Finding purpose after service

Published on Obama.org, November 2021

University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholar and Marine Corps Vet Tom Voutsos is helping close the wealth gap by providing an alternative pathway to homeownership in the Midwest. This Veterans Day, we spoke with Tom about his inspiring journey.

When American service members make the transition from active military duty to everyday civilian life, many struggle to find the same sense of purpose. For United States Marine Corps veteran Tom Voutsos, finding a passionate devotion to community service has created a whole new journey—from providing economic opportunities for gang members, to solving community housing issues, to becoming one of our most recent Obama Foundation Scholars.

That eagerness first led Tom to TRU Colors, a startup brewery in Wilmington, North Carolina that hires active gang members as employees to create pathways for economic opportunity and leadership development. Through his relationships at the brewery, Tom’s eyes were opened to the barriers people living with criminal records face, particularly in securing safe and reliable housing of their own.

“There are obviously housing barriers for folks who have a record, but the thing that really surprised me was there weren’t quality, affordable options for their girlfriends, moms, grandmas, sisters, who are working living wage jobs and have great benefits,” Tom said. 

So when Tom left Wilmington to pursue his MBA degree at the University of Chicago, he decided to explore the heart of the housing problem. His exploration led him to launch his own organization, LadderUp Housing.

At LadderUp, Tom and his team purchase and renovate homes, then rent them to tenants while they are able to build their credit scores. Through partnerships, Tom’s team is able to provide financial coaching and once the renters are able to get traditional mortgage financing, LadderUp sells the same home to the tenant. 

“The vision of LadderUp is to bridge the wealth gap,” Tom explained. “When we were doing research into home ownership in the United States, for most folks, their home is going to be the largest asset that they ever own. So it’s really a vehicle for wealth creation.”

And according to Tom, that vehicle is not available to all working class people right now. By piloting the LadderUp program in Toledo—his wife’s hometown—Tom is able to take advantage of the high volume and low housing cost in this part of the Midwest.

“Because of the year that these homes were built, structurally they are excellent,” Tom explained. “There’s just a major need for cosmetic repairs. So we have the ability to go in, in an affordable way, acquire these homes and renovate them, but still maintain affordability for the customer on the back end, which is the most important piece.”

While there are a number of home ownership educational programs, many miss the mark on addressing the deeper inequalities and barriers people face on the road to homeownership, Tom explained. By utilizing the logistics skills he developed while serving in the United States Marine Corps, Tom was able to diagnose where people were having significant barriers and come up with solutions on how to make the homeownership education process more successful. 

“Sometimes I think we forget when we’re working in communities and providing these services that there’s still a customer journey,” Tom said. “And if we just expect behavior to change or a lesson to be learned from one interaction, human nature, regardless of circumstance, it’s unlikely to change.”

As a member of the 2021-22 cohort of the University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars Program, Tom is one of 12 emerging leaders who are participating in the program during the final year of their master’s programs. There are 12 additional leaders who are part of the Obama Scholars cohort studying at Columbia University in New York City. Both cohorts build community with each other through programming led by the Obama Foundation. 

The refreshed version of the University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars Program allows applications from students who are in their final year of their master’s program at the Harris School of Public Policy, the Booth School of Business, or the Crown School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. 

“One of the main things that stuck out to me about the UChicago Obama Scholars program this year was the fact that they were pulling from different graduate programs and taking this interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum,” Tom explained. “Each program has different ways of thinking about these problems and getting an opportunity to interact with them was a really exciting and appealing thing to me.”

During a recent visit to Chicago, President and Mrs. Obama met with the newest cohort of University of Chicago Obama Foundation Scholars, offering advice on how to make a greater impact in the respective communities.

“Mrs. Obama touched on this when she spoke with us—she shared the importance of building trust in the community you’re serving. That’s one thing that I’m definitely focused on getting better at myself.  How do we build trust? How do we make sure that things we’re doing within communities are inclusive? So that way we’re all driving towards a shared goal and nobody’s left behind.”

A journey worth taking: Pooja Pittie

Published on Obama.org, March 2021

Through her personal experiences, Pooja has grown to accept the imbalance that comes in life—especially for those living with disabilities. “I think that as a person with a disability, I had such a revelation when I realized I don’t have to chase after this perfect balance between body and mind. We’re always seeking balance in all parts of our lives, and it may not always be achievable. And that’s okay.”

Pooja is also involved with 3Arts, a residency program at the University of Illinois at Chicago that advocates for local women artists, artists of color, and artists with disabilities. Recently she completed her residency and she credits the program for truly recognizing the needs of those with disabilities.

“Many residency programs out there in the world are not very friendly with artists with disabilities,” Pooja explained. “Some programs include traveling to remote locations, which may not be feasible. Or people may need a caregiver, and those types of accommodations aren’t always possible.”

During her residency, Pooja was determined to focus on the imbalance of body and mind. She rented a spacious studio space and started mapping out how she could use her body in new ways—then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the uncertainty of safety lingered. “The entire goal of my fellowship was flipped on its head,” Pooja said. “Instead of making really large works, I opted for small pieces of art. I was too anxious to paint in those early days, and this program was an invaluable resource for me.”

As she has met more and more artists in the disability community, her understanding of needs and the importance of representation grew. As conversations about the ingrained inequalities and inaccessibility in the museum community have grown over the last year, Pooja believes emerging institutions like the museum at the future Obama Presidential Center have limitless potential to change the way museums are built and how they engage with their visitors.

“In terms of physical accessibility, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) clearly lays out what museums should be doing,” Pooja explained. “But people tend to forget that not everyone living with disabilities is the same. What would make a space accessible for me might not make it accessible for somebody else with different disabilities.”

In January, Pooja joined her fellow 3Arts artists for a Disability Culture Leadership Initiative: A Chicago Model panel, where she shared how her disability has shaped her activism. “I think the activism part of my work relates more to how I talk and present my art to give people access to the disability community,” Pooja described. “Then people get an insight into our experiences and get to see how powerful our lives are. Our lives are not based on a lack of ability or some deficiency, and I think it’s very interesting to be able to communicate that through abstract painting.”

To learn more about Pooja and her work, visit: https://www.poojapittie.com/ and follow her on Instagram at @poojapittie.

Obama-Chesky Voyager is Helping Preserve His Indigenous Culture

Published on Obama.org, October 2023

Nick Kennedy, a 2022-2024 Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service recipient, is a rising leader who is proud of his Indigenous culture.  In his personal life and through his collegiate studies at the University of South Dakota, Nick is advocating for the preservation of Indigenous culture and traditions.

Ahead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we spoke with the Voyager about his recent Summer Voyage, his passion for preserving his family's history, and what’s next for the young changemaker.

Growing up in Lawrence, Kansas in an urban Native community, Nick missed the opportunity to be surrounded by his Blackfoot culture. It was during his time studying abroad at the University of Calgary that Nick’s inspiration for a career in law strengthened.

Nick’s great grandparents were both boarding school survivors. Recent studies have described Native American boarding schools as dangerous, identity stripping, and in many ways physically and mentally unsafe.

“In that period of American history, Indigenous People were stripped of their culture and language,” Nick explained. “Not growing up in my culture, it felt like it was necessary to sort of preserve what is left in terms of Indigenous culture and Blackfoot culture.”

As he’s continued his higher education studies, Nick has found that an effective way to advocate for his people is through the retention of cultural practices and sovereignty. His long-term goal is to become a lawyer and examine the legal disparities in reservation communities.

“I feel like doing that as an attorney would blend my intellectual interests relating to Blackfoot culture and the law, specifically the sovereignty of Indigenous People,” Nick shared. “And by becoming an attorney I’d be able to navigate those systems a little bit better.”

As part of the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service program, Nick chose to spend his Summer Voyage at The Plains Indian Museum in Cody, Wyoming, which is part of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Throughout his time at the museum, he worked closely with artifacts that highlighted the lives of Plains Indian peoples, cultures, and traditions.

As October 9 marks Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Nick reflected on what the cultural holiday means to him.

“To me every day is Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” Nick said. “I think about Blackfoot culture everyday, especially since that was something that was taken away from my family. I think Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an excellent opportunity for an educational day. Indigenous People are not a monolithic people. There are many different tribes, each with their own history, traditions, and ways of doing things. I’m happy that people are recognizing the day more, and I think ultimately with these types of recognition there should be more outreach and education to other non-Indigenous, so that people understand different ways of knowing.”

Nick’s advice to those wondering how they can honor Indigenous People on this cultural day: Try and view things from the tribal perspective.

“If I were to encourage someone to do more research, I would first tell them to prioritize Indigenous scholars and Indigenous sources. If you want to know more about a specific tribe or a specific community, I would encourage them to look at each of the tribal nation’s websites.”

Ultimately, every tribal nation has different unique cultural practices, and you can’t classify them all as one people, Nick explained.

“It’s also important to realize Indigenous People are contemporary people; they’re not somebody that’s living in the past. Say, bows and arrows. There is a contemporary component to indigeneity. We are living in the present, here and now.”

Meet the Chicagoan Making Therapy as Normal as Ordering a Cup of Coffee

Published on Obama.org, September 2021

“Your life is purposeful, your life is valuable, and your life is necessary.” —Chris LeMark, artist, mental health activist

While making a name for himself as a rapper and performer on the South Side of Chicago, Chris LeMark was also fighting his own invisible battle with severe depression. After getting the help he needed, he came to audiences with a new purpose: to normalize therapy and mental health conversations. His organization, Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health, is shattering stigmas surrounding mental health care, with a specific focus on Black and Brown communities. Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day, we spoke to Chris about leading an organization that offers a fresh take on self care that resonates with his community.

Q: To start, can you explain what your organization, Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health, does?
A: We are a traveling support group, and our goal is to normalize therapy and mental health conversations in Black and Brown communities—we are trying to bridge those two worlds together. I started this organization to give other people permission to tell their story and to also begin a path to healing.

Q: As I understand it, you have a very personal reason for starting Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health. Can you tell me about what led you to create your organization?
A: Yes. I was born on the South Side of Chicago and I went through a lot in my very complicated and traumatic childhood. I dealt with a lot of childhood abuse, I shuffled through group homes and shelters, went through several years of homelessness and I was just walking around feeling displaced not having a mom or a dad to lead me throughout life. I dealt with a lot of that traumatic pain so long. Then in 2014, I was sitting in my truck outside my office in Kenosha. I was facing Lake Michigan and over and over again, I was thinking about driving my truck into the lake. The very little hope that I had, just a little bit of trust that I had in my friends, kept me hanging on. That’s what made me call my friends and say “Hey I can’t do it. I don’t know what Imma do right now. I want to end it all.” I’m still here because of that. I just feel like people need to find that space. I can only imagine, if I would have driven my truck into Lake Michigan in 2014, I wouldn’t be able to help even more people through Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health today.

Q: How is hip-hop incorporated into your community work and how has it helped you in your own life?
A: Hip-hop was my first form of therapy. It was the first time I had any type of control in my life. You know, when you grow up in an abusive environment for the majority of your life and you shuffle through group homes, you have no control over your life. So I was able to vent through this medium, and I could talk about my pain. I could talk about not having my mom, not having my dad. That was major for me, and I believe that if I hadn’t had hip-hop, I would not be alive today.

Q: Why is it important, especially for men of color, to unpack their trauma, embrace therapy, and talk about their mental health?
A: Black men are often called derogatory terms when we’re being emotional. When you’re young, you’re being taught to shelter your emotions. Then when you get older, you’re not going to be able to control those emotions. So if you’re angry, you’re going to always flow from a place of aggression. Which is what we’re seeing today with a lot of the murders that are happening in our community and the unnecessary violence. Young Black children are taught not to own their emotions. And so, I believe when Black men heal, our community heals. That’s why it is important for us to create spaces of vulnerability without judgment.

Q: As you know, September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. This year’s theme is “Working Together to Prevent Suicide.” You shared a story about how you called your friends for support during one of your darkest moments of pain. Do you have any advice for friends and family who see people in their lives suffering but may not know what to do?
A: There’s no perfect answer or anecdote for this, but one thing I would say is, before people get to that place, we have to normalize making this shit cool for people to cry and for people to share and for people to tell you that life is really hard and they have a lot going on. Rage is healthy, it isn’t ugly. Sometimes people need to scream because life hurts. If you’ve been beaten and you’ve been told no, you’ve been ostracized, you’ve been rejected, and you’ve dealt with trauma that’s unresolved and you don’t have any space to just be honest without judgment, biases, or consequences, people are going to implode.

So before people get to that point, we have to do our best to make it cool for people to talk about their stuff. We have to normalize therapy, we have to normalize mental health conversations. We have to normalize what it means to be vulnerable. We have to allow men to be free and we have to allow our children to be different. Who cares about being trans, Black—all these titles that we put on people—we have to give people the space to be free, to be awkward, to be complicated, to be whatever they are. We can do that for our friends and family every single day.

Q: Over 20 million people attempt to take their own life each year and the vast majority of individuals who have attempted suicide are not successful. Do you have any advice for people who are recovering from their own trauma of attempting suicide?
A: I would tell them to cling onto whatever little piece of hope they may have. Because the heavy, the darkness, the pain, it seems so much more. But if you have a small percentage of hope, cling onto that.

Also, your life is purposeful, your life is valuable, and your life is necessary. I don’t think people understand how beautiful and how brilliant and necessary they are—because the pain has overwhelmed them so much.

Q: To close, how can folks get involved with your work at Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health?

A: At Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health, we’re all about family, and we want to take public service to the next level. Something we’ve asked ourselves is, how can we serve one person really, really well, rather than serving thousands of families just okay. I was looking at the boxes of food we recently gave away during our Christmas in August event, and I was unhappy because I wanted to give families even more food.
I’m celebrating a win, but there is no win when people are still poor, when people are still hungry.

At Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health, we don’t know everything, so we’re asking for people who are smarter, who are braver, who understand quality above quantity, to help us. You can volunteer your time or your dollars, but more importantly, we need your advice and your wisdom. If you feel inspired to take action and you live in Chicago, please go to our website and sign up to volunteer.

Healing, Learning, and Shining: Two Leaders Lighting the Way for Young Refugees in Greece

Published on Obama.org, June 2021

When Wael Habbal arrived in Greece from Syria in 2015, he had to overcome tremendous obstacles, including healing from his own trauma, transitioning to a new home, and mastering a new language. But through the struggles, he found ways to help others on similar paths.

Around the same time, Sofia Kouvelaki was helping make a documentary about unaccompanied minor refugees on a nearby island. After witnessing refugee children fleeing to safety and almost dying from hypothermia, she knew she had to move away from capturing the story and start helping fix the problem.

Despite tirelessly working to address the same challenges in their community, Wael and Sofia had never crossed paths. Not until they both found themselves in the Obama Leaders: Europe program last fall. Around World Refugee Day, they came together to talk about what it means to provide dignified support to refugees in Greece, and how being part of the Obama Foundation’s network of leaders has helped them expand their work.

WAEL: This year’s World Refugees Day theme is: “Together we heal, learn and shine.” For me, the theme is really connected with my personal story and to the work I do now.

In 2015, when I came to Greece as a refugee from Syria, I didn’t know what I was going to do. To my surprise, there was no national integration plan. There was no connection between the locals and the newcomers. There was also no representation for those who were arriving in a new country. But despite my own obstacles, I felt like I could do something to help others.

When I started getting involved in different communities and groups, I started the process of my own healing. That’s what eventually led me to launch the Syrian and Greek Youth Forum.

Sofia, what does this year’s theme mean to you and the work you are doing at your organization?

SOFIA: Healing is probably the most important theme in our work. I started The HOME Project five years ago when the refugee crisis began. Now, we operate shelters where we offer a holistic network of child protection services. Basically, what we want to do is to create healing environments for refugee children that arrive in Greece all alone.

Without the healing element and the education that we also provide, these children can’t achieve integration, which is the ultimate aim of our work. For us, I think the words “healing, learning and shining” are also describing part of the child protection model that we implement with the kids that we work with.

WAEL: I believe we have all been through a lot of traumatic situations through our journeys, through the war, or through the journey of becoming a part of a different society. The first thing we need to focus on is how to heal ourselves and how to allow others to help us to heal in order for us to have more understanding of the reality around us.

Sofia, can you share a little more about what led you to refugee work?

SOFIA: In 2014, I was on Lesvos—a Greek Island in the Northern Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkey—to make a documentary about unaccompanied minors in detention. Even before the height of the refugee crisis, the issue of unaccompanied refugee children was still prevalent.

We were there with the cameras, and there weren’t many activists. And really what we had to do was to drop the cameras and start actually helping the people who would arrive and would come out of the boats with the risk of dying from hypothermia. I ended up spending almost the whole year on Lesvos working closely with young children.

WAEL: Did anything surprise you about your experience working with refugee children?

SOFIA: I’ll never forget, there was a girls’ tent and a boys’ tent, and what started happening for a couple of days in a row was that we would take three- to four-year-old kids that we thought were girls, and then realize they were boys dressed up as girls.

The same thing was happening with Afghan girls. They were dressed up as Afghan boys. For us it was very stressful because if we didn’t change them on time and put them in warm clothes, they were at risk  of dying. We kept confusing the children’s gender, so we were trying to figure out, “Why is this happening?” It’s not random. Then after talking with the people who would arrive, we realized that they were dressing up the girls as boys to save them from being forced to be married to the Taliban.

And on the other hand, some parents would dress up their Syrian boys as girls to help them not to be militarized by ISIS. I think that whole experience shocked me to my core. I realized that we really need to do something about it. That experience changed me forever and made me realize that the physical location of where we’re born plays into our opportunities and safeties.

Wael, I wonder if you can you share more about your journey to Greece and how your experiences helped lead you into this work?

WAEL: Sure. As a kid, I remember my family, especially my uncles and my parents, were always helping others. That strengthened my own desire to help others around me, which led me to study law in Damascus. Of course, my studies were interrupted and I had to leave the country. For three years after I left my country, I wasn’t thinking of anything—I was just trying to survive. I was going to work, trying to rent a house, trying to help my family, but the moment I arrived in Greece and learned the language, I realized that I could give others a helping hand, helping them navigate the language barrier.  Helping others made me feel human again. It fulfilled my need to do something about the world we are living in today. I understood my value and skills, and the positive impact I could have on others.

SOFIA: And your personal experiences led you to start your non-profit, the Syrian and Greek Youth Forum, right? Can you share more about what you do?

WAEL: Yes, for sure. I am a Co-founder and Director at the Syrian and Greek Youth Forum. I think it may help to start with where our name came from and what it represents. Youth, for us, represents a mindset, rather than a specific age. We seek to provide a safe environment where everyone is included. We are an international community of activists, academics, and artists working together in order to break stereotypes, connect people, but also contribute to supporting refugees and contribute to the city we are living in.

We started in 2018, and until today we have done a lot of work with the municipality of Athens, with different communities, associations and groups. We proudly spread our cultures by music, dance and different arts. We then started advocating for our right to be called active citizens. For us, the term refugee is related to a lot of miseries and stereotypes. We believe that words have an effect, so we started advocating for everyone to call us active citizens as a social statement, not as a political statement.

SOFIA: So often, the kids you and I work with have been victims of a cycle of violence. They escaped war and then they faced a very violent journey to a new place. Then when they arrive in Europe, which they thought would be the “Promised Land,” they face even more violence and oppression. We must break this cycle of violence and start offering real support.

Wael, at the Syrian and Greek Youth Forum, you talk about providing dignified support to refugees. Can you explain what that means?

WAEL: From my own experience, dignified support requires a deep understanding of the people you’re trying to help. Dignified support means keeping everyone’s unique background and cultures at the forefront of decision making.  As leaders, we need to think beyond covering the basic needs of people. We need to do more than provide food and clothes, which is always needed, but we need to think beyond that. In my experience, the best solutions to crises come from the people who are facing the crisis themselves.

SOFIA: I agree. This has been a wonderful conversation. And it’s making me think about how important it is to surround yourself with other people doing similar work. It keeps you motivated and inspired.

That’s why I think the Obama Leaders: Europe program has been such a great experience for me. I’m so grateful that I’ve met people like you, Wael, and other leaders from all over Europe doing important work. I think for me, the program came at a really vital point  in my life. It’s so important to be able to be surrounded by a community of supporters where we can share inspiration, our worries, and also brainstorm new ideas on how to best serve our communities. What do you think?

WAEL: Absolutely, as you mentioned Sofia, it’s been such a great opportunity to be part of the Obama Leaders: Europe program. Being connected to other like-minded people gives me motivation to continue this work. It’s been amazing to meet other leaders, like you Sofia! We were both working on these areas of need in Greece and we didn’t know each other before. Now through the program, we became close and are working on some exciting projects together.

Stories of the Resistance: Jose Vega, Oklahomans for Equality

Published in the Tulsa Voice Magazine and digitally via Issuu, November 2017

In its 12 years of existence, the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center in downtown Tulsa was never the target of serious vandalism—until 45 days into the Trump presidency. Police located 13 pellet bullets that punctured the Center’s front door and windows on March 6, damaging the bulletproof glass and alarming employees and volunteers.

The Center houses the LGBT advocate organization Oklahomans for Equality (OKEQ), as well as Dream Act Oklahoma and Mosaic, Tulsa Regional Chamber’s diversity business council.

“The safe zones that have been created in our country are being eliminated one by one,” said OKEQ Program Director Jose Vega. “I believe my work is to rebuild them with more concrete reinforcement and pull in even bigger allies than before. The shooting wasn’t even considered a hate crime, because the state doesn’t have a law that addresses hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. That has to change.”

Since the election, Jose says the number of suicide calls to OKEQ has tripled.

“After every presidential announcement or executive order, we keep getting calls saying ‘I feel bad and I don’t wanna live,” Vega shared. “So, we knew we had to be proactive. We recently provided a series of free suicide prevention trainings.”

The key to fighting the resistance in Vega’s mind? Allies.

“We need to break down boundaries,” Vega explained. “I identify as a Latino cisgender gay man, so while I connect and fight for Latino and immigrant rights, I’m also a huge supporter for all other movements, like Black Lives Matter. As an ally, you may have a different connection than they do. Be willing to give them those connections and let them be the face of the movement. That reinforces, ‘we’re all going to be behind you, helping you.’

But there’s hope. Vega see signs of unity coming out of the resistance.

“After every disaster, mishap, or whatever you want to call it, we are seeing unity,” Vega said. “All these very different communities are coming together, little by little. People want to be part of something, and since the election our number of volunteers has tripled.”

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice: Tulsa sweet shops bring their a-games this fall

Published in the Tulsa Voice Magazine and digitally via Issuu, October 2017

As the weather slowly cools, menus change, and pumpkins are ripe for the picking, the fall season entreats us: Treat yourselves. From the IDL to the edge of South Tulsa, here’s a collection of sweets in rich flavors that capture the season: fig, maple, apple, caramel, pecan, and of course—pumpkin.

Brown Sugar, Pecan Pop Tart | Antoinette Baking Co.

Inside Antoinette’s glass display case was a delectable assortment of pastries, but what caught my eye was the brown sugar pecan pop tart. “A fan favorite,” I was told by the employees behind the register. Rarely do you find a pastry that tastes as good as it looks, and this looked good—its decadent white drizzle and golden flaked sprinkles practically screaming to be Instagrammed. The taste lived up to its visual appearance. The softness of the pastry’s inner lay enhanced the crunchiness of the pecans. This isn’t your 10-year-old’s Pop Tart.

Caramel Apple Popcorn | Premier Popcorn

This offbeat treat would make a great gift or conversation starter. The flavor is definitely for lovers of the super-sweet. The visual appearance is nothing but fun—combining golden buttery caramel popcorn with the bright green apple flavor. Let your eyes and taste buds live a little. The shop also boasts over 36 flavors, from jalapeno cheddar to salt and vinegar.

Pumpkin Empanada | Pancho Anaya Bakery

I think Pancho Anaya has a cult following and I want in. The traditional Mexican bakery’s primary location in the Kendall-Whittier District has stacks of trays and tongs that patrons use to grab what they want of off dozens of display shelves. The bakery is a veritable smorgasbord. In search of a fall-themed pastry, I found the pumpkin empanadas—and made the mistake of judging by its no-frills outward appearance. Its natural, fresh, not overwhelming sweet flavor surprised me. Bonus: I was less than a dollar for a huge portion. Pancho Anaya doesn’t need to try hard: their multigenerational history means they know how to make pastries their customers love.

Cranberry Pumpkin Loaf | Farrell Family Bread

One of the reviews on Farrell Family Bread’s Facebook page said it best: “It is so good, I’ll eat carbs.” This 17-year-old bread company, tucked away in a South Tulsa shopping center, uses all natural ingredients and steers clear of any artificial preservatives. When you walk into the small shop, the smell of bread is near hypnotic. I tried their fall loaf—pumpkin bread with bits of cranberries. In the store, I ate it plain and right off the slicer. At home, I toasted it and added cream cheese. Both times I felt like I’d fallen in love.

Sandlot Sundays: Baseball Club Brings Texas Vision to Tulsa

Published in the Tulsa Voice Magazine and digitally via Issuu, October 2017

Driven by nostalgia, like-minded friends, and cold beer in the dugout, the Tulsa Sandlot Society has grown in reputation and size since its start this summer. 

At the heart of the Tulsa Sandlot Society are two brothers, Drew and Rhett McNeil. Drew, a local attorney, and Rhett, a Tulsa Artist Fellow, dreamed of creating something they couldn’t previously find in Tulsa: an inclusive social centered around baseball.

The idea of bringing a contemporary, loosely-structure sandlot league to Tulsa was inspired by the Texas Playboys Baseball Club. Founded in 2006, the Playboys play ball in their own five-acre facility in Austin, leading what they call “the Sandlot revolution.”

For everyone who plays, there is definitely a built-in nostalgia—a connection with our families, growing up and our childhoods,” Drew said. “Baseball is a sport that’s difficult to just play a pickup game. You need to have all the equipment; you need a field to play on and you need to have at least 18 people.”

That’s what pushed the McNeil brothers to pull together a group of friends and start two interchangeable teams, the Saturns and the Tramps.

The teams play each other wherever there’s an empty field. With youth baseball leagues occupying highly prized fields like LaFortune Park, they typically find themselves at Chandler Park. There’s only one rule for the Tulsa Sandlot Society: Don’t be a d***. 

“Everyone is welcome to play, unless you’re the type of person that makes other people feel unwelcome,” Drew said. “There’s not a void for competitive leagues in Tulsa. IF you want to be competitive with a bunch of agro 25-to 30-year-olds, you can find that. Our thing was to have these kind of cool chill baseball events that involve the game in a fun party atmosphere.”

Bobby Carter is a third founding father and also serves as the group’s manager. Before game time, he’s assigning positions, drafting lineup cards, and chewing sunflower seeds. Once the game starts, he’s either on the pitcher’s mound or holding down shortstop.

“I’ve met a lot of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise and I have become good friends with them,” Bobby said. “That’s kind of been my favorite part. I think we have all grown in this positive environment, so if you’re going to be that guy yelling at another teammate because they dropped a ball, then you gotta go.”

That’s another alluring thing about the society: there’s no hierarchal structure. Once a player makes it to a Sunday sandlot session, their name is added to the roster. Weekly participation isn’t required, but is always encouraged.

“We all had connections to one another before baseball to some degree,” Drew said. “But the Tulsa Sandlot Society kind of solidifies that connection for us and finds this common ground where we can all get excited about something great.”

Tulsa Sandlot Society receives support from Clean Hands, The Saturn Room, and Coop Ale Works. Clean Hands co-founder Justin Baney is providing the group’s badge design and jerseys, which are set to debut in the coming weeks. He also plays centerfield. After towing multiple cases of cold beer to the dugout each week, Coop Ale Works sales rep Jeff Dickason takes the diamond. The Oklahoma City-based brewery has also donated money to the league After the scrimmage, the group typically fills The Saturn Room’s tiki patio with laugher and camaraderie. They even named one of their teams after the bar.

“To have something that is truly inclusive, regardless of age, marital status, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity, has been a beautiful thing,” Rhett said. “We get along grand and it’s a great party every Sunday. Yes, we play baseball together, but it’s also a method of organizing socially that previously didn’t exist for us.”

The Saturns and the Tramps will head to Austin later this month to compete in the Sandlot World Series. The invitation came from none other than The Texas Playboys.

On Senior Citizens Day, Meet Some of Chicago’s Elders Making a Difference

Published on Obama.org, August 2021

Throughout history, younger generations have picked up the baton of change from their original community changemakers to build a brighter future. This Senior Citizens Day, get to know seven Chicagoans who have spent decades creating sustainable change in their respective communities, and read what advice and wisdom they have for the next wave of leaders who will carry forward their work.

Timuel Black, 101 - Bronzeville

As a longtime Chicago historian and civil rights activist, Timuel Black has spent his life championing for equal rights and has participated in some of the world’s most pivotal moments. Black worked with Dr. King when he visited Chicago, and he helped organize a group of Chicagoans that traveled to Washington, D.C., for the historic March on Washington. Black continues to educate the younger generation on how far the city of Chicago has come, and what work remains.

Father Michael Pfleger, 70 – Auburn Gresham

As an activist and Senior Pastor at St. Sabina Church, Father Michael Pfleger is known for his passionate stance against injustice and gun violence. Two years ago, Father Pleger led a march that shut down the Dan Ryan Expressway to bring awareness to the cause. As a staple figure in the South Side, Father Pleger is helping fill the gaps caused by inadequate services across Chicago, often implementing innovative solutions to the city’s unique challenges. Since the pandemic, Father Pleger and his congregation have been handing out free food for families in need.

Carol G. Johnson, 64 – Austin

Carol G. Johnson—better known as Mrs. J—is a life-long activist and organizer on Chicago’s West Side. Mrs. J has been deeply involved in her local park advisory council and recently helped coordinate their annual Juneteenth event. She serves on three different boards in the West Side: Garfield Park’s Advisory Council, Austin Community Action Council, and she organizes a youth group in North Lawndale. On any given day, you may find Johnson handing out food or hygiene products or cleaning up Garfield Park.

Johnson’s advice for the next generation of leaders:
“The key to any organization is building relationships. That’s Organizing 101. You cannot measure this with data, you need to have patience. When you come into this kinda of position, you must be committed to relationship building and the process. If you stick to it, you can build good relationships. Don’t get frustrated. You are going to get negative relationships as well. Those relationships are going to benefit you later down the line.”

Diane Latiker, 63 – Roseland

Diane Latiker has spent her life investing in the next generation. As a 30-year resident of Roseland, her community work is fueled by the desire to see at-risk youth reach their full potential. In 2003, Latiker opened her home to offer a safe space for youth to have a positive alternative to the other influences in their community. Ms. Latiker’s work culminated in the creation of the now award-winning organization Kids Off The Block. Since COVID-19, the Roseland leader has provided PPE and food to people in need, distributing thousands of bottles of hand sanitizer, face masks, and bottled water.

Latiker’s advice for the next generation of leaders:
“We all can serve. Everyone can make a difference with what they have and wherever they are.”

Cynthia Williams, 64 – Austin

Cynthia Williams is the Founder and President of Austin Peoples Action Center (APAC), a multi-social service agency that launched in 1980 on Chicago’s West Side. Through APAC, Ms. Williams helps deliver essential services such as medical care, education, and supportive housing to people who need it. In response to the recent uptick in violence, she has raised funds for families to relocate after losing children to gun violence.

William’s advice for the next generation of leaders:
“Keep your passion, pump your breaks, listen to others, align yourself with people who can help you.”

Mary Scott Boria, 69 – Humboldt Park

Having worked as a professional social worker for over 30 years at a variety of nonprofit organizations, Mary Scott Boria has spent decades improving the lives of women, youth, and other community members in Chicago. In the past, Ms. Boria has served as the founding executive director of the Chicago Sexual Assault Services network, director of Youth Services Project, and founding executive member of the Cook County Democratic Women. Ms. Boria also spends time making blankets for family members who have been recent victims of gun violence, and in response to the current pandemic, she has distributed supplies for essential workers and first responders.

Boria’s advice for the next generation of leaders:
“When you are ‘woke,’ so to speak, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking you know everything. I would tell my young community leaders to see the gathering of the knowledge of others to be a privilege and a gift that keeps on giving. Be hungry to know, so you can act fully armed with information.”

Ladelle Johnson, 68 – Washington Park

As the Vice President of Paving The Way, a local gun violence prevention organization, Ladelle Johnson invests her time and energy into building safer, more equitable communities. In July, she helped organize The Cool Down in Washington Park, where children participated in fun water activities from the safety of their homes. When she’s not organizing youth programs, Ms. Johnson is working alongside food pantries to feed thousands of Chicagoans. Every Thursday and fourth Sunday of the month, you can find her at Saint Elizabeth’s Church handing out prepackaged foods.

Johnson’s advice for the next generation of leaders:
“Get involved as much as you can in your community and get to know the people who live there. They have the knowledge:, what it is, where it’s been, and where it’s going. If you want to be an activist and be out here, then you have to network.”