HOLIDAYS CAN BE HARD
Mentors can make a huge difference in young people’s lives. Especially when they don’t have supportive relationships at home, or when they feel like the adults in their life don’t show up for them.
In this inspiring interview, our very own Joy Thomas asks her friend Jessica Fonseca how mentors have impacted her life.
Growing up, Jessica spent some time in foster care. She used to push people away before they got too close out of fear she’d be let down yet again. But a handful of mentors showed up, supported, and cared about Jessica in ways that changed the trajectory of her life.
Watch the full interview to learn more, including how Jessica is impacting young people through the very organization that nurtured her, and to find out whether mentoring might be right for you.
It’s that time of year again, and I am sure you have noticed how fast the Holiday season is taking over stores. For some, this can trigger the body and create stress or dread….
[Content warning: Suicide.]
In recent years, during the month of Pride, I’ve always been extremely excited about the celebration—the glittery and colorful extravagance all throughout the month of June.
However, this year, I’ve taken a pause to really understand my journey, the one I’ve taken individually and the one the queer community is on at the moment. I feel blessed to live in West Hollywood in Los Angeles, one of America’s queer-friendly meccas, though the sparkle in my heart has dimmed as I feel increasingly more concerned for my community across the country where our safety, protections and rights are all at risk. Unfortunately, none of us are safe.
I’ve lived with bipolar disorder for the last 13 years. Though the initial years were brutal, once I understood my triggers and what it takes to stay well, I’ve been privileged to have stayed healthy for much of the last decade. This included — to my relief — my first pregnancy and post-partum period and serving in high-intensity public health roles through the pandemic, as California’s Acting Surgeon General and previously the office’s first Chief Health Officer.
I love music. Recently, I was listening to a random playlist Spotify generated for me when a song titled “Before I Have A Daughter” by Bre Kennedy started playing. Bre Kennedy sings about building a garden that grows on the same ground where tears have fallen and hearts have also been broken. Her goal is to learn to tend to this garden so that it flourishes on both the good and bad days.
