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OUR MOMMIE VILLAGE

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March was Women’s History Month and who better to shine the spotlight on other than the Founder, Shyana Broughton, the “Dancing Doula of Our Mommie Village. “ I have known Shyana for over 14 years when she was dancing with the African American Cultural Center. She began Our Mommie Village that welcomed women to her home who were pregnant and/or had incredibly young children as a way to offer support to them as the children moved from one stage to the next. Quite often women are made to second guess & question if we’re doing the right things throughout our pregnancies & for our babies. We’re inundated with suggestions and comments from elders, doctors & friends. Sometimes the advice was unwelcoming and/or were not at all helpful to us specifically with our children.  Our Mommie Village gatherings are a safe place to unwind, vent, exchange information and phone numbers to keep in touch with other Mommas as well as nourish ourselves with great food that’s either catered or cooked my Mommies. And many like myself just hope and pray that Shyana had enough time in her day to make us lentils! Shyana’s attributes her passion to attend births as a doula to visions and guidance from her late grandmother. He first experience at attending births was her very own sister. The experience set her on a course to “catch” as many babies as possible and welcome them in a most peaceful and loving manner.  The stark disparities of women of color and/or the babies dying during childbirth was another fact that made Shyana Broughton bring Our Mommie Village to the NEXT LEVEL. Now, a nonprofit organization, she seeks to do what she loves with other Mommies who offer support to one another in whatever was they can. She’s even inspired Mommas to take the Doula Trainings being offered by Erie County. And because of these efforts Mommies in our black and brown communities are able to have access to doulas that look like US & having a doula is no longer out of reach. As found on the website: “Our Mommie Village exists to ensure all mothers have access to the support and services they need to be well from birth through postpartum recovery.” https://www.ourmommievillage.org/our-story   Shyana has won a few honors, awards & grants for her efforts in Buffalo’s Birthing Community and Our Mommie Village has even been featured in the Washington Post. Read that here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/05/08/pregnancy-depression/?fbclid=IwAR0seNJWvO6uHPuLOaSs4-TODCNJk70pri_vAADeBiwftHF9B9Q86omZmDw My hope is that The Latino Village reading community can help advance the mission of the Our Mommie Village community. As with any nonprofit organization she relies on volunteering & donations to keep her focused on actually DOING the work that fuels her passion even more. Whether it’s by way of financial contribution or leads for more grant opportunities; providing the catered dish or snacks for their bi-weekly meetings; testimonials; rides for Mommies to get to and from these meetings & other appointments; access to your network so she can speak on the aforementioned disparities that would lead her to assist more Mommies and more passionate and loving Doulas! ALL OF THIS actually helps advance her mission.  Connect with Shyana Broughton by following her and her page – Our Mommie Village on all social Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn. And if you are a soon-to-be Mommie or a new Mommie desiring to have a Village to surround you and your family with love, call 716-449-8283 to find out when the next in person gathering takes place. ÀSÉ!  Shyana Broughton Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology OUR MOMMIE VILLAGE April 4, 2024/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More FRUITS OF MY LABOR March 4, 2024/5 Comments Recently, I’ve thought a lot about the saying: “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.” In Swahili, the proverb… Read More FRUITS OF MY LABOR PART ONE February 5, 2024/1 Comment Peace, EVERYONE! I was unfortunately not able to submit this article last month. But I trust you will enjoy my… Read More Load More End of Content.

Column, Community

COMMUNITY RESPONDERS PILOT PROGRAM NEEDED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY

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Hola, nuestro Amigos! Esperamos poder comenzar un programa con más seguridad, justicia y paz para la comunidad con un programa piloto de Respondedores Comunitarios. We hope that we can begin a program with more security, justice, and peace for the community with a pilot Community Responders program. As described before in this column (from its brochure): “Community responder teams (CRTs) are first responders, just like firefighters and police officers. They are health professionals (typically EMTs, nurses, social workers, or other mental health clinicians) and trained peers. Including both professionals and peers ensures that teams have the necessary expertise and lived experience to assess and resolve crisis and non-crisis situations related to health and social issues—primarily mental health, substance use, homelessness, poverty, and other social disturbances or quality of life concerns.” The need is clear. We’ve seen deaths of unarmed young men of color at the hands of – and/or in the custody of – the police. Locally: Jose Hernandez-Rossy, was killed by Buffalo police during a routine traffic stop; Wardel “Meech” Davis, died while in police custody. Police presence can escalate situations. Willie Henley, a man with mental health issues, was shot by police as an ever-growing group of them pursued him. He was well-known in the neighborhood and not aggressive. The police uniform itself is often a “trigger,” activating fight-flight-freeze responses. Even police officers have said they’ve felt alarmed when approached by a uniformed officer while they are out of uniform. The presence of a gun is another stress – and risk-escalator. An agitated woman jumped from a second story, with scissors, barefoot in a t-shirt in the snow. She was surrounded by police for hours and finally bolo-wrap lassoed and tackled by the group – all touted as a success. Despite the incident being fielded by the Buffalo Police Department/BPD’s Behavioral Health Team, socks, slippers, a blanket, and something warm to drink, were not made available.  Numerous cities have Community Responders programs, tailored to their particular community and its needs (e.g., Eugene, OR [since 1989, no death or serious injury]; Denver CO [led to 34% crime reduction]; San Francisco CA; Atlanta GA; and more). We can do this in Buffalo and Erie County. It will allow police to do what they do best – deal with crime – and let the community responders do what they do best –attend to people’s needs. There’s an action toolkit at linktr.ee/CommunityResponders4EC. On March 6, Talking Peace with the WNY Peace Center will livestream at 7:15 pm on our Facebook page. Guests include social worker Colleen Kristich (Partnership for the Public Good), and Erica Seymour, mental health professional, formerly with BPD’s Behavioral Health Team, now a plaintiff in a case about the racism displayed by the former team captain, and the failure of the BPD to resolve the situation. This attests to the need to leave the counseling and de-escalation to the professionals. The show will rebroadcast on WBNY 91.3FM on Monday, March 11, at Noon; and be housed on the WNYPC’s Youtube channel. Si, se puede!! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology WNY Peace Center’s Latin American Solidarity persists with LASC  February 5, 2024/2 Comments Hola, Nuestro Amigos!! Nos sentimos honrados de trabajar en solidaridad con las comunidades Latinas! While the WNY Peace Center (WNYPC)… Read More MERCHANTS OF DEATH TRIBUNAL — PUTTING WAR PROFITEERS ON  TRIAL January 1, 2024/3 Comments Hola, Nos Amigos!! Como el héroe César Chávez dijo, “La historia juzgará a las sociedades y a los gobiernos, y… Read More THERE IS NO VIOLENT SOLUTION – CEASEFIRE NOW!!! December 18, 2023/17 Comments Nuestro Amigos – que lastima!! Nuestro familia en el Medio Oriente ha sufrido mucho, verdadamente mucho!! We grieve for their… Read More Load More End of Content.

Books & Poems, Column, español

Mes de la Mujer: Celebrando logros

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Marzo llego, y en el celebramos las contribuciones de la mujer! En este mes celebro el trabajo arduo y ejemplar de todas las mujeres que apoyan el desarrollo y el avance de la mujer y la humanidad. Doy gracias a cada una de las mujeres quienes trabajan para que esta publicacion crezca y salga a la luz mes tras mes. En este mes  rindo tributo y las celebro a todas las mujeres que hacen Buffalo Latino Village una realidad! A ellas dedico esta pagina y el poema de Julia de Burgos: Amor Por Julia de Buirgos Amor…única llama que me queda de Diosen el sendero cierto de lo incierto.   Aquí,desesperada,me contemplo la vida en un hueco del tiempo.   Entrecortando pasa el sendero de luzque esperancé de sueño. ¡Oh mañanas azules que se quedaron muertas,volando en el espacio! ¡Oh anudada caricia que amaneces dispersa,cuando despierta el cuerpo! ¡Oh querer desterrarme de mis pasos turbados…!¡Multiplican en ecos! Aquí, junto al continuo gravitar de la nada,¡cómo asaltan mi espíritu los silencios más yermos! Mi esperanza es un viaje flotando entre sí misma…Es una sombra vaga sin ancla y sin regreso. Mis espigas no quieren germinar al futuro.¡Oh el peso del ambiente!¡Oh el peso del destierro! ¡Amor…!Hasta la leve ronda de tu voz perturbada,me partió la ola blanca que quedaba en mi pecho. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology REFORMA INMIGRATORIA: YA! January 1, 2024/4 Comments Los acontecimientos y las nuevas leyes anti inmigatorias de los ultimos dias, donde el gobernadora de Texas promulgo medidas anti… Read More REFORMA INMIGRATORIA: YA! December 18, 2023/4 Comments Es hora de verdaderamente olvidarse de los slogans, y las frases ideologas y retomar el tema de la reforma inmigratoria… Read More CRISIS MIGRANTE: UN LLAMADO A REFORMAS INMIGRATORIA Y REGULATORIA October 1, 2023/16 Comments   La crisis migratoria en los Estados Unidos es una crisis humanitaria. La frontera sur registra llegadas records de familias e… Read More Load More End of Content.

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