Today it is easy to get involved with causes you care about thanks to social media movements and internet campaigns. Some of the affected groups that are most important to me personally are: American disabled veterans, homeless persons, human trafficking victims and refugees. Thank You for taking the time to learn about some of the organizations that I work for and love. Check back here for news about upcoming events and opportunities to get involved!
Disabled American Veterans
DAV offers a wide range of opportunities for individuals who want to make good on the commitment we’ve given our nation’s heroes. Volunteer at our nation’s VA hospitals, drive veterans to appointments or provide specialized help based on individual needs. No matter who you are, or what your level of experience, you can stand by our nation’s veterans. Sign up to Volunteer at https://www.dav.org/
Los Angeles Homelessness Shelter Partnership
LA County has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the Nation, and effective policy, multi-agency collaboration, and a systems change approach is needed to reverse this trend. Shelter Partnership addresses the causes of homelessness by building the capacity of community-based agencies, developing resources for affordable housing, and providing decades of housing policy and expertise to state and local government.
Legal Resources Centre, South Africa
The LRC is a human rights organization in South Africa. We use the law as an instrument of justice for the vulnerable and marginalised, including poor, homeless, and landless people and communities who suffer discrimination by reason of race, class, gender, disability or by reason of social, economic, and historical circumstances.
LatinX Heritage Month
As part of the Fashion Mamas Diversity Committee initiative, we are hosting monthly Mama Markets that highlight and uplift the different cultures in our community.
Mixed in America
Being mixed doesn’t just affect how you look, it affects how you view the world. We embrace duality. We see it as our power. We feel a responsibility to bridge the gap. We provide empathy where we see it lacking. We encourage others to challenge their ideas in the way the world has challenged us. We reckon with the idea that our existence begs important questions. We are the definition of diversity, so we understand the necessity for it. We are misunderstood yet we seek to understand...
A Colorful Community
I am lucky that my circle of friends has always been intentionally multicultural and diverse, but I worked HARD for that. Never having fit in anywhere, I sought to fit in everywhere. I had to actively seek to understand other people's backgrounds and cultures, to learn more about their struggles and where we connected in our shared human experience. Embracing my differences and uniqueness unapologetically made me more open-minded and accepting of the same in others. The beautiful result of this hard work is that my life is enriched by a multicultural community………
Join the Fight to End Human Trafficking
You may or may not know that I have worked on Anti-Human Trafficking initiatives for over a decade. My journey began in college when I found out that one of my best friends was a trafficked survivor. This issue is one of the main factors that lead me into a Human Rights career and culminated in my work at the Legal Resources Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Fashion of Race
The truth is, I became a Fashion Model because I didn’t feel pretty. As a little girl, being biracial meant that I never fit in and I felt too “different” to feel accepted. I never felt like I was “enough” of anything - “Black enough” or “White enough”. Since fashion is one of the most powerful cultural influencers in our society, I believed that becoming a model would provide outside validation - and allow me to finally accept myself.......
Talking to Children about Race
Talking to children about race is a vital part of parenting, in my opinion. When I became a mother to my baby boy, I felt like I became a mother to all children. Mothers feel this connection to babies in a deeply visceral way - we feel it in the womb. Many mothers will tell you that when George Floyd called out for his Mama in his dying breaths, that they felt the pain of his Mother. I think that is one of the many reasons why (sadly) his death had a greater impact than all of the countless other Black deaths lost in obscurity and silence.
Fashion Mamas Diversity Committee
So very honored, excited, and happy to announce that I will be SERVING on the @fashionmamas Diversity Committee! This Mama Tribe has been a safe and welcoming space for me and I’m grateful to be able to give back to you and help make a real difference!
Black Lives Matter
I’ve been an activist my entire life. I have been both targeted and privileged because of the color of my skin, my entire life. This work is not new to me. It is triggering and exhausting. It can also be exhilarating. Activism is how I use my privilege in a positive way. During this period of reflection, I have been resting, resisting, and educating. I am working with the @nlg.la and National Lawyer’s Guild to represent protesters who were arrested and/or abused. I am forming action plans with organizations to create long-term solutions. I have not been sleeping. I have been talking, praying, and journaling. Our world is experiencing a greater spiritual awakening and I am here for it!
Enough is Enough
Enough is enough. As mothers, one of our greatest fears is to outlive our children. We were there when they took their first breath; we do not want to witness them take their last. So many mothers have lost their children due to racist violence. Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and survivors of every life lost in this active battle to dismantle racism. Their loss is our loss. Enough is enough.
A Poem for George Floyd
CRY, SCREAM, SPEAK OUT, MAKE ART, MARCH. You don’t have to suffer in silence.