One of the most important ways to have a large impact in life is by focusing on communities that are ignored and overlooked. These communities are often the ones most in need of help, tools, and services but for a variety of reasons the largest players in most industries chose not to work on serving them. We’ve been so touched by the thousands of members of our community who are working on serving the underserved from tackling food deserts to building empowering solutions for the neurodiverse. Each week, you’ll find us highlighting folks serving underserved communities.

Adrianne Hillman

**STILL NEEDS A PERSONAL STORY FROM YOU** Yes, Salt + Light serves neighbors experiencing homelessness in California’s rural Tulare County. Homelessness is a complex issue impacting our entire nation, with nearly half of the nation’s entire homeless population residing in California (2022 Annual Homelessness Report to Congress). The population that Salt + Light serves is an intersectionally diverse, multi-faceted group that are some of society’s most vulnerable. Over half of the neighbors we serve are people of color, 90% have a disability, 100% have a mental health condition, and 100% live well below the poverty line. Read more>>

Roxanne Stewart

At our brand, we are committed to serving the underserved, and one of the crucial aspects we focus on is menstrual hygiene education and destigmatization. We acknowledge that menstruation is a natural and normal bodily process, yet it remains taboo and shameful in many communities. It is disheartening to see that half the population menstruates, but there is still a lack of awareness and education about proper menstrual hygiene practices. Our approach centers on empowering individuals with accurate and comprehensive information about menstruation and menstrual hygiene. By providing accessible and inclusive resources, we aim to break down barriers that hinder open conversations around periods. Read more>>

Andrew Cox

The whole idea behind Nexus Occult Books and Odditied (N.O.B.O) and Nexus Academy of Magick and Esoteric Sciences (N.A.M.E.S.) was to be a resource and safe space for the Tucson occult community. While there are a dozen metaphysical supply stores in Tucson there wasn’t any true occult book stores and while some of the metaphysical stores hosted class on beginning astrology and tarot, there wasn’t any resources for true magick, witchcraft, divination, and the many of subjects that fall under the occult umbrella. The occult community in Tucson is large but fragmented. I wanted to build a space that would bring together the many different types of occult practices, paths, faiths, and ideas of our community into one place. Read more>>

Shera Griffin

I live in a community that is severely neglected by the government officials for years! The people deserve so much more than they’re being given.. Stress is at an all-time high. More people are battling depression and anxiety, because of expensive it has become to live inbthe US Virgin Islands. I came home to serve my community by offering professional and Luxurious Beauty and Wellness services at an affordable price. When people feel better about themsleves, they tend to go out to the world with less weight ok their shoulders, even if it’s for a small moment. Read more>>

Dr. Eric Sandras

Recently a “mega-church” pastor in my city pulled me aside and offered a thought provoking statement, “Some of us pastors were talking the other day and we decided you have a church with the smallest footprint and biggest impact in our city.” I think that was a compliment. Regardless, it helped realize how a few people with a clear call and passionate alignment can have a significant impact. As I walk from my truck to the entry of my church each Sunday around 8am, I’m greeted by over a 200 ragamuffin misfits from around the Westside of Colorado Springs waiting in line for our weekly free “Showers to the People” shower and haircut ministry and a free breakfast of eggs, Panera Bread donations, sizzling bacon, and more coffee than most AA meetings consume in a month. Read more>>

Aarron Wilburn

Growing up in poor communities affects the mind in ways people don’t necessarily understand. There are lifestyle habits formed when you live in poverty, it’s often why the cycle repeats itself generation after generation. There’s no true understanding of how education and money are tied together. When you’re living in survival mode every day of your life, the relationships you form aren’t based on love and support. You experience so much hardship, that you kind of grow numb. Read more>>

Nicole Brecht

At Good Life Refuge, our primary focus is on serving the underserved and voiceless population of farm animals, offering them a safe haven where they can find solace and care. These animals have long been denied a voice, left unprotected by inadequate animal welfare laws, and subjected to unimaginable abuse and neglect. Our mission is to change their lives for the better, providing them with a forever home that matters not only to the rescued animals but also to the compassionate volunteers who care for them. Read more>>

Mike Wiseman

We host a lot of charity events. Our next one is in two weeks in Ohio we have 5 bands playing and a 10 category beard competition, it will benefit the Cooper and Thomas Animal Rescue. Just last month we hosted a benefit for a local girl named Kayleigh who had a rare and terminal DIPG BRAIN TUMOR Where we raised over $3000 for the family, unfortunately Kayleigh passed a few weeks after the event and her funeral was this week. Read more>>

Omar Diaz

Snowboarding is my passion and a way of life; it takes me to a special place in which nothing else matters but the thrill of the moment. This special bond with snowboarding and all the great people in our community served as the spark for my desire to share snowboarding. It’s no surprise that snowboarding is out of the reach of most people of color, but sharing my love for the snow with my community was important to me. As a child attending public school education oftentimes, we would be visited by individuals to encourage us to reach our full potential and share stories of success. Read more>>

Kelsey Boyer

In 2016 I was competing in slope-style snowboarding in high hopes of climbing the olympic ladder. I started off my season with a complete knock out and continued to hit my head over the next 2 months. The pressure of attending every contest was leading me versus listening to my body. One specific head hit, changed my life forever. I took one of the worst falls of my life and was showing a lot of concussion symptoms but 5 doctors in a 2 week period said I was fine and that I was just experiencing post concussion syndrome. My symptoms were progressing to uncontrollable mood-swings, ringing in my ears and gagging non stop so finally my best friend forced me into the ER. The nurse took a CT scan and came back into the room ghost white and said, “You have been bleeding in the brain for 2 weeks. Your brain has shifted 11mm and you are lucky to be alive,” and followed with “you wouldn’t have survived the night.” Read more>>

Gwen Chambers

Hello, I’m Gwendolyn Chambers, the Executive Director of BlacQuity. When I left my hometown of North Myrtle Beach, SC, in 2008 for Bluffton, I instantly fell in love with the beauty, character, and charm of this vibrant Lowcountry community. To me, community means everything, and that’s why I’m deeply committed to BlacQuity initiatives and driven by a vision for future programming that creates positive change here and now. BlacQuity is a nonprofit organization that strives to empower BIPOC entrepreneurs with resources and access. The heart of a small business drives our community. In the community of the Lowcountry, we noticed there was no adequate representation of the Black community in small businesses. Read more>>

Tyniece Wingfield

I recently had the opportunity to plan and host my very own event entitled Faith, Family, Fitness, and Finance Expo. I was able to blend my occupation as a Care Coordinator in behavioral health with my event planning company, The Digital Wing. Although my company is for profit I will always have a philanthropic arm that helps the underserved. It is important to have opportunities where I can serve those that are less fortunate. I was able to team up with the International Health Commission of AME Church and The Word Church in order to address disparities that are plaguing our communities. Some of these disparities are food insecurities, access to affordable healthcare, affordable housing, education discrimination, poverty amongst other issues. Read more>>

MICHELLE BROWN

Parenting is the best and hardest job in the world. We are expected to work like we don’t have children, and raise children as if we don’t work. I believe that there is a huge gaping hole in helping parents gain the tools we need to juggle these immense responsibilities. When I gave birth to my first daughter I struggled with awful post partum, it impacted my ability to make milk and I was absolutely exhausted. I needed help. I found getting help to be an expensive endeavor that we did not have money for. So I stayed in a cycle of struggle and stress. I knew there had to be a better way. Read more>>

Cat Corchado

Midlife women are the underserved as far as fitness is concerned. If you look at social media none of the posts speak to women over 40 AND address their fitness level while taking into consideration their current or past injuries. I have client that had to be hospitalized for COVID and afterwards had to learn how to walk and maneuver without the aid of a walker or cane. When someone recovers from an illness, most fitness professionals forget the emotional aspect of how this illness affected them then and even now. Midlife women are somehow overlooked in so many ways and I want to address the fact that these women have the ability to meet and even exceed their current fitness levels. I do this by helping them understand the how and why flexibility and strength is needed more now in midlife than when they were younger. Having 39 years in the fitness industry I want to meet women where they are now and help them feel good in their bodies. Read more>>

Mark Cardwell

My business Cardwell Communications LLC is a full-service marketing consultancy that serves solopreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. I decided to focus on these groups after spending some time working in the evenings as a business plan instructor for a small Church based CDC in my hometown of Columbus Ohio. The program was 8 weeks long and assisted people that wanted to start a business and seek funding with learning how to write a business plan. Read more>>