Health and Human Services: To Love, Honor, and Respect Yourself Workshop

Congratulations to our Health and Human Services (HHS) Facet Committee for kicking off our program year with a bang!!  Lead by Co-chairs Kimberley Goode and Regina Shields, they hosted a fabulous program at Elizabeth House on October 4, 2021.

The theme of the evening was 

To Love, Honor & Respect Yourself by facilitating a 

Self Value, Self Love and Self Respect Workshop.  

Before the start of the workshop, Rachelle Hebrard arranged for the delivery of a delicious meal of fried chicken, beans and rice, and macaroni and cheese.  Goodie bags, that contained self-care resources, were also delivered prior to the workshop.

Kimberley Goode provided the welcome and Shakeya A. McDow gave an overview of our planned activities for the residents of Elizabeth House, this year.  Eleanor Sterns secured and introduced our guest speaker, RyanNicole.

RyanNicole is a GRAMMY®-nominated (

Alphabet Rockers

) MC & Poet whose lyrical prowess has been exploited on international stages and web platforms (

Team Backpack

), garnering fans in the thousands across the globe. She is a TEDx Fellow, whose musical compositions include a solo mixtape, entitled 

Dis’Onance

 and several collaborative efforts with her group 

Nu Dekades

 (dec-ades) and other artists.  RyanNicole has performed with a wide array of artists and persons of influence, most notably President Barack Obama.  She 

utilizes every gift available to her for the liberation of all people”. Affectionately titled the “4A”, RyanNicole seeks opportunities to empower and inspire by way of her pursuits as an award winning 

Artist,

Actress, 

Athlete, and 

Activist.

RyanNicole shared a powerful message heavily referencing Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls.  She highlighted the Virgin Mary’s sister, Elizabeth, to show the i

mportance of Aunties in one’s life.   The heartfelt message touched on the importance of staying strong in spite of life’s challenges, forgiving yourself, intentional surrender and the need to continue to seek a source of rest.

Feedback from the participants included “you made my evening” and “how can we reach out to you (our Aunties’) in between your program activities, so that you can continue to be of support to us.”

Thank you to Shakeya A. McDow for laying the groundwork necessary for a successful program launch!

Congratulations HHS, for a job well done!

OBAL: Making a difference through Friendship and Service