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The UPLift with Tzedek: Real Talk for Real Change
Welcome to The UPlift - Real Talk for Real Change! We're here to build authentic community relationships and help fuel social transformation in Asheville, NC, believing collective liberation is not only possible but probable as we share, listen, and learn together.
The Tzedek Social Justice Fund is a social justice philanthropy fund that redistributes money, resources, and power to support systems change and community healing in Asheville, North Carolina. Through adaptive, trust-based philanthropy, we resist oppressive systems and work to transform our collective home into a place where everyone flourishes. We fund mission-aligned work centering LGBTQ Justice, Racial Justice, and/or Dismantling Antisemitism; this means we give money to organizations and individuals invested in creating a more fair, equitable, and flourishing society.
We dream of a thriving Asheville where everyone's needs are abundantly met - where everyone is safe, respected, and celebrated. We believe that a community rooted in joy and love is possible - that is, if we can connect and build our shared vision on the value that liberation is for all.
Sound good to you? We hope so!
Let's be real. Let's go deep. Let's get liberated.
The UPLift with Tzedek: Real Talk for Real Change
The BeLoved Community: Love in Action
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.
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