Rachel Johnson found healing through a holistic approach. Now, she wants her community to have access to the same services. By Sarah Merke Rachel Johnson’s inner circle expected her to go to college. Johnson, though, wanted a choice, and the thought of college or nothing did not sit well with her.  During her senior year of high school, she entered her “rebel” stage and told loved ones that she wouldn’t go to college. She would find success by other means, she told them. But behind the scenes, Johnson submitted applications as she knew college was important. She focused on schools she sec ..read more

By Greta Stuckey After Shaunna Spivey-Spinner gave birth to a son during the pandemic, the Syracuse native was ready for a change. Spivey-Spinner felt uncomfortable in their body and started looking for ways to get fit. Soon after, Spivey-Spinner decided to make fitness more than a hobby. In 2023, they made their dreams a reality by becoming a personal trainer and founding Holliwood Fitness.  Vision Spivey-Spinner didn’t always have it easy growing up in Syracuse. They were bullied in school and told by many that they were “different.” Despite the challenges, they liked being unique. In t ..read more

By Laura S. Román López Eileen Baugh has always loved helping others with their business endeavors.  Having joined the United States Air Force in 1980, and then working in banking at Wells Fargo, Baugh received extensive training in administrative support.  In 1999, she took the plunge and began Admin-On-Call LLC, a resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners to receive back-office support to help their businesses thrive.  Vision Although she was born and raised in Brooklyn, Baugh spent many years living in Virginia where she worked at First Union Corporation (a bank th ..read more

A local public charity has launched a nonprofit bridge loan program to help organizations as they wait for approved government grants.  By Laura Román López  More than half of the nonprofits in New York state experience delays in getting state funds for programs the state has already contracted for. The Central New York Community Foundation hopes its new nonprofit bridge-loan program, launched earlier this month, will help ease the burden caused by those delays. A collaborative effort with Cooperative Federal Credit Union, the program will help nonprofit organizations and organi ..read more

The South Side community met Monday to discuss crime and housing, with city leaders advocating for the passage of a state senate bill that would outlaw unwarranted evictions. By Laura Román López and Greta Stuckey City police warned residents at Monday’s Southside TNT meeting not to leave their cars running unattended, as tempting as that may be on a cold Syracuse morning. Lt. Brian Novitsky said that most stolen cars in the city are Kias and Hyundais, some of which have a flaw that makes them easier to steal. But he said car thefts overall increase in the winter when vehicles are more often l ..read more

The Syracuse community gathered at La Casita Cultural Center on Saturday to celebrate the legacy of renowned artist Juan Cruz. By Laura Román López Mia Cruz-Worthy looked at the crowd at La Casita Cultural Center and marveled at the turnout for her father’s funeral, calling the assembled artists and art lovers “my dad’s chosen family.”  Juan Alberto Cruz died on Jan. 10th at the age of 82. The space is filled for a memorial service in his honor, hosted by La Casita. Artwork made by Cruz adorned the space, with paintings showcasing bright tones of blues and reds propped on easels around th ..read more

By Jaden Wilson Bentley Bryant is an ASL-teaching, music-loving, Texas native who brings Syracuse’s deaf community together every Friday evening.   “Deaf Coffee” is a national deaf social event that dedicates itself to providing a safe space for deaf people to socialize. Bryant is the host and creator of Deaf Coffee in Syracuse, which meets at 6 p.m. Fridays at different Panera Bread locations across the region. Walking into Panera on a recent Friday, it’s easy to spot Bryant as she sits at the center of the table, her blue eyes bright with intensity as she signs animatedly to the gr ..read more

Breast cancer screening is an important part of a woman’s health, a message experts are pushing in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Learn about programs in the Syracuse area that provide the resources to support you or a loved one. By Sarah Merke Janet Bacon, on a whim, decided to go for a mammogram after a community health worker from She Matters asked about her yearly examination. The decision changed her life. It revealed that Bacon, then 45, had breast cancer.  “I felt like everything was coming down on me, I wasn’t going to make it,” she said. “When they first told me about th ..read more

The Sankofa Doula Collective is striving to improve prenatal and postpartum care through lead awareness in Syracuse. By Sarah Merke After eight months of developing proposals and presenting them to the community, the day had come. On a sunny spring day, Syracuse residents gathered to vote and select the proposal that best served the city’s dire need to tackle lead poisoning.  Their decision would steer hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding to a hopeful nonprofit, and would mark the end of a novel process designed to let the public direct such a substantial sum.  It was 9 a.m ..read more

Staff at the Southwest Community Center, as well as the families that rely on it, are outraged by the sudden suspension of the center’s OASAS Afterschool program.  By Za’Tozia Duffie Afterschool programs provide a lifeline to working parents who need to bridge the time between when their kids get out of school and when they get out of work.  The OASAS program at Southwest Community Center (also known as Syracuse Community Connections) was just such a bridge for the parents on the South Side – until the center abruptly announced the temporary closing of the program last week. Parents ..read more