Think a bunch of ordinary folks can't change the world? Well, BeLoved Asheville flips that script in five minutes flat. In this month's episode, we're spotlighting what happens when communities rise, organize, and mobilize as BeLoved co-directors Amy Cantrell and Ponkho Bermejo illuminate a path of hope and action that we all can tread.
About Amy: Rev. Amy Cantrell, honored as one of USA TODAY's 2024 Women of the Year, is the co-director of BeLoved Asheville, an impactful community-driven initiative she helped launch in 2009 to address homelessness, poverty, and racism. Amy's dedication to food access, racial equity, deeply affordable housing, and community organizing has earned BeLoved national acclaim. Under her leadership, BeLoved has initiated projects like the Homeless Voice Project, Rise Up Studio, and BeLoved Village, contributing significantly to progress in local housing rights and anti-racism efforts. BeLoved's diverse initiatives underscore Amy's commitment to creating a more equitable society.
About Ponkho: Social change innovator Ponkho Bermejo is the co-director of BeLoved Asheville. His commitment to fostering equity and access for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) is matched by his profound connection to the natural world, which he expresses through unique art and garden designs. A dynamic indigenous/Latinx community organizer, Ponkho excels in innovation and media, utilizing photography, art, and music to amplify cultural pride, ancestral respect, and youth education in cultural roots. His contributions have earned accolades from the Asheville Area Arts Council and Co-Thinnk. Passionate about advancing racial equity and social justice, Ponkho's work has garnered him recognition as the WNC Peacemaker of 2022.
Jump into these heartfelt narratives, as Amy and Ponkho not only dare you to dream, they ask you to roll up your sleeves alongside them. So if you’re ready for a journey through heartache to hope, don't wait; hit play!
We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.
Think a bunch of ordinary folks can't change the world? Well, BeLoved Asheville flips that script in five minutes flat. In this month's episode, we're spotlighting what happens when communities rise, organize, and mobilize as BeLoved co-directors Amy Cantrell and Ponkho Bermejo illuminate a path of hope and action that we all can tread.
About Amy: Rev. Amy Cantrell, honored as one of USA TODAY's 2024 Women of the Year, is the co-director of BeLoved Asheville, an impactful community-driven initiative she helped launch in 2009 to address homelessness, poverty, and racism. Amy's dedication to food access, racial equity, deeply affordable housing, and community organizing has earned BeLoved national acclaim. Under her leadership, BeLoved has initiated projects like the Homeless Voice Project, Rise Up Studio, and BeLoved Village, contributing significantly to progress in local housing rights and anti-racism efforts. BeLoved's diverse initiatives underscore Amy's commitment to creating a more equitable society.
About Ponkho: Social change innovator Ponkho Bermejo is the co-director of BeLoved Asheville. His commitment to fostering equity and access for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) is matched by his profound connection to the natural world, which he expresses through unique art and garden designs. A dynamic indigenous/Latinx community organizer, Ponkho excels in innovation and media, utilizing photography, art, and music to amplify cultural pride, ancestral respect, and youth education in cultural roots. His contributions have earned accolades from the Asheville Area Arts Council and Co-Thinnk. Passionate about advancing racial equity and social justice, Ponkho's work has garnered him recognition as the WNC Peacemaker of 2022.
Jump into these heartfelt narratives, as Amy and Ponkho not only dare you to dream, they ask you to roll up your sleeves alongside them. So if you’re ready for a journey through heartache to hope, don't wait; hit play!
We'll see you same time, same place next month. Until then, peace.