Launch DC's First Youth Peer Support Center!

Dear FANmily,

Thank you for allowing me the space to be honest in my newsletter last month. I greatly appreciate everyone who reached out and participated in our mood board collection. If you didn’t get a chance to share but would like to, there’s still time to participate in the question “How can you support your friends in leadership?” Your continued support is a big part of what makes this organization work and I can’t say often enough how grateful I am for you! 

There are so many important causes and celebrations to acknowledge this month. Just in case you didn’t realize, in June we celebrate or observe National Gun Violence Prevention Month, Juneteenth, Father’s Day, Pride Month, and Black Music Month. These are all important things to give some thought to–and here are some of my thoughts:

• FAN’s programming serves as a preventative measure for gun violence, providing a safe nurturing space for our youth participants and FANmilies to escape and process their feelings around the subject matter. Later today, I’ll be speaking on an intergenerational Building Safe Communities panel hosted by Friends Place, where we will discuss community violence prevention and holistic, community-centered approaches to address urban community violence. Register here to listen virtually or in person!
• Juneteenth commemorates the true emancipation of Black people in America, and we’re excited to participate in the many different celebrations around the city. While we celebrate, we must also continue to pursue joy and radical self-love as a movement that we carry with us daily to help navigate and fight against the systems that are still in place to keep us marginalized. 
• Additionally, I am a Black, queer woman, and music is an essential tool in my personal wellness toolkit. When I’m feeling somber, my go-to artist is Janelle Monae. When I need to focus, I’m throwing on a classical jam. Sundays are for cleaning and gospel, and I certainly don’t shy away from rock & roll, either–Tina Turner can really get a party going for me and supplies all my favorite karaoke tunes. I’ve won contests being Tina! 

I’m excited to have gotten to spend time with our community celebrating Black Music Artists throughout the DMV. In the spirit of Juneteenth, here’s Black Alley’s version of Lift Every Voice & Sing that you didn’t know you needed. 

What are some of the ways you find yourself connected to music? Any favorite artists?

Radical Wellness Fair Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated holistic wellness with us this year! I want to give a special thank you to our community partners: Congress Heights Arts & Culture Center, Martha’s Table, the Linner Foundation, Washington Wizards, MaxPaq, Prue Entertainment, and DJ B3azy. 

We truly had such an amazing time. The day started with our mindful community mile walk, where we were able to point out things that we appreciate about our neighborhood and community, and then we came back jamming to the tunes of DJ B3azy, and we got our yogi on with India. This year, we added a decompression zone, which was a quiet space where people could take a break, sit and relax for a bit, and process their thoughts about their feelings of safety and wellness. We prompted the following questions: How do you contribute to the safety of your community? What one thing are you going to practice daily to make sure you're taking care of yourself holistically? I’d love to hear your answers! Please join the conversation. We really appreciate being in community with you all and can’t wait ‘til next year. Looking for a quick recap? Check it out on our IG page. 

Deloitte Day of Impact

On June 7th, the Deloitte team (and Josephine’s parents) took over for the second year in a row to engage in Deloitte’s Day of Impact. For this year’s project, they painted the shelves they built last year, as well as our community pantries, and built us 15 garden beds that will be used to grow fresh veggies, fruits, and flowers. We get to create a community garden that will provide for all! It was an amazing day filled with joy, laughter, and the power of community. Thank you to Deloitte and your team for showing up and getting the work done! We appreciate your continued support and contributions to our safe, nurturing spaces. 

We asked some of the FANmily what summer means to them–here’s what they said: 

 Charleigh (4) “Summer is great for the playground and the bouncy house. I look forward to having fun at the pool, playground, and bouncy house.”

 John (10) “Summer means being able to go out with no coat and having fun. I look forward to going to the pool, cookouts, and riding my bike!”

 Charnequa (33) “Summer means no school, relaxation, and fun in the sun. I mostly look forward to spending time with my children, and that includes the FANmily.”

Deshawn (12) “Summer is for fun!”

 Delonte (11) “Summer is to be outside with friends and family.”

 Brittany (35) “Summer is about being safe and going on vacations, BBQs, fireworks, pools, parks, and having fun.”