HEALING JUSTICE Journal : Reproductive and Mental Health News for Young and Adult Wom(y)n & the

LGBTQ community! Fall MESSAGE to our Friends and Family,

Fall 2011 Newsletter
Page 1. Welcome/Fall Message from the Collective! Page 2. & 3 Welcoming the New Executive Director Sharim Algarin & Letter of Support Page 4 &5 Launching the Community Board & WOC Healing Arts Fall Calendar Page 6 Simon Bolivar Foundation FALL HEALTH

We are excited to announce that the transition of the season has bought a change in leadership. This Fall we are welcoming Sharim Algarin as our new Executive Director. With over 10 years of organizing experience in the Bronx, this Fall she has already launched our first community board and has a line up of powerful wom(y)n of color bringing programming to the community through our Womyn of Color and LGBTQ Healing Arts Cooperative. A special thank you to the leadership collective of Casa for making this transition peaceful with freedom, grace and ease (Amanda Torres, Brenda Trinidad, Sally Hypolite, Seyi Adebanjo, Natalie Lantigua, Marilyn Navajo, and Nija Witson)
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT CASA AND YOUR INVITED!
1. We are looking for powerful, courageous, fearless womyn/gender non-conforming people of color to support us in creating an environmentally friendly healing and political space where transformation happens through the spirit to volunteer , intern or join our board today! Are you a healer, artist, organizer? We are rebuilding Casa and need support with providing workshops, painting a young womyns mural, affirmations and healing symbols. In addition we are reworking the space to be environmentally friendly and looking for folks who do carpentry. Let us know if you are willing to donate a few hours to end violence against womyn and creating safe space. Make a donation today @ Casa Atabex Ache.org, site . Your financial support makes this work possible. Please join our facebook page to get up to date information and follow us on our NEW Twitter page..http://twitter.com/casaatabexache For more information email us at casaatabexache@aol.com or call the leadership collective at 718-585-5540.

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2012 Fall Equinox Krisselle B. Coston

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CASA Mission Statement Casa has rich legacy of supporting wom(y)n of color heal from internalized oppression by reconnecting with their individual and collective powers of healing and action so they may transform their lives, families and communities. Utilizing a self-healing and social justice model, Casas mission is to support womyn to identify the emotional, spiritual, physical and mental impact that their experiences of abuse ,neglect, oppression (sexism, homophobia, classism, racism and xenophobia, trans-phobia), violence and poverty has on their reproductive and mental health.

Transition Announcement & CASA WELCOMES! Sharim Algarin as the New Executive Director
Dear Casa Family and Community, Casa is excited to share with you that after 14 years, Dayanara Marte has transitioned from her role as Executive Director. As you can imagine this decision did not come lightly . Dee as many of you know her, loves for this organization was beyond a place of unemployment but the source of who she is today. It was her home away from home. In this place of healing is where I find myself, in this

place of healing is where I loose it all and in this place of healing is where I am reborn says Dee. Dayanara graduated with her Masters degree in Public Health from Columbia University and is
excited to focus her energy on teaching, training and writing her memoir using Casa Atabex Ache as her background. She will be taking her experiences, lessons and successes and creating Casa Atabex Aches all over the world. She recently founded In BOLD Rebirth where she dedicates her work to all the young women in the Fuerza/Power program who taught her to not loose hope and reflected to her, her inner strength and power that one cannot learn or read about anywhere. Dayanaras leadership in the field of healing and social justice has extended globally to include, Haiti, New Orleans, Chiapas Mexico, Guatemala and Cuba supporting young and adult womyn of color healing from violence mind, body and spirit. Dee will stay connected to Casa as a lead trainer in healing circles , coaching and transitional consultant and as Casa Atabex Ache enters its next five years, she is extremely excited to announce the NEW Executive Director, her comrade and sister Sharim Algarin. They have worked together in the South Bronx for over 10 years collaborating in creating safe space for teen moms, a story they know all to well. As teen mothers themselves they are a stand that every young women knows her power and strength. Together , they are committed to be at the source of creating healing spaces of dignity, peace , justice and humanity in the South Bronx and around the globe. The transition at CASA builds on two decades of history and impact. We have a strong community of women behind us ,in front of us, above us and below us and all of the 140th st community that we have been so lucky to serve for 14 years. With their support we are confident that Casa will build on its strengths and spirit as we move forward in the struggle for justice and peace. This leadership transition is an exciting opportunity for Casa : 1. 2. To evaluate and create a renewed vision for the organization. To provide opportunities for the community and the young women to participate on the board and the leadership collective. To have informed and impactful programs congruent with the social political and economic times. To have the organization operate with integrity , accountability, responsibility and be consistent with the values of its mission.

A message from Sharim. I would like to thank Dee and the Casa Atabex Ache leadership collective for their love and support, through this transition. Dee is an extraordinary leader and I have been blessed and honored to have shared work and personal space with Dayanara. I have organized in the Bronx for over 10 years around Environmental Justice (Cement Plant Campaign), Housing (Tenants Association), Police Brutality (CPR Campaign), Quality Education for Teen Mothers (SOTR) and Reproductive Justice. All issues that I have experienced personally. I will continue the holistic approach to social justice that Casa continues to facilitate and has succeed. I look forward to working with our community leadership on realizing our dream of a holistic Mott Haven Center.

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Dayanara is excited to be working with Sharim to take a fresh look at the organizations goals, fundraising strategies and operations and to set the stage for Casas next era of programming. CASA ATABEX Says good bye to DEE and WELCOMES SHARIM ALGARIN!

Supply/ Wish List Fall 2012

Yoga Mats Throw pillows to sit on the floor every size body pillows Back Jack chairs Bean bags Slippers to walk inside the healing space Water fountains Winds chimes Healing stones, crystals Stress relief products (worry beads, stress balls, things to throw, massage balls , punching bags, pressure point socks , or gloves, etc) natural cleaning products, for bathroom, kitchen and office space (peppermint soap, lavender soap) office supplies, printing paper, chart paper, markers Plants Healing oils all natural for aromatherapy Healing music-meditation, drums Florida water/rose water Candles in every color Incense/nag champa, charcoal, matches, sage Fabrics for altars (yellow, red, orange, purple, silver, blue, black, pink , green) massage equipments, stress balls, self healing tools Self care products Natural toilet tissue, tampons, kotex ) Herbs to make food Teas for every issue (stress, cold anxiety, reproductive health etc) Affirmations for walls Vitamins Get certificates to spas in NYC to sponsor a trip for abuse victims, young women Movie tickets Barnes and Noble gift cards for self healing books

Dear Supporter, It is my pleasure to submit this letter of support on behalf of Casa Atabex Ache/House of Womyns' Power . We would like to invite you to support our transition and the creation of the Wom(y)n of Color Healing Arts Cooperative. Casa is located in the South Bronx, the poorest congressional district of NYS and has been recently been ranked the un healthiest of New York 62 counties; leaving young women vulnerable to obesity (eating disorders), child sexual abuse, drugs, illiteracy domestic violence and HIV/AIDS. In response to the economic crisis, Casa has created the Wom(y)n of Color & LBTQ Healing Arts Collective to address the internalization of historical poverty and scarcity mentality. Casa is excited to be opening its healing space for womens individual and collective economic, mental, emotional and spiritual sustainability. We are looking forward to collaborating with wom(y)n artist, healers, organizers, teachers, leaders and community women to create a prosperous and abundant organization! We are outreaching to you and other like minded organizations that want to become a member, offer workshops, rent out our healing space or become a referral to our community offering programming this year. The WOC & LGBTQ Healing Arts Collective was birthed out of collaborative desire for a transformative space of culture, spirituality, healing, creativity, and liberation and healing within our communities with the aim to establish a support network of women of color artists manifesting economic sustainability and providing a valuable tool for the self empowerment and self sustainability to one of the most valuable resources in our community, women! Membership: The idea of membership is commitment from the collaborators through mutual sustainability, financial efforts and shared resources. Casa understands that as artist and healers on the front lines we often times do not have access to our own health care or healing support, Casa is committed to being your respite from internalized oppression as we also become a resource of healthcare mind, body and spirit.

Individual WOC Members $100- $250 for the year / Organization WOC Collaborators $500-$1000 for the year You can also support by making a monetary donation, Provide gift certificates, goody bag items, promotional goods to support the creation of our sacred healing space. Donate concrete supplies from our supply list please see list. Your sponsorship will make a difference! Support Casas Wom(y)n of Color Healing Arts Collective offers programs for young women ages 10 and up. This year we want to bring 10 new members to provide programming in drumming, dance, social justice, cultural arts and reproductive justice and create a safe and green environment to heal from the mental and physical trauma they experience as a result of neglect and poverty. We will also provide alternative healthcare, nutrition and healthy meal preparation. In addition, we will provide peer support group to break the silence & address issues of anger, fear & self hate & other issues affecting young womyn with the aim of developing individual and group action strategies to address the health needs and social issues young women are confronting.

Reflections from the Fall Community

Thank you to Esperanza Martell for organizing and hosting Cuban Speaker Norma Guillard @ Casa Atabex Ache To discuss current issues in Cuba

October 25th 471 East 140th Street (bet. Willis and Brook Avenue) 6pm-9pm
NORMA GUILLARD joined the 1961 Cuban Literacy Campaign (the Campaign) when she was 15 years old. A social psychologist from Santiago de Cuba, she is one of the first Cuban women of her generation to call herself a feminist. She primarily works on the issues of gender, race, sexual orientation and issues of diversity and identity in a Cuban and Caribbean context. As a Cuban of African descent, Guillard has contributed much to the lively debates on race and racism in Cuba.

Finding her rhythm had been a long and dangerous journey. She Traveled Beyond the streets of oppression, The valley of inauthenticity, The forest of despair, the river of regret And the desert of self judgment. She crossed the sea of change, The mountains of transformation and finally, she arrived! In the meadow of possibility she claimed her life song. -Sophia McCloud

THANKYOU! To Everyone that came out! Fall Affirmations Gathered for the first time the ultimate trio (Bohio Atabei, Urban Atabex and Casa Atabex Ache) collaborating for a magical day and night of manifesting. You don't want to miss out on an explosion of rituals, dancing, drumming, singing and storytelling connecting us to our grandmothers wisdom. Join us for a ceremony and a sweat lodge.

October 27th - 12pm Saturday - Sunrise Oct 28th

Connect to the Mother We dance with the Grandmothers and pray with our very souls Women of all ages, nationalities and beliefs, gather on common ground to pray for the world in a ceremony known as La Danza Luna Foretelling a prophecy written; long ago, Women dancing with the Grandmothers are living this prophecy today

Wom(y)n of Color and LGBTQ Healing Arts Collective / Presents Fall Calendar 2012
A Prayer for victims of hurricane SANDY! I offer respect and honor for all my ancestors whose names I know and those I don't, but more recently for those who passed into being ancestors during this storm. I lift them up into light and love. I mourn all parts of us that no longer serve a purpose in our lives as we sit at home and wonder how we got to be who we are today in the circumstances we are in I offer prayer and protection by way of the Divine Creator for those ancestral souls that are in darkness, forgotten, or lost. Let the light I offer fade out the shadows of fear and guide them towards the light ... I offer love, compassion and comfort to those ancestral souls that are suffering and depressed. Let the light I offer lead them from discord and the miseries of their souls... I offer healing by way of the Divine on all spiritual levels for those ancestors who were abused, afflicted, deceived, enslaved, hated, lonely, misguided, neglected, oppressed, pained, saddened, traumatized and died tragically. Let the light I offer to their souls inspire clemency, liberation, faith, love and harmony from today onward. This is an Urgent CALL OUT if you are in the Bronx/NYC area. Casa Atabex Ach will be a hub in the Bronx to supporthttp:// caaav.org/ in their Hurricane Sandy relief efforts to support the Asian community in China Town. They have no power, limited food They have no power, limited food and sanitary supplies. We need folks to volunteer in serving food, we need food , water, pampers, sanitary napkins, first aid kits, batteries, flashlights, hot food, chargers. You can drop off supplies tomorrow @ 471 east 140th st, Garden Level. Casa will drive the supplies over by 4pm. Come out and volunteer. Please call Sharim @ 347 258 7980 if you need further information.

Every Tuesday from 6-8pm thru Nov. 27th: Power to the People: Free Poetry and performance workshops for the Mott Haven Community. Presented by Bettys daughter Arts Collective Nov. 2nd 6-9pm: Celebrating El Dia de los Muertos. Jin us to create a community alter honoring our ancestors. Nov. 7th 6pm: Deadline for Food Drive Donations Nov. 14th 5pm-8pm: Free Thanksgiving Raffle Drawing for Community. Nov. 30th 7pm-9pm: Power to the people performance. Check out the talent in Mott Haven. Casa Atabex Ache is hosting a food drive to benefit the Mott Haven Community during the Holiday Season. This is a great opportunity for you to support low-income families in the Bronx. We are creating healthy Thanksgiving meals in a bag to be raffled on November 14th. (FREE) We are requesting all our supporters, friends and family to donate your time, coordinate a drive in your org, home or school.

If you would like to add an event to Casas Calendar Please contact Amanda Torres @ amandartatcasa@gmail.com Or Giselle Sanchez 718.585.5540

THE SIMON BOLIVAR FOUNDATION FUNDS CASA!

With support from the Simon Bolivar Foundation, Casa seeks to spend the next year creating a the Women(y)n of Color and LGBTQ Healing Arts collective and Leadership Health Model that is rooted in self-healing & organizing focusing on young women /organizer/activist self empowerment, self sustainability, leadership development and personal & organizational health. The South Bronx is the UNHEALTHIEST of New York's 62 counties. It is plagued with poverty, dis-ease, unemployment , addiction and violence against women in all its forms impacting the mind, body and spirit of young women at an increasing rate. 37% of South Bronx residents say that they have lacked money to buy food at some point in the past 12 months. Most recently, the movie Precious depicting young women reality through the life story of a young black woman whose social conditions (ie. poverty) contributed to rape and incest that she experienced at home, which as a consequence led to obesity , low self esteem, teen pregnancy, illiteracy, sexually transmitted diseases, and an intergenerational cycle of abuse within the womyn in her family. We believe that Casa can give young women the tools they can use for mental, emotional, spiritual and physical wellness to deal with issues such as self mutilation, low self image, drugs, eating disorders, teen pregnancy, suicide, unsafe sex and unhealthy relationships, all leading to mental stress &emotional damage that often gets carried into their adult life affecting their reproductive health and overall health and wellness.

FOOD FOR THE SOUL! FALL HEALTH w/CASA...

1. Element: Wind Autumn is about breathing in life as it has been handed to us and as we have created it. It is here that we take a step back and give thanks, be in gratitude for what we have. Its is a time of deep reflection and evaluation of our lives. In this time we acknowledge our ancestors who have supported us. We walk with them so that womyn and children tap into their royalty and wisdom to over come injustice and violence in their lives. 2. CHAKRA: Crown & Third Eye Fall is about seeing the unseen , trusting the changes that are happening, the transitions coming, that letting go is needed. Its about walking the path we have set for ourselves and stop holding on to the past things that we do not need. All year you have been creating and manifesting now we need to trust our spirit and ancestors , accept , affirm and acknowledge who we are without judgment. 3.FEELING Grief and Make a list of what can liberate you. What do you need to seek truth and wisdom and put it The Fall season is a season of underneath the candle until it death , forgiveness and letting burns out. go of the past , looking at who we have become as a result of 5. CRYSTAL: Amethyst our past and releasing regrets. They comes in rings, stones to carry in your pocket. We heal from issues such as Remember DRESS IN Purple for Royalty, child sexual abuse, incest, White and Silver for Spirit! rape & sexual assault , violence and oppression to find balance and grounding. Be prepares to loose relationships, parts of self and things that no longer serve a purpose. Go to the doctor, GYN and check for fibroids, ovarian cancer , STDS, HIV/AIDS. Worry Mental and Reproductive health 4. Candles : Purple and White This is a time to build your spirit and ancestral altars, light a candle and breathe because you are exactly where you need to be and this too shall pass. Remember those you have lost and send them lights, think about what you have and give thanks. Think about your insecurities, doubt, self judgment, and your in authenticity. That is not who you are ..so who are you?

For More Information About CASA . Please contact us at 718-585-5540. Email: casaatabexahe@aol.com Twitter: Casa Atabex Ache Face book: Casa Atabex Ache Website: www. casaatabexache.org