WANDA WEBSTER and CHRISTOPHER MACK

Christopher Mack has been facilitating recovery groups in Los Angeles for the past 16 years. He has been interviewed many times (NPR, LA Times, USA Today, LA Weekly, and Nightline) because he has a unique perspective about the condition of homelessness and our human nature. He is a beloved fixture on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, having worked for JWCH as an outreach worker for many years. He is known to many as The Urban Sage. Because Christopher used music and singing to uplift himself from the daily tribulations, he co-founded The Urban Voices Project five years ago, a choir for the urban community and underserved population. 

Wanda Webster graduated from Drake University with a bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Psychology. When she moved to Los Angeles, she accepted opportunities in the entertainment industry working as a development executive and a literary agent. She discovered she had a natural gift at helping writers develop and fine-tune their scripts. Many of her writers won awards in their field. More recently, Wanda obtained a master’s degree in Education and Psychology from Pepperdine University. She created curricula for large non-profits in the areas of spirituality, social-emotional development, and addiction/recovery. Wanda has always been fascinated by human behavior and believes that supporting people to become the best versions of themselves to be her ultimate joy and purpose.

Luvafoodie is a brand that connects people who share a passion for food and beverage. In 2014, Michelle Mazzara, CEO of Luvafoodie, decided to follow her dream.  She had worked for large consumer brands companies in sales for the previous twenty-five years. 

She began by adding candy and started selling caramel with the Luvafoodie brand at select grocery stores. Consumers categories beyond confections.  In 2016 she introduced a line of gourmet spices under the Luvafoodie brand.  Following the success, she experienced with spices, she added Belgian chocolates and drink mixes to the portfolio. 

Unexpectedly, in August 2016, Michelle was diagnosed with heart disease having an 80 % blockage in her left anterior descending artery, LAD.  She had been misdiagnosed with costochondritis for 10 months even though she had complained of chest pain, shortness of breath, had a family history of heart disease and a cholesterol reading of 330.    Unfortunately, during recovery, after placement of the stent, Michelle suffered a heart attack.  “This changed my life and my perspective of what I really wanted to do with the brand and my vision of the company, “Michelle stated.  Because of living with heart disease, in January 2017, Luvafoodie launched a salt free spice line and a new Happy Heart Dark Chocolate Belgian Bar.

Michelle is a Brand Ambassador for the Twin Cities American Heart Association Go Red Women Ad Campaign in Minnesota.  She shares her story in order to build awareness about heart disease among women.  She states, “My mission is to help increase awareness of the prevalence of heart disease and stroke among women in order to inspire other women to take charge of their own health.  Heart disease is the #1 killer of women causing 1 in 3 deaths. My mission is to make a difference in peoples’ lives and help prevent heart disease.”

At the end of June, Michelle launched a new line of spice blends created for dogs and cats. The new spice blends for dogs and cats was inspired by Michelle’s aging dog Lucy. Michelle wanted to boost Lucy’s nutrition and help her feel better. The specific herbs used in the Dog and Cat Lovers spice blends are to help boost a cat or dog’s nutrition as a supplement to their dog and cat food.

Luvafoodie products can be found in local Twin Cities grocery stores and on Luvafoodie.com and Amazon.com. Luvafoodie Salt Free Recipe Cookbook is available in Kindle and hard copy on Amazon.com.

Michelle goal is to continue to expand Luvafoodie spice distribution across the country. Our goal at Luvafoodie is to create clean eating good for your products. Our mission statement is Eat Clean, Be Well & Stay Well.

Frank St. James is well known for his work with many local police and investigative authorities. He appeared on The Psychic Detectives, as well as the Bio Show on A&E Cable, and is also a top radio personality. He was once a detective, has worked with the FBI, and the answers he gives are usually spot on! Frank is very popular at the New Jersey Psychic Fairs and books out quickly. Contact: (862) 684-1904

Angela Peabody is the Executive Director and Founder of Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, a 501c3 organization founded on the principles of eliminating violence and injustices against women and girls. After a celebrated career as a Television Broadcast Journalist in Liberia, and Special Press Secretary to the country’s first woman Minister of Agriculture, Angela immigrated to the United States, following the bloody and brutal coup d’etat in her native Liberia. She developed the passion as an advocate for women and girls against injustices and violence after her sister was beaten to death by her husband. The first Liberian woman to ever pen and publish a full-length novel, Angela is now an accomplished and award-winning author. Her literary work includes the novels, Exiled – within the Bowels of American Society (published 2001) and When the Games Froze (published 2014). She also co-authored the biography of Sarian Bouma; Welfare to Millionaire (published 2004). The proceeds from her second novel were donated to help build a school in Liberia, The Hope Academy, where both girls and boys would learn about the risks of violence against children. 

Since then, Angela has authored two children’s books and a training manual about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). She recently served on a special committee with the Council of the Great City Schools to research, compile and write an educational toolkit on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to be used by teachers, nurses and school counselors in school districts throughout the U.S.  In 2014, Angela and Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation made history when they held the first Walk To End FGM in the U.S, which has become a popular annual event in Washington, D.C. 

WALK TO END Female Genital Mutilation

 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2019

Pre-Walk Program: 12:00 Noon 

National Sylvan Theater

Washington Memorial Drive, SW

Washington, D.C. 20024

5K Walk-A-thon Starts: 1:30 pm 

Walk Route: Begin at the Sylvan Theater and we will walk to the Lincoln Memorial and back to the Sylvan Theater.

PLEASE JOIN US!

GLOBAL WOMAN P.E.A.C.E. FOUNDATION 



Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation (GWPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Established in January 2010, GWPF was founded on the principles of ending injustices and violence against women and girls. 

Funds raised from the Walk To End FGM and the Global Woman Awards will fund the “Lisa C. Bruch Scholarship Fund” to help educate girls in West Africa who have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM), or are at risk of it. Funds will also support our “Survivor Resettlement Program,” “Wholesome Organic Relief Program” and the “Kids Reach Shield Program.” 

The Lisa C. Bruch Scholarship Fund is named in memory of the late Lisa Bruch, who passed away in December 2018. Lisa was a GWPF Board Advisor and a devout supporter and donor of GWPF’s programs. She donated an annual percentage of her income until her demise. 

The Survivor Resettlement Program assists FGM survivors with asylum application, legal representation, résumé compilation, cover letter, personal reference, relocation and job-hunting. 

The Wholesome Organic Relief Program helps to rehabilitate FGM survivors through psychological counseling, vaginal restorative surgery and physical therapy. 

The Kids Reach Shield Program is our preventive program, which trains US law enforcement, school nurses associations, teachers associations, students and the community in FGM. 

Hobey Ford’s Golden Rod Puppets

Winner of puppetry's highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, and recipient of three Jim Henson Foundation grants, Hobey Ford is known for excellence in puppetry performance and craft. 

Hobey's intricate shadow puppetry work and creation of the original rod puppets, the "Foamies", have earned him a place on stages across the world. Hobey's performances incorporate a variety of puppetry styles including Bunraku, rod, marionettes, "Foamies", and shadow puppetry. Hobey adapts folk tales from various cultures for many of his performances, always adding a special "Golden Rod" twist. He uses his own voice to create characters and sound effects, tell stories, and sing. 

Hobey utilizes his artistic study at The State University of New York at Purchase and the University of North Carolina at Asheville to design and construct all of his Golden Rod Puppets and the beautiful sets that surround them. Hobey also draws on his early experiences growing up in coastal Connecticut or living in a Nevada Native American community in writing the scripts for some of his performances such as "Whale Walker" and "Turtle Island Tales".  

Hobey is considered both an innovator in puppetry craft and a master storyteller. He has created both the "Foamies" and the clever hand puppet known as "Peepers". The "Foamies" are large animal puppets carved from blocks of foam. After studying each animal's characteristic movements, Hobey designs various control mechanisms to make the puppets themselves move in a life-like manner. The "Foamies" are presented using both stage and house performance space.

Hobey tours a variety of shows for educational performances and family concerts including: World Tales – puppetry techniques and stories from around the world; Animalia – the beautiful story of the animal world, ecology, metamorphosis, and animals who are endangered; Turtle Island Tales – Native American stories with moving scenery and exquisite shadow puppetry.

Hobey’s production Migration is a sequel to the popular Animalia. Migration is the story of Beatriz, a young girl who travels with her family from their home in Mexico to work the harvest in Maine. The story of Beatriz’ journey is juxtaposed with the stories of other animals that migrate: Monarch Butterflies, polar bears, the Godwit bird and the Sperm Whale.   These extremely realistic puppets are performed behind a thin circular theatrical scrim onto which is projected Hobey’s original artwork.  The puppets appear to be performing within the video projections on a hypnotic dance between the puppeteer, puppets and original artistic scenery.

Hobey’s latest production, Sea Song,  is about a city boy, addicted to video games is sent to at a remote beach house with his grandmother far from any internet.  There the boy discovers the wonder of sea turtles and nature.

In conjunction with The Kennedy Center's Partnership In Education program, Hobey provides teacher workshops in puppetry across the country: "Telling Folktales With Shadow Puppetry", “The Magic of Peepers Puppets: Exploring Writing Through Puppetry” and "From Larvae to Butterfly: Metamorphosis Through Puppetry".