Message From Our Founder

My Why

People often ask me why I do this work—why community, why wellness, why youth, families, seniors, and returning citizens. The truth is, Community Grapevines wasn’t created from a business plan. It was born from lived experience, resilience, and the understanding of what it feels like to navigate life without consistent support.

I know what it’s like to be strong because you don’t have a choice. I know what it feels like to carry responsibility early, to navigate systems that weren’t designed with you in mind, and to keep going even when life doesn’t pause for your pain. I’ve experienced moments where everything around me kept moving—bills, expectations, responsibilities—while I was forced to slow down, heal, and figure out how to rebuild.

What stayed with me most wasn’t just the hardship—it was how isolating it felt. How easy it is to fall through the cracks when you’re overwhelmed, unsure, or simply in need of someone to listen.

That’s my why.

I believe support should feel human, not transactional. I believe people deserve access to resources without judgment, shame, or hoops that make them feel undeserving. I believe community-based spaces matter because healing doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in rooms where people feel safe enough to be honest.

Through Community Grapevines, Inc., my goal is to create the kind of support system I wish existed during some of my hardest moments. A place where people can walk in unsure of what they need and walk out feeling seen, informed, and supported. A place where youth are encouraged, seniors are valued, families are strengthened, and returning citizens are met with dignity and opportunity—not labels.

Community Grapevines is rooted in the belief that prevention matters just as much as intervention. That wellness includes emotional intelligence, mental health, physical care, and joy. That listening is just as important as offering solutions. And that small, consistent moments of support can change the trajectory of someone’s life.

This work isn’t about saving anyone—it’s about walking alongside people as they build stability and reclaim their sense of agency. It’s about creating space for growth, reflection, and connection. It’s about reminding people that asking for help is not a weakness, and that community is a strength.

My why is personal, but the mission is collective. Every program we offer, every intake we complete, every conversation we hold is guided by the same principle: people deserve to be supported in ways that honor their humanity.

Community Grapevines exists because I believe that when we nurture people at every stage of life, we don’t just change individual outcomes—we strengthen entire communities.

And that is work worth doing.

If you or someone you know is seeking support, resources, or connection, Community Grapevines welcomes you. You don’t have to have everything figured out to take the first step.

Peace and Blessings..

Lala