Soñadoras Uniendo Culturas

As part of our mission, KWC empowers and supports women to follow their dreams. El Grupo de Danza Folclórica Soñadoras Uniendo Culturas (Dreamers Uniting Cultures Folkloric Dancers) is a perfect example community partnerships to fill in the gaps of service. This group of women attend KWC’s Grupo De Apoyo Las Mujeres and during the pandemic, mentioned that senior residents in their blocks were isolated and in need. Assessing this community need, KWC partnered with the Alive and Thrive initiative that Wyandotte Behavioral Center was beginning to form. The women received Trauma Informed Care training provided by Brenda Mortell (KWC staff) and Dr. Chiquita Miller (KWC volunteer), trained volunteers by Alive & Thrive, ensuring that they provided appropriate care to the seniors in their neighborhoods and other areas. The group assisted senior residents with grocery shopping, medication pick-up, meal prep, house cleaning and organizing among many things.

When the grant was over, the women realized that they too were in need of mental health and without the interaction with others, they were becoming the women they volunteered to help. Aglee Gonzalez, who was a cultural expert by profession in Mexico, began to hold practices in her lawn for folkloric dances native to each state of Mexico that the women migrated from. Soon others in the neighborhood joined despite the language barrier and KWC once again partnered with Alive and Thrive to provide assistance to this group and seeing results in the women who were managing depression, grief from all the family and friends they were losing to COVID and overall acceptance into our WyCo community.

Soon they were performing at community events, fairs, schools, churches, libraries and even KWC’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. The group made their own costumes for each state of the republic of Mexico; honoring all their costumes and educating others while sharing through their dance. KWC continues to support the group with materials they can recycle into their attire and providing classes like Basic Embroidery where they can learn or perfect the skills needed to make their attire.