As the holidays approach, many of us feel the excitement of family gatherings, the joy of giving, and the peace of rest. Yet for some in the Triangle area community, particularly those who are undocumented, unhoused, or facing food insecurity, the season may be bringing deep stress, uncertainty, and loneliness. This year, let’s expand what “giving back” means. Let’s lean into compassion, solidarity, and justice. Even small actions can help make our community safer, more welcoming, and more resilient.

Below is a guide to meaningful ways to support your neighbors during the holidays, especially those who might otherwise be vulnerable to ICE detention, homelessness, or lack of reliable food.

Supporting Immigrant and Undocumented Neighbors
a) Align with Local Advocacy Groups

• Siembra NC/Somos Siembra: Siembra NC is a grassroots organization in the Triangle (and across North Carolina) that organizes around immigrant rights, worker justice, and protections from ICE. 
  • You can volunteer with them. For example, participating in their “ICE Watch” program, which helps train community members to act as verifiers and support their neighbors.
  • Donate: They have a solidarity fund to support families impacted by ICE detention.
  • Organize with them: You can help canvass, host know-your-rights trainings, or support their leadership-building.
    

b) Contribute to Emergency Legal Funds

• NC Immigrant Solidarity Fund (ISF): Through CWS Durham, this fund provides cash grants to immigrants (regardless of status) to help with rent, utilities, and emergencies, especially when other safety nets are unavailable.
• Volunteer for legal accompaniment: CWS Durham provides immigration legal services and relies on community support and volunteers to help families navigate complex systems.

c) Promote Community Safety & Awareness

• Work with local groups to advocate for “safe zones” or places where community members check in on rights, especially around ICE operations.
• Share accurate, multilingual resources about what people can do if stopped by ICE or what legal rights they have. Siembra offers hotlines, trainings, and education.
• Purchase whistles to give to friends and neighbors to help notify anyone nearby of ICE activity.
• Important community safety information for North Carolina:
  If you see ICE activity, or you or someone you know needs support, contact:
  
  📞 El Pueblo NC: 919-835-1525
  📞 NC Justice Center – Immigrant Rights Project: 919-856-2570
  📎 FaithAction ID Network
  📎 American Immigration Lawyers Association–NC Local Agency Contacts
  
  Report ICE activity immediately to:
  🚨 United We Dream Hotline: 1-844-363-1423
  🚨 ICE Watch NC (local reporting network)
  

Helping Those Without Stable Housing
a) Support Local Homelessness Nonprofits

• CASA (Community Alternatives for Supportive Abodes): CASA provides affordable housing and supportive services for individuals and families in the Triangle.
  • Donate: Consider giving monthly (CASA Champions) for long-term impact.
  • Give in-kind: CASA accepts “Welcome Home” baskets (with toiletries, cleaning supplies, towels) and birthday kits for its residents.
  • Host a fundraiser: CASA supports peer-to-peer giving for birthdays, community events and small-scale fundraisers.
• Healing Transitions: This organization serves people experiencing homelessness who also have substance use or recovery needs.
  • Volunteer: Their “village” model involves volunteers in many roles such as mentoring, meal service, employment programming.
  • Donate: Clothing (especially warm items), hygiene kits, and personal items are always in demand. As some volunteers and community members have noted, they accept drop-offs for men’s and women’s campuses.
  • Raise awareness: Tell others about Healing Transitions’ work; share its mission and the need for support during the holidays.
  • Women's Shelter

b) Share Your Time and Talents

• Use Activate Good, a local volunteer-matching platform, to find homelessness-related service opportunities.
• Engage with Volunteer Raleigh, which connects volunteers to city-funded agencies and nonprofits that support housing and crisis services.
• Offer skilled labor for home repairs: Rebuilding Together of the Triangle helps low-income homeowners (often elderly or vulnerable) maintain safe, healthy homes.

Addressing Food Insecurity in the Triangle
a) Volunteer with Hunger-Relief Organizations

• Inter-Faith Food Shuttle: One of the most effective local anti-hunger groups, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle operate mobile markets, community pantries, and programs like BackPack Buddies (meals for children).
  • Host a food or fund drive: Set up a virtual or physical drive. The Food Shuttle facilitates donation pages and pick-ups.
  • Volunteer: At their warehouse, mobile market, or community pantry sites.
• Catholic Charities–Durham Community Food Pantry: In partnership with the Food Shuttle, they distribute food weekly and via mobile markets.
  • Contribute: Donate nonperishables, produce, or funds.
  • Volunteer: Help bag, pack, or distribute food on the pantry schedule.

b) Support “Pay-What-You-Can” Community Meals

• A Place at the Table (Raleigh): A community café where people pay what they can, volunteer for meals, or purchase "meal tokens" to give others.
  • Volunteer for shifts (morning or early afternoon) or purchase tokens to give to someone in need.
  • Encourage local groups (friends, church, workplaces) to host holiday meal times there or fundraise for meal tokens.

c) Adopt a Family

• To adopt a family for the holidays in NC, you can contact local organizations like HopeMatch, The Salvation Army, or A Doorway to Hope to get matched with a family. These programs typically connect you with a family profile and a list of needs, such as specific gifts, clothing, or grocery gift cards, for you to fulfill before a set deadline. You may also choose to sponsor a local family you know by buying them groceries, sharing a meal or purchasing Christmas gifts for the children. 

d) Raise Awareness About Food Access

• Share resource guides like the Food Shuttle’s “Find Food” map so neighbors know where to go.
• During the holidays, remind family and friends that food insecurity increases, encourage them to give to local pantries like Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, Urban Ministries, Food Shuttle, North Raleigh Ministries and the Raleigh and Durham Rescue Mission as well as national campaigns like Find a Grocery Buddy.

 Building Long-Term Solidarity: Beyond the Holidays 

• Advocate for policy change: Support local efforts to protect immigrant rights, housing equity, and anti-hunger policies. Civic engagement (writing to your city council, attending meetings) can plant seeds for systemic change.
• Foster community relationships: Build friendships across lines of difference. Invite neighbors (including those who may feel marginalized) into your holiday gatherings or volunteer activities.
• Educate and mobilize: Host a “Know Your Rights” workshop, partner with groups like Siembra NC, or facilitate a donation drive in your workplace or neighborhood.
• Sustain your involvement: Consider making your holiday giving the beginning of a year-round commitment monthly through volunteer hours, recurring donations, or serving on a nonprofit board.

This holiday season, giving back doesn’t have to look like expensive gifts or grand gestures. Sometimes the most profound impact comes from being present, offering time, empathy, and solidarity to neighbors who face real risk, instability, or hunger. Whether you help accompany someone to a court hearing, donate meals, or volunteer to sort food boxes, your actions reverberate: they affirm dignity, build trust, and strengthen our shared community.

Let us remember: the holidays are not just about receiving. they’re an invitation to serve. Let’s lean in and come together. Your time, support and compassion can be a gift that changes lives.

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (also known as Postpartum Cardiomyopathy) is an uncommon form of heart failure that happens during the last month of pregnancy or up to several months after giving birth.

Heart disease is a leading cause of death for women and kills approximately 1 in 5 women each year. However, black women are at greater risk for various reasons.

This week's guest blog comes from Charity Watkins, Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at North Carolina Central University, Outpatient Clinical Therapist and the Chair of Equity Before Birth's Board of Directors. A six year PPCM survivor, Mrs. Watkins shares her triumphant story to healing and advocacy.

1. Tell me about yourself.

My name is Charity Watkins and I'm a Black woman serving in numerous roles including as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at North Carolina Central University, an Outpatient Clinical Therapist, Durham resident, partner to hopefully the next U.S. Representative for NC's 4th district, and most importantly, the mom of a beautiful, inquisitive, spirited 6-year-old little girl. Through all of this, I am also a heart survivor following my heart failure diagnosis almost 6 years ago.

2. Please share your PPCM story.

Overall, I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy healthwise other than being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was able to manage that with a change in my diet. However, what was harder to manage were the social and interpersonal challenges I was facing throughout my pregnancy. I was a doctoral student at UNC Chapel Hill who chose to use her time as a student to not only pursue her degree, but also to pursue and promote racial equity on my campus and within my program through student activism. I was quite active in that area, participating in student protests, organizing community dialogues, coordinating efforts with various campus offices, and presenting demands for action to administration; all while dealing with the internalized self-doubt that comes from being a Black first-generation PhD student in a historically white space. And let's not talk about the normal stressors that come along with pursuing the highest degree in my field.

During my last trimester, I dealt with failing my comprehensive exam and then taking my mother-in-law to the hospital for cancer treatment for the last time before she was transitioned to hospice care. My mother-in-law, who I was very close with, died just a week before my due date--the day her first grandchild was supposed to be born. While grieving my mother-in-law, emotionally dealing with my exam failure, and then preparing to enter this new world of motherhood, my daughter decided to delay her debut for 10 days. What was planned as a natural delivery turned into the testing of almost every single delivery intervention, ultimately with my daughter being delivered via an unplanned cesarean section. I was overjoyed she was here but worried about recovery as I experienced severe bleeding in the hospital that required the manual removal of blood clots while I laid in my hospital bed with my sister-in-law holding my infant daughter and my husband holding my hand. I returned home with my baby almost a week after being initially admitted. Two days later, I was attending the memorial service of my mother-in-law--just five days after giving birth.

The first couple months of parenthood were of course tough as sleep became replaced with cluster feedings, cries, swaddling, and diaper changes. I was also still healing from my c-section. Overall, I was tired and stressed. I began to feel down, exhausted, and overall just not good. I told my OB about how I was feeling during my 6-week check-up and was told that much of what I was experiencing was normal but it also could be symptoms of the flu. With the feelings not getting better, I was then referred for counseling to address postpartum depression. I met with a nurse practitioner several times with my baby in tow but I wasn't feeling any better. My symptoms were actually getting worse as I struggled to walk up even a few steps without taking a break, had strong bouts of nausea, lost my appetite, and dealt with a stubborn cough that never would go away. Then, one night while sitting on my bed pumping, I felt an intense pain in my left arm and shoulder. I thought it was just a cramp as the pain went away about 10 minutes later. Three days later on a Saturday night, it happened again and was more intense and lasted longer. I asked my husband to take me to the ER where we went through triage and then we were directed to the waiting room. We sat in the waiting room for 5 1/2 hours before deciding to leave so I could get home to my infant daughter to feed her. My pain had subsided so I thought I was okay for the time being.

On that Monday, I called Campus Health to schedule an appointment and was seen the same day. They did a physical exam and x-rays, which revealed that my heart was enlarged. The doctor then had me rolled down to the same ER I waited in a couple days before to be further examined. After waiting another few hours, I was admitted into the cardiac intensive care unit. This is where I was told that I was suffering from heart failure. My heart was only functioning at around 5% and if just a little more time had passed before receiving treatment, I could have died. While receiving medication treatments in the hospital, I lost over 20lbs in fluid, coded after having a reaction to a heart medication, and had to have my IV administered through my neck to avoid permanent damage to my arm. I also lost precious time with my newborn baby and was no longer able to breastfeed because of my medications. I missed those sleepless nights, those cluster feedings, cries, swaddles, and diaper changes. After two weeks, I was finally discharged and on the road to recovery.

Since my diagnosis, I have completed cardiac rehab, in which I was the youngest, at least half the age of other participants. I made immediate changes to my diet to reduce my sodium intake. I'm now taking medications that I will likely be on for the rest of my life. But, I'm here.

3. What were the hardest parts of your health care journey, both personally and professionally?

The hardest parts of my healthcare journey was not getting the answers that I needed right away, which I learned later on could have resulted in me losing my life. I wasn't told that cardiovascular disease was something that could arise from pregnancy, especially among women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was showing classic signs of heart failure but wasn't diagnosed with it until it was almost too late. Personally, this was devastating especially thinking about the fact that my husband could have lost me just four months after losing his mother. My daughter could have been forced to grow up without me despite me seeking medical care for my symptoms early on. Professionally, as a researcher, I would see literature that focused on individual-level mediators of health, where blame for illness was often placed on individuals' behaviors, especially individuals who looked like me. But here I was doing everything right, communicating with my healthcare providers, being clear about the symptoms I was experiencing, using my educational background and PhD student status to advocate for myself, yet, I was so close to facing the same fate faced by Black women without the same privileges as me.

4. What did you learn about yourself an­d your support system while recovering and getting healthy again?

During my treatment and recovery, I learned that I am stronger than I realized. I was able to overcome what felt like insurmountable challenges to become a nurturing mom, a dedicated partner, a competent professor, and a resilient PhD candidate. I learned that my network of support was wider than I realized as well wishes, donations, meal trains, and help with household chores came from friends, family, colleagues, and faculty members. Literally, professors who were grading my papers a year before were now helping me to do laundry. I was grateful for everyone who cared enough about me to want to help me get better.

5. What do you want others to know about PPCM?

The most important points about PPCM that I want people to know are the symptoms and risks. Heart failure is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality yet birthing persons aren't provided with information about the signs, symptoms, and warning signs to look for during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum. I want folks to know that not being able to go up five steps without taking a break is not normal after childbirth. Not being able to lay flat on a pillow is not normal after childbirth. Having extreme swelling in your body is not normal after childbirth. Pains in your chest are not normal after childbirth. And don't let anyone tell you that they are.

6. Where do you see yourself in 5 ­years?

In five years, I see myself continuing to thrive as a heart survivor. I see myself doing meaningful work to help other Black individuals who have faced the threat of death while giving life. I see myself conducting research with Black birthing persons to inform the development of pregnancy screening tools for PPCM to be administered during prenatal visits and developing peer support networks for Black birthing persons to address the trauma that comes along with having such serious life-threatening medical events during pregnancy, delivery, or after childbirth. I want to address the mental health needs of others like me.

7. What advice do you have for anyone who may not trust health care providers and don't receive regular check ups?

The advice I would provide to someone who may not trust health care providers and who don't receive regular check-ups is to not sacrifice your access to life-saving medical treatment because of your distrust of healthcare providers. Trust is something that must be earned but we also must demand it; not avoid it. The most effective way to change systems is to learn how they function and advocate for equity, but we must engage with these systems in some capacity to get a sense of what actually needs to change and how it can change for the better.

8. Who do you look up to or admire in the womb health and wellness community?

I look up to folx like Joy Spencer, Executive Director of Equity Before Birth, who is directly connecting with families to address the harms caused by socioeconomic equities. I admire her dedication and commitment to relying on the experiences and stories of Black birthing persons to guide her work and the mission of EBB. I am grateful to work alongside her as a member of the Board of Directors. I learn so much from her and the EBB team and look forward to supporting their work any way that I can.

9. What do you hope Black Maternal Health and health equity looks like in the future?

In the future, I hope Black Maternal Health looks like the Black women and babies being viewed as worthy of care, concern, and equal treatment. I want Black mothers to be able to focus on the gift of becoming mothers without having to worry about racial bias, discrimination, and experiencing race-based violence in the form of denial of equitable medical treatment. I hope health equity comes in the form of outcomes for Black birthing persons but also in the form of outcomes in healthcare provider racial representation, equitable healthcare policies and practices, equitable access to healthcare before and after childbirth, and effective structures of accountability for when systems do not model what is written in their missions and diversity statements.

10. Tell me about your work and role with Equity Before Birth.

I learned about Equity Before Birth a year ago after seeing Joy's amazing work in the community. When the opportunity became available for me to get involved with the organization, I jumped at it. I now serve as the Board of Directors Chair to ensure EBB realizes its mission and saves lives of Black birthing persons and infants.

To learn more about PPCM, visit www.letstalkppcm.org.

Losing a loved one is difficult for anyone.

Losing a child is completely different. It is a very different grief from what I am I told. No words or clear cut amount of time can heal the heart or soul of a parent after such a loss.

It is often said that time heals all wounds. I don't think I've ever truly believed that. The part about death and loss that cuts the deepest is when it comes unexpectedly. I won't pretend to know the kind of pain that comes with loosing a child, but a recent experience cut deep.

Just a few weeks ago, I experienced my first loss as a doula. And let me tell you, it hit me like a ton of bricks. And while I am a trained bereavement doula, I was not prepared for how I would support my clients when I myself needed support as well.

I wasn't prepared for the text message my client sent me telling me about her loss. A loss that had occured nearly a week before.

I wasn't prepared for how the news would affect my work with my other clients.

I wasn't prepared for how hard that first call would be.

I wasn't prepared for the bouts of sobbing that would come in the days that followed.

There came a point when I realized that their grief was indeed my grief.

My heart was sore and my soul was heavy. They were new clients. Parents of two young children already, excited about third. We were preparing the family for some developmental challenges, but even so, they felt blessed to have another child on the way.

And then this.

Support would be different moving forward, but I'm thankful I had the tools and training to help them navigate the beginning of their healing journey. The same resources that I passed along to my clients brought me understanding and comfort. I had my faith to lean on (Proverbs 3: 5-6). Doula friends uplifted me and gave words of encouragement when I didn't when I didn't have the capacity to understand why this happened. I truly appreciated that. I've learned that wisdom comes with every experience, even in the misdt of tragedy. As complex as this particular grief is, we find value in vulnerabilty and extend a lifetime of grace to the families who endure this pain daily. There is no love like the love a parent has for their child and we honor the depth of that love today & every day.

To any parent that has loss a child, my heart is with you. Always.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awarenss Month. The 15th of this month is designated as PAIL Rememberance Day. If you or a loved one has experienced the loss of a child, please consider honoring them by submitting their name for Stillbirthday's annual Heart Release or in some other way if you wish.

Did you know that September is:

• Sexual Health Month
• PCOS Awareness Month
• Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month
• Chronic Pain Awareness Month
• National Self Care Awareness Month

​Now that Fall is officially here, I wanted to revisit last year's "Self & Soul Care Season" and highlight some information related to the issues mentioned above. It is well known that the daily practice of self care keeps you in tune with your body. It becomes even more beneficial when something happens to the body such as illness, trauma or stress because you can quickly identify the problem and begin to process, reset & heal. And if you're anything like me, the balancing act we call life can get more than a little stressful at any given time. This week's guest blogger is my new friend, Shannon Thomas, Founder & CEO of Undiwash. Shannon and I connected through Endo Black earlier this summer and to say we hit it off is an understatement! I am so excited to have Shannon share her entrepreneurial journey with my followers.

1. Give me a brief background on yourself and Unidwash.
My name is Shannon Thomas the owner of UndiWash, UndiWash is a plant based vegan laundry detergent. UndiWash kills the bacteria that causes vaginal infections. I have worked in an Ob/Gyn office for the past 7 years so I am no stranger to the struggles women have with recurrent infections

2. How and why did you start Undiwash?
I have had my fair share of vaginal infections and have encountered so many women that just wanted a solution, I started UndiWash because taking antibiotics on a monthly basis was not something I wanted to continue doing. I figured there had to be another way to either stop or reduce the amount of infections I was having.

3. What were the best & most challenging parts of starting your business, both personally and professionally?
The best part about starting UndiWash is the response I have received from my clean panty crew members, the fact that my product is actually helping people get a piece of their life back is amazing to me. The challenging part personally is not being able to reach more people, I know there is a need for this product but it has been a little challenging trying to get to the masses.

4. What did you learn about yourself an­d your support system during the product development process?
I learned that we as a people can do anything that we set our minds to. There was definitely a challenge to get the correct ingredients and consistency but I was determined to figure out a way to make this product. During the entire process my crew made sure I had all the tools I needed to make this a reality.

5. Where do you see your business in 5 ­years?
I see UndiWash as a household name, We will be known for our detergent as well as the education we provide to anyone that will listen. Most people have not been taught proper hygiene techniques especially when it comes to our delicates.

6. What advice do you have for anyone looking to start a bu­siness?
The advice that I have for anyone looking to start a business would be to pray to be able to handle all of the things that comes with having a business especially if that is not the personality you have. For example, I am not used to talking to people. It takes me a while to be comfortable enough to hold a conversation with a stranger. With my type of business I have to talk to people to explain my product, I have to pray to be able to be comfortable enough to get that part of my business done. If i didn't pray I know anxiety would take over because this is something I would be uncomfortable doing.

7. Who do you look up to or admire in the holistic health community?
The person I look up to would be Bea Dixon, she is open and honest about how she started her business and she gives great advice to help others in this realm.

8. Tell me about your most recent business wi­n.
UndiWash is officially a part of the Spice Girlin Tribe, Being a Spice Girl with The Spice Suite gives our crew a brick and mortar place where they can come to chat with me while purchasing the products they need.

To learn more about UndiWash follow us on Instagram @Undiwash or visit our website ww.undiwash.co

When I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2019, I was so relieved. Not only had I found a doctor who actually listened to me, but she had an answer for my debilitating pain. After years of confusion, dozens of doctors and several misdiagnosis, I felt like I could breathe again.

But last year proved to test me even more physically and mentally as well.

I thought the height of my pain was a few years ago when I became the caregiver for my mother who was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. What I didn't yet know was that I had endometriosis and my chronic pain was just one symptom of many that I was experiencing. For over a year, I ignored my pain, put my business on hold & got a nanny job so that I could properly care for my mother all while still homeschooling my son and continuing my education through trainings and doula courses.

While I have been able to somewhat manage my physical pain since being diagnosed, I was not at all prepared for how endometriosis and stress would affect my mental health.

If 2020 taught us nothing, it taught us to focus on health and whole body wellness, especially mental health. Many things changed for me professionally and navigating a business during a pandemic was more than challenging. And due to the nature of my work, I had to make huge operational changes that completely modified the way I worked and connected with my clients. To say I was stressed was an understatement. Thank God for my husband who proved to be my saving grace and comfort more often that not after a long day of Zoom consultations and birth support. During this time, my main source of stress relief was halted overnight: exercise. I am a Zumba instructor as well as a doula and when Covid-19 began to rapidly spread across my city, county and state, everything was shut down including my classes. Truth be told, I was already planning the next phase of my fitness journey, but I did not anticipate how long my classes would be on hold. It has been over a year since I taught my last Zumba class and yes, I miss my students and the dance floor terribly. But it didn't matter. My body was holding on to so many emotions, it was presenting itself as physical pain and suffering which left me no energy or desire to exercise anyway.

May 2020 proved to be one of the hardest months to endure due to the murder of George Floyd. Between the news and social media, I was in a constant cycle of being triggered and when I am emotionally triggered, my body responds well before my brain has a chance to even process what is happening. This is likely due to my childhood and the sexual abuse I experienced as a young girl. Believe it or not, this was a HUGE revelation for me. Why you ask? Making the connection between my pain and what I was consuming (news, gossip, negativity, lies, videos of unarmed black and brown people being murdered, political propaganda and yes, even food) helped me to make the necessary changes to slow and break the continuous cycle of triggers and pain so that I can permanently release all the built up negativity and projections that I am physically and mentally holding on to.

I have known for some time that I have a stronger intuition about certain things than most people. Attunement is a word often used in the birth world when describing the way doulas connect with our clients. My son has actually helped me to tap into my own empathic power. What I have learned on my healing journey is that I am also an empath. However, I have recently discovered that this spiritual gift has been blocked in one way or another since I was a kid. So the more I teach my son to lean into his own power, the more I learn about my own and that has given me a peace I haven't had in long time. It assures me that I am indeed headed in the right direction with my healing.

This year I am continuing to focus on my mental health and releasing any blockages that may be holding me back from fully realizing my purpose. I have started writing and journaling again. I have been meditating and practicing Reiki therapy. I am moving my body intentionally through yoga and nature walks. I am also exploring acupuncture and sound therapy. I am open to any and all things that will facilitate healing and mental wellness. The most important thing is that I am happy and whole so that I can properly care for myself, my family and my clients. You can read my complete endo story and learn more about endometriosis here.

As an Endo Black Ambassador, I am responsible for raising awareness about endometriosis and sharing my personal experiences while living with this disease. I have found so much comfort in the Endo Black community because we all have similar stories & experiences that we each can relate to on a deep level. Below are testimonies from some of my fellow "endo warriors" about how endometriosis has effected their mental health. If you did not know, endometriosis is a FULL BODY DISEASE and that includes the physical, mental and emotional. There is no cure so we share our stories in hope that research will give us the answers we want and need someday. Please consider making a donation to Endo Black, Inc. today.