People Archives - Page 15 of 34 - Buffalo Latíno Village

“HEALING DIFFERENTLY”

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“HEALING DIFFERENTLY” At first, glance, if you haven’t met her and I’m not around you’ll be apt to begin a casual conversation with her. She’ll listen and interact and at some point, you’ll likely wonder why I’m not responding to you in a way you’d expect. She will wait for a moment to hear you and THEN EXPLAIN – “You MUST know my Twin Sister!” You’ll have a blank stare; say you didn’t know I had a twin, and everyone has a laugh! Yes. We are Identical Mirror Twin Sisters. And even though we look alike we still have different personalities, interests & sets of friends. So, this is how our friends usually meet the Other Twin. Jacqueline Bontzolakes earned a Bachelor’s in Social Work at Daemon College and worked at the Erie County Department of Social Services. She attended the University of Buffalo & earned credits toward a Master’s in Social Work. Massive layoffs in 2009 removed the security she once felt in having a government job. She was eventually called back but during her unexpected leave, she started to explore avenues that would NEVER again leave her wondering about her future, taking care of children & paying bills. Her search led her to the New York Institute of Massage. I remember so vividly helping her juggle clinical school and nurturing two children and growing a 3rd baby! She had that baby and still went to school within a week to complete clinical to avoid having to wait a year to take the boards! AND She Passed the Boards! She was not playing!! She formed Diamond Therapeutic Arts, LLC and went Full Time AND on Faith after witnessing difficult & toxic situations at work. Jacqueline is a Natural Healer. Her Drive & Dedication to helping people heal naturally is as unceasing as it was 16 years ago! She’s not only MASSAGING them. Many of her customers confide in her for personal struggles. They go to her for advice on nutritional supplements, skin care products, exercise regimens, and health & wellness recommendations. Some even come to know her as a True Friend. She’s been rated “Top Pro” on Thumbtack, which is a platform for customers to rate professionals. She’s also rated 4.4/5 on Facebook. You can check these platforms for her reviews and make appointments. She’s absolutely the First of ONLY therapists I would EVER book an appointment with and not because she is my twin sister. Her hands magically find the areas that you didn’t even know hurt. Once that area is addressed you realize that’s what prevented you from moving another part of your body. It is an experience, and it confirms that our human body is interconnected. I chose to honor her this month because we are Celebrating 48 Years on the Earth Side, on June 4th, and if you see her show, send her some Birthday LOVE! For those of you who ARE Ready to Heal Differently and want or need to LOVE Yourself, book an appointment; I promise — YOU WILL NOT regret it! Read More From This Writer All Post Food Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development People “HEALING DIFFERENTLY” June 13, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More “LIVING IN THE DICHOTOMY!” May 13, 2022/No Comments “LIVING IN THE DICHOTOMY!” In honor of National Police Enforcement Week, I recognize Cariol Horne of Cariol’s Law. A resolution Read More JUWERIA DAHIR April 13, 2022/No Comments JUWERIA DAHIR The complexities of interwoven communities like Buffalo, NY might give some pause as people struggle to maintain their Read More Load More End of Content.

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INTERVIEW #19: FEATURING DIANELIX RIVERA

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One of the best things about growing a community around #Latinaherstory and #latinasinbusinessNY is that I meet amazing women who continue to inspire me. They take risks and risk-taking is something that, I didn’t know I didn’t like. I’ve become a little bolder, drawing on the strength of their “formation” stories that we share at our events. We all get together after eating and talking and make deliberate space to share our stories. I used the word “deliberate space”, and I am going to come back to that. How do you build deliberate space? You respectfully show an individual that you are in whatever capacity that looks like to you. To us, it looks like sitting in a circle and giving each other eye contact and no phones. Organically sometimes Latinas build deliberate spaces to share like – Noche de damas – at church but most of the time we can’t economically afford the time it takes to build deliberate spaces. Because you must pause. That needs to change, we need to embrace change and build deliberate space around the people and the ideas we support. And in those spaces with your colleagues or with your elders or sisters, give each other space to be flawed, to speak Spanglish, to not know, and most of all to be ambitious. Our community has a rich history in the United States and some of that history frames the ending of marijuana prohibition differently for us. As a result, we need to build deliberate spaces to learn about what this means for our community both from an economic perspective and social justice perspective. Marijuana prohibition impacted the lives of the children whose family members were prosecuted under its law. One such child has now grown into a beautiful strong Puerto Rican woman, and she has decided, properly, to use the end of marijuana prohibition in the United States to her economic benefit. If that’s not economic restorative justice I don’t know what is. She’s braved, her name is Dianelix Rivera and she is the CEO and owner of Loud Sirnez Cannabis Fashion Boutique. Why is this important? She is not looking to cut even for the impacts that marijuana prohibition marked on her family’s economy, she’s looking to overcome economically and form a new future. Loud Sirnez Cannabis Fashion Boutique is loud proud and sharing information about the positive and medicinal effects of Cannabis. Resistance can be an outfit and Dianlex knows that. Restorative Justice is defined as Restorative justice is a response to wrongdoing that prioritizes repairing harm. It can be defined in three action terms: Encounter, Repair, and Transform. As a community, we know that persecuting someone for the possession of a plant that has been used for thousands of years as medicinal is wrong (encounter), we know the policies that were shaped to enforce marijuana prohibition were unjust in that they specifically targeted communities of color; we know that to reverse these racist policies we need people impacted by those racist policies at the table (repair), we know we need to transform our understanding of Marijuana. Dianelix Rivera is a pioneer. She is less than thirty years old, a student of the world, the oldest of four children, and a Latina whose Puerto Rican heritage inspired her to be unafraid of the unknown. Maria upturned her life, and Covid impacted her, as a student she has had successes and gained perspective. At present, she is also enrolled in a program for small businesses at our SBA at SUNY Buffalo State College. Ageism is defined as prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age. We must accept two things as a community (1) cannabis is now legal and a source of economic opportunity (2) young people will lead the way. Statistically, Latinas will grow the marijuana, but will not be afforded a seat at the table to discuss it. INTERVIEW: Where were you born and what were the values in your home? I was born and raised in Puerto Rico predominantly by my single mother of four (4). I was the oldest and our values consisted of family unity, humility, and hard work. My momma worked a lot and was an example of perseverance and taught me, in combination with my own experiences, to never give up. Her determination in raising a family with limited support through also pursuing a professional career as a pharmacy technician and studying to be a nurse while also providing was very inspiring and taught me lots of strength and gratitude. What was your experience like as a student? I consider myself more a student of life than traditional schooling systems. Theoretical learning takes special discipline; however, I have found that in my experience, I have learned more through the mastery of following my path. My educational resources vary, I was in pursuit of my bachelor’s degree in Communications & Journalism at the University of Puerto Rico in Aguadilla, however, did not get the opportunity to finish the program due to my moving to Buffalo after losing everything in Hurricane Maria in 2017. When I moved to Buffalo, I came to continue my degree but through the paths of life, real-life factors, and financial needs, roads lead to a different pursuit. I can proudly say my approach to being a student has been of extreme value to me in my journey. I am currently participating in a program with the Small Business Center Development and Buffalo State College and am consistently looking to grow and expand my knowledge through workshops, mastermind alliances as well as mentors who have helped shape and guide my trajectory. I strongly believe learning from natural laws, art, and entrepreneurship in a combination with consistently reading books has made me a good student of life. 3 What was your first or favorite job? My favorite job before entrepreneurship was in the wireless and marketing industry, being part of the T-Mobile events and social media team. Hospitality was my least

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“LIVING IN THE DICHOTOMY!”

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“LIVING IN THE DICHOTOMY!” In honor of National Police Enforcement Week, I recognize Cariol Horne of Cariol’s Law. A resolution voted in by the Buffalo Common Council (8-1) on September 29, 2020, was signed into law by Mayor Byron Brown 30 days later. I had the privilege to be a witness to the votes as they came in. To state that the energy in her home was at an all-time high as the votes came in is a gross understatement. As family and close friends gathered around a computer in her East Side home – listening and rooting as one elected official after another stated their reason in support of the resolution… then a short executive session. The interruption broug ht questions to everyone in the room, and tensions were as high as they may have been in that session. Chris Scanlon, who voted against this resolution, did not want the law to recognize the Author – “Cariol.” But with 8 Yays, the Law was secured. Regardless of the Mayor’s eventual position, whose signature was a mere formality. The People’s Elected Representatives had spoken. Cariol’s Law requires law enforcement officials to intervene in excessive and sometimes deadly force situations. But it’s more than a ‘duty to intervene in those police departments across the United States might have. She’s been to many cities across the country, speaking on her experience and how this law will help prevent deaths in the future. The six sections are: 1: Duty to Intervene when Officers Pose Imminent Threat to Citizens 2: Accountability for Officers Neglecting to Intervene 3: Protection for Officers who Intervene 4: Accountability for Falsifying Reports 5: Impacts Policy Regarding Termination and Department Funding is 6: Restorative Justice for Retaliation of Whistleblowers. Most people in Buffalo have heard of Cariol; they have seen her on TV doing interviews about the life she saved. If not for her intervention, an interaction that may have cost Neil Mack’s life! Neal Mack has been quoted as saying because of Cariol Horne – “I Can Breathe Now.” But stepping in and doing the right thing came with a price. A price she doesn’t want other good law enforcement officers to have to pay. This experience cost her livelihood and lifestyle. And not just for hers but for the five children she was raising. Living in the Dichotomy of Doing the Right Thing & Repeatedly Witnessing the Wrong was no longer an option. This catapulted her into her new mission in life as a Community Activist. She has received awards in major cities in the past two years. She’s making it known that there is a way to end police brutality. These cities are looking to adopt similar laws/amendments to police contracts to adopt some or all the earlier components. Senator James Sanders, NY-D, has proposed Bill S1619A. The community is being asked to write, call, and email your elected officials to urge them to make Cariol’s Law a reality for Our ENTIRE State. Follow Cariol’s Law on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Read More From This Writer All Post Food Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development People “LIVING IN THE DICHOTOMY!” May 13, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More JUWERIA DAHIR April 13, 2022/No Comments JUWERIA DAHIR The complexities of interwoven communities like Buffalo, NY might give some pause as people struggle to maintain their Read More MISS BUFFALO on the MARCH! March 13, 2022/No Comments MISS BUFFALO on the MARCH! It’s not very often when we have a striking connection with someone, and you not Read More Load More End of Content.

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