Special promotional content provided by Sustain Dane.
“The intentions you set in place today can help change the world tomorrow,” says Elena Terry, Live Forward Awardee and Founder/Executive Chef of the nonprofit Wild Bearies, which focuses on educating through indigenous food.
Local nonprofit Sustain Dane will be holding its 13th annual Sustain Dane Summit and Live Forward Awards (LFA) on November 18, 2021. The hybrid program will occur both at the Monona Terrace Convention Center and virtually. The Live Forward Awards celebration will feature a panel conversation with the four awardees.
Nominated and selected by community members, the 19 nominees and 4 awardees are a group of changemaking leaders who are promoting local sustainability and community well-being. Their work impacts holistic sustainability: environmental health, a just economy, and equity & social wellbeing.
All four awardees are people of color:
- Elena Terry, Founder/Executive Chef of Wild Bearies
- Tara Wilhelmi, Founder and Lead Peer Specialist Each One Teach One (EOTO)
- Oscar Mireles, Director of Omega School
- Kristie Goforth, Executive Director of Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison
See the full list of inspirational nominees.
Elena Terry, Founder/Executive Chef of Wild Bearies
Terry reconnects Native American communities with traditional farming techniques and ancestral foodways in the hopes of healing generations of injustices.
“Our work is slow work, driven by intent and mindfulness, care and kindness. From the seed savers, growers, foragers, hunters, producers, or chefs. We all have a role that we connect with in the food system because one thing is universal, we are all consumers [of food].” Terry notes.
She offers a mentorship program and promotes indigenous menu items with locally foraged ingredients at restaurants. Terry also collaborates with the Indigenous Seed Keepers Networks and Dream of Wild Health Farms to preserve the future cultivation of Ho-Chunk varieties of corn, beans, and squash.
Terry shares, “In a time when we really need nourishment and connection to our ancestors and make intentional movement for future generations. We have to think of the future, not just live in the moment. And we must remember the lessons of our ancestors in order to envision a better tomorrow.”
Tara Wilhemi, Founder and Lead Peer Specialist at EOTO
Wilhelmi established EOTO in 2017. She believes that people & communities are the “leading experts” in their own experiences. The founding principle, “each one, teach one” is based on an African American proverb that states “those who learn have a duty to teach others.”
“Our goal is to engage individuals who are most impacted by disparities in access to resources and opportunities in collaborative recovery work and healing together from generations of trauma and oppression,” Wilhelmi continues. “I believe that the people and communities most impacted by the issues we are seeking to address are essential to imagining and implementing the solutions – and should be compensated for their time, energy, and expertise as they engage in/with systems and organizations.”
EOTO provides education, opportunity, and resources to creative entrepreneurs and support to youth and young adults. The grassroots organization advocates for those who fall through the gaps of other services.
“We envision a community of peers who share lived experiences of challenge and triumph to empower and uplift Black individuals, families, and communities across Wisconsin.”
Oscar Mireles, Director of Omega School
Mireles has been director of Omega School for over 25 years. Omega School offers General Education Degrees and High School Equivalency degrees in a supportive atmosphere, and has cooperated with other institutions to award over 3,000 degrees. He is also a founding member of Adelante Madison, a group that trains and supports people of color seeking political office or administrative appointments.
“Madison has a lot of possibilities and opportunities for families to find success for their children. Sometimes the only obstacle is lack of awareness of these options. I try to serve by connecting people to these resources.“ Mireles observes.
He is known for mentoring artists, volunteering in literacy programs, and being the first Latino Poet Laureate of Madison.
Mireles reflects, “Madison has become my home. I have a responsibility to make it a better place to live for families who are struggling to find their way.”
Kristie Goforth, Executive Director of Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison Chapter
Free Bikes 4 Kidz (FB4K), is a nonprofit that refurbishes and redistributes donated bicycles to low income families and communities of color throughout Dane County.
Goforth approaches this work with enthusiasm, sharing, “Transportation is a basic need. Last year, one of our volunteers met a mother and son who were homeless and living out of their car. The mother worked and the son had nowhere to go while she was at work. I gave [a bicycle] to him later that day. After that, we learned that he’d gotten a job because now he had a way to get to work and contribute to their family income. These are the stories that drive me and my phenomenal team to do what we do year after year.”
The work FB4K does keeps thousands of pounds of waste out of landfills. 6,600 bikes have been reclaimed since their first bike giveaway in 2017.
“It is hard to call my role at Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison a job because it’s more like a gift having the opportunity to help so many people,” Goforth expressed.
Sustain Dane Summit
The Sustain Dane Summit is a day filled with education, inspiration, reflection, and connection. This year the theme is Weaving Stories of Change with sustainability scientist and author of Under the Sky we Make: How to be Human in a Warming World Kimberly Nicholas as keynote speaker. Raj Shukla, The Nature Conservancy’s Midwest Director of Freshwater Policy, will be interviewing Kimberly about her new book and every registration receives a complimentary book.
The Summit also features: a panel of local leaders moderated by Angela Russell, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CUNA Mutual Group, a recap of the sustainability projects completed by our community throughout 2021, networking opportunities, and more.
Learn about the program and Sustain Dane on their website.
