodiment of our Earth; the corn, the trees, and all the land are under her influence. Because of her power, she can grant any request, however, Guadalupe will only grant you the opportunity that serves your highest good. Basically, once you give her permission, she flips your life upside down and rebuilds you. Her presence is perfumed with roses and feels like being purified by fire.
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Anyway, I’m done rambling/feel exposed talking about spiritual things. If you need help, you need good luck, you want to grow, need a miracle, looking for love, looking for work, needing money, lost and needing guidance, or in need of protection, compassion, and love join the service and Madre Guadalupe will hook you up.
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As she approached the check-in office on of her first day of collecting trash as part of a court-enforced three-month stint of community service, Lindsay’s supervisor could already foresee that his latest delinquent would likely have an issue fitting in with her new colleagues…