It Starts With Us.

Welcome back! This week's episode features Christy Keppel, Development Specialist for Weekend Backpacks, to talk about food insecurity in Baltimore, how it affects students' academic performance, and how Weekend Backpacks is helping to meet the needs of students in Baltimore City Public Schools. To learn more about Weekend Backpacks and how you can help, visit their website at https://www.weekendbackpacks.org or follow them on instagram @weekendbackpacksbaltimore. Don't forget to leave a rating or give feedback via email ([email protected]) or on Instagram (@itstartswithuspod) and let me know what you think of this week's episode or the podcast in general. Thanks again for listening!

Welcome back to the podcast! This week's episode features Randi Pupkin, founder and executive director of Art with a Heart. We talk about the importance of creativity, using your gifts to change the world, and how Art with a Heart is helping to increase access to art as well as to inspire and provide community for people of all ages. If you want to learn more about Art with a Heart and ways to get involved, check out their website: www.artwithaheart.net or email Randi at [email protected]. You can also follow them on Facebook @awahbaltimore and Instagram @artwithaheart_. Don't forget to leave a rating for this week's episode, share the podcast with your friends, and follow the podcast's instagram @itstartwithuspod!

Locations of Art with a Heart's work:

-Heart of Baltimore: Located on the corner of Lumbard & Greene St

-Mosaic Mural: located Enoch Pratt Library Children's section

-Mosaic Mural: located Midtown Campus of University of Maryland

Thank you for tuning in to the very first episode of It Starts With Us! In this episode, I sit down with Kamri Moses and Jima Chester from the Healing Youth Alliance (HYA) to discuss mental health in the black community, what HYA does, generational trauma, building community, the stereotypes about Baltimore, and how we can help remove the stigma surrounding mental health. Thank you again to the Healing Youth Alliance for all of the work that they do and for joining me on today's episode!

Follow on instagram to know when new episodes are released and read more about each episode: @itstartswithuspod

Have questions or ideas for future episode guests? DM me on instagram @itstartswithuspod

Check out HYA on their website to learn more: www.https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/healingyouthalliance/

Follow HYA on Instagram and Facebook @healingyouthalliance to see the amazing work they're doing!

Kamri's Instagram: @krsmoothies

Jima's instagram and website: @slimsartcreations , www.slimsartcreations.com

This week's episode features Dr. Daniel Weinberger and Dr. Rev. Al Hathaway to talk about the gap in knowledge on diseases of the brain for different racial/ethnic groups and how the African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative is opening doors for black scientists and students through community engagement and involvement in science to close this gap. To learn more about the Lieber Institute for Brain Disease and the AANRI, visit libd.org and aaneuroscienceresearch.com, or follow the Lieber Institute on instagram (@lieberinstitute). Be sure to follow the podcast on instagram as well (@itstartswithuspod) to know when new episodes are released and please leave a rating and review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Google Podcasts!