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Our Peer Advisor Restore Cohort with Bare Soul Yoga & Wellness officially kicked off this year. The Peer Advisor Restore program is centered on wellness and healing - two things desperately needed in our schools and communities. Participants in the program learn how to strengthen their own self-care practice and simultaneously use it to engage in the movement of community care. Upon completion of the program, participants receive a certification that gives them opportunities to facilitate healing circles in their communities.

We're so proud of our Peer Advisors this year, who grew and blossomed over the course of the program. Here's a look at the program through the eyes of Peer Advisor Afryea Williams.

“I aspire to be a Social Worker, and this program seemed like perfect prep for me. I didn’t think I would be able to do it because of my busy schedule. After a conversation with my mother, I decided to sign up. I fell in love with the program at our very first session. I arrived and was greeted with kind energy and love. Sister Ashley and Sister Kiran introduced us to the other Restore Cohort Leaders, MJ, and Freedom. They told us what to expect, and we created our own self-care rituals. It focused on different factors like physical and spiritual ways we can take care of ourselves.”

Our Retreat

We had a two-day retreat at the Gloucester Institute. It was wonderful being on Black-owned land to work on our own mental health and learn how we can serve others. Our theme over the retreat was learning what we would do in our time as Peer Advisors. We discussed what a servant leader was and did practices and examples on how we can be servant leaders. It was a fun opportunity to get to know the other girls and foster sisterhood.

Supporting Middle School girls

I was extremely excited when we got hands-on experience working with middle school girls. We shadowed sessions with the Young Queens in Action at Martin Luther King Middle School. After we shadowed, we created our own healing circles to work with the girls. I enjoyed getting to know the girls and was saddened and perplexed learning about them. They would casually mention traumatic events like it was nothing. They would oftentimes say it in a joking or matter-of-fact manner. I loved seeing the relationships the girls built with the Restore Cohort servant leaders. You could tell they trusted them and cared for them. When it was my turn to lead a session, I was able to problem-solve and work with the other girls. Unexpected changes happened in our program but we were able to work around it and work together to continue to have a smooth circle. We discussed beauty standards and it was insightful to see how the media influences the girls. They had immense wisdom and confidence and were willing to share how they felt.

Girl Ambassador Participants

Our last session was a day long retreat back at the Glouster Institute with the Girl Ambassador Program. The Peer Advisors were leading healing circles for the day. When we led the circles I wasn’t nervous. Most of the girls I already knew and felt comfortable with. I loved getting to know everyone better and it was really fun. We laughed and were able to build sisterly bonds.

I’ve had an amazing time. As mentioned before I want to work in mental health. This program has allowed me to foster my passion for helping others into a concrete goal. I’ve gotten to learn what it means to be a servant leader and foster relationships with more people in the community.

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Help us continue the work of uplifting, encouraging, and centering on Black girls. As a sustaining donor, you can help us continue to offer programs like Peer Advisor Restore to Black girls who need it.

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Girls For A Change

100 Buford Rd

North Chesterfield, VA 23235-5204

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