Welcome to our journey!

Nineteen years ago, I got interested in a new medium that was blossoming all over the place and I wondered if somehow, I too could be a part of this new "citizen journalist movement." I really didn't know exactly what I was going to say or how to even say it, so I just jumped in with both feet and did the damn thing.

And amazingly, now here in 2023, I find myself back at the keyboard with a whole new perspective and years of lived experiences to share including leading two non-profits into existence and launching our new website, www.arrapps.org

I don't know if I could even imagine all that's happen since that first post, but in reviewing that decade of words and musings, I realize today that much of what I wrote about then can still resonate to this day with the exception that in 2019, I stopped talking about it and did something about it with the creation both Arkansas RAPPS and The Strilite Foundation within the concept of the Living Room Wellness Resource Center.

Considering all that I had seen and been a part of, I concluded that why not take my thoughts to the next level and forge ahead with my own vision and mission to address the health and wellness of my community, while still seeking to build capacity, increase access to skills, and in the meantime use my unique network to foster additional relationships and partnerships. It sounded so simple, but boy would I quickly learn what would lie ahead and how nimble I would have to be to succeed.

Yet through hard work and tenacity, I'm hopeful that these entities will continue to discover supportive funding streams and possibly develop other profit-making ventures that will allow more independence and unrestricted growth patterns. In all of this I also realized that I couldn't do it alone. So, I'm proud of the team that has joined me on this journey, and I can't wait to continue to share more about our successes and outcomes in more blogs to come in 2023! For more info reach out to us at info@arrapps.org