Rising Hearts January Blog Updates
NEW YEAR, SAME US! The heart work continues, with you! Happy January to our favorite Rising Hearts Family! In our last day of 2024 and first day of 2025, we raised $825 of our $1000 goal! Thank you.
Rising Hearts made it to another year and we couldn’t do it without YOUR help, support and donations! We hope you were able to enjoy some down time, rejuvenate, and reflect. We have our year jammed packed with some fun and amazing community events and runs! We are so excited and grateful to get to know community, create community, create awareness, and help give back to the heart work that is having profound impacts. We are all part of that, together!
NEXT AWARENESS + ACTION EVENTS:
+ On Your Mark, Set Your Intentions 5k | 12/30/24 - 1/5/25
+ Running On Native Lands | 3/1/25 - 3/15/25
+ Earth Day 5k | 4/19/25 - 4/22/25
+ Running For Justice | 5/3/25 - 5/10/25
AREAS OF FOCUS:
Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate Collective:
We are prioritizing our Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate Collective through our own fundraising and partnerships, to support our athletes in their running and advocacy. This has led to hosting panels, virtual panels and workshops, a handful of athletes sharing their voice and and experiences on podcasts and other media platforms, a special book project with one of our athletes and this collective, supporting their initiatives, providing gear, shoes, and stipends. All possible through our fundraisers and partnerships within the running/outdoor industry. To learn more about our athletes and to be part of it, visit www.risinghearts.org/runningwithpurpose.
Running On Native Lands Initiative:
Our Running On Native Lands Initiative is in constant growth. We are updating the toolkit and will be creating a more formalized process in becoming a partner. We had 16 consultations in 2024, with 5 that became partners and collaborators. We hope to have more consultations coming for 2025, as we raise more funds and submit for more grant funding, we will be able to expand and grow our partnerships more feasibly. Through more funds, we will have more opportunities to present and teach about going beyond a land acknowledgement, allowing us to meet more of community, help educate, and learn from community while being able to utilize our skills and connections to support land back efforts as well. So, we are looking forward to our annual virtual/in person Running On Native Lands community gatherings! Learn more at www.risinghearts.org/nativelands.
Rising Hearts Stories:
Storytelling is incredibly important to us and we hope to elevate as many voices from community as we can. Currently, we are working on our 4th short documentary, in post production, and hoping to have an early spring premiere, stay tuned! In parallel to what we do in helping to tell stories, we help find them, consult on them, and brings people together to make it work. Narrative Shift, a new production company co-founded by Jordan of Rising Hearts, hopes to utilize the resources, tools and connections to support Rising Hearts stories. More to share soon! Learn more at www.risinghearts.org/stories.
Run For Rising Hearts:
We have 2 opportunities for YOU, to run for Rising Hearts and raise funds to support the heart work. Our first option is to get 10 charity runners for Rising Hearts through our The Wander Project partnership for 2025. We were able to raise nearly $15,000 for Rising Hearts in 2024. The second option is to use any race you registered for or want to register for and dedicate it to Rising Hearts. We have some special perks to support runners along the way and help provide you a fundraising link. So if you’d like to run for us through either path, reach out or visit www.risinghearts.org/charity-bib-runners.
You Are Loved Community Grant Initiative:
We are heavily involved in advocacy for the families of missing and murdered loved ones, the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous Women and Peoples, survivors of violence and community organizations and advocates. This program came about with Jordan, using her running to run in prayer for loved ones, raising funds personally and through the annual Rising Hearts Running For Justice 5k/10k/Half Marathon since 2019 to donate to families and advocacy organizations, intersecting with the advocacy and passion of Kali Reis (Seaconke Wampanoag, Cape Verde, Actor (True Detective), World Boxing Champion), coming together to run the 2024 NYC Marathon and launching this initiative and fundraising effort to make funds available to families, survivors, advocates and organizations to apply for to support a variety of needs in their efforts for justice for their loved ones. To learn more and donate to help us reach our goal, visit www.risinghearts.org/youareloved.
Kinship with sister organization:
ReNew Earth Running (RER) is a family organization to us, a sister in the heart work we do as much of their mission intersects with what we do as well. With Jordan as Board Chair of RER, we have been able to share some of our resources, connections and funding with the RER #LegsForLandBack runners as well, as a handful of runners are RWP Athlete Advocates. We look forward growing our kinship!
We are up to so much! And we hope to apply for more funding and we will keep raising funds as we go to keep us running in all ways. Wopila tanka, many thanks, to all of you for your support, and we look forward to our hearts moving forward together.
- Rising Hearts
YOU ARE LOVED FUNDRAISER
FUNDRAISER FOR LOVED ONES AND THEIR FAMILY:
Join Jordan Marie Whetstone (Lakota) of Rising Hearts and Kali Mequinonoag Reis (Seaconke Wampanoag), in helping to bring more visibility for the families and their loved ones as they hope to raise $100,000 or more, to donate back to the families, advocates, survivors, and organizations focused on ending this violence and creating a safer future for Indigenous Peoples through the You Are Loved community grant program.
The Passion:
Jordan, of Rising Hearts, and professional runner, dedicated her 2019 Boston Marathon to 26 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Since then, she has been on a mission, running for justice - running with purpose, in bringing more visibility to the movement, the families, their loved ones, the advocates, and the community organizations within the MMIR space. Since 2019, Rising Hearts has helped raise over $200,000 collectively through their virtual wellness campaigns for families of missing and murdered loved ones, advocates, survivors, organizers and community heart working organizations. More resources are needed to support the efforts of fundraising, court costs, search and rescue, data, travel for hearings, listening sessions, legal fees, mental health and wellness services, community organized efforts, financial support for cost of living, and more.
The You Are Loved Community Grant Program:
This community grant program is a direct services pathway for families, advocates and organizations to submit your request for on a rolling basis. We hope to raise the $100,000 + to get this program started, with a long term goal of $250,000 to sustain this resource for community and outside agencies to continue to donate to or fundraise for. We are collaborating with our sister organization, Urban Indigenous Collective (UIC) to help manage and distribute the funds and work closely with them and the UIC MMIP Taskforce Committee.
UPDATE: We did not reach our $100k goal by 12/31/24, so we are pushing it to May 10th.
Applications will go live May 2025 on a rolling basis, need basis and urgency basis:
+ Examples of Need Basis: mental health and wellness costs / access, printing costs, banners, shirts for awareness / memorials, direct assistance for family / families, impact campaign / storytelling that will directly uplift and support loved one / families
+ Examples of Urgency Basis: Funeral costs, vigils, search and rescue, DNA testing to expedite progress in loved ones case, MMIR based conference / Federal listening session
How To Learn More + Donate:
To donate, you can start now! Visit www.risinghearts.org/youareloved and you’ll find more information about the You Are Loved Community Grant Program.
Stay Up To Date:
Subscribe to the Rising Hearts newsletter - www.risinghearts.org or visit our blog www.risinghearts.org/blog for updates about fundraising, follow us at @rising_hearts on IG | @nativein_la | @kali_ko_reis
You Are Loved logo made by Nicol Hodges (IG: nicolhodges ) and RH Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate
Wear YOU ARE LOVED, talk about this effort and program, and purchases go towards the You Are Loved - Running For Justice $100,000 fundraiser!
Meet the Artist behind the You Are Loved Logo!
Nicol Hodges is a versatile multimedia artist passionate about hand drawing, acrylic painting, and graphic design. Creativity has been a part of her life since childhood, inspired by her father’s love for art and photography and her mother’s exceptional sewing talent. Nicol’s art is deeply personal, often reflecting her life experiences and her passion for her community.
When invited to contribute to the "You Are Loved" campaign, Nicol thought about the powerful love she feels for her daughters. Her artwork for the project symbolizes this bond: a heart representing love, hands symbolizing a mother’s nurturing support, and intricate braids inspired by both her own and collaborator Jordan Daniels’ shared cultural appreciation for braiding.
Nicol’s talents are in high demand—she’s currently working as the illustrator for an upcoming book, Runners with a Purpose, which celebrates runners who make a positive impact in their communities. She’s also the founder of The Risers Hub, a health and wellness platform where she helps others achieve their wellness goals and live authentically through healthy habits. Through coaching, accountability, and her podcast, Nicol is dedicated to inspiring others to rise to their fullest potential.
To learn more about Nicol’s journey and work, visit nicolhodges.com.
UPCOMING RUNS
YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO SIGN UP!
On Your Mark, Set Your Intentions 5k - Welcoming the New Year - 2025!
"Run with purpose, move with purpose. Set your intentions. Celebrate you, celebrate your journey! And we can celebrate community!"
Dates: December 30 - January 5, 2025
Distances: 5k ($20), 10k ($30), 13.1mi ($35)
Where: Virtual (in person runs are option but will have to provide me with the locations and who the run leads are and we can add those into the registration site)
Add a Land Acknowledgement to your Bib
Downloadable bib available for free (registration isn't required, but helps with being able to donate to beneficiaries)
Beneficiaries:
+ Touching Land
+ Black Men Run
+ Running Industry Diversity Coalition
+ Rising Hearts
REGISTRATION WILL BE LIVE SOON! CHECK OUT WEBSITE FOR UPDATES AND LINKS! A SEPARATE NEWSLETTER WILL BE GOING OUT WITH MORE INFO!
RASPBERRY LEMONADE MINI FILM
We had so much fun making this! Join the run with us! Get outside. Move your body. Now more than ever, we need community. Find your people. Find your group. Find your run group. Start a run group. Feel joy. Feel safe. Celebrate each other through movement! Feeling joy - that is liberation. We see struggles around the world. And we hope this just gives you a smile, as you reflect on your community, your people, and it can motivate you to get outside and connect. You belong.
Watch mini film via IG and click button below for Youtube view.
“Celebration” is a word Fields uses a lot. To him, running – and making art – is a celebration: of his connection to the land, to other runners, artists and art aficionados, to his Indigenous ancestors, who have walked this land for centuries. Fields is Osage, Mvskoke (Creek) and Cherokee, and in a recent video he talked about running as a celebration of his upbringing and ancestry. Yatika’s art and energy is bringing people together in such powerful and meaningful ways.
Wopila tanka, many thanks, Yatika, for bringing us together!
The Raspberry Lemonade Singlet: will become available soon in 2025 with more exciting things!
Director: Jordan Whetstone | @nativein_la
DP: Devin Whetstone | @devinwhetstone
AC: Andrew DeVier-Scott | @andrewdevierscott
Production Company: Narrative Shift
WEAR THE HEART WORK
RUN REFLECTIONS
Rising Hearts Charity Runner, Cristian Sanchez
First I would like to start by saying thank you to Rising Hearts for the opportunity, it was great the goal was to go out there and have some fun which I did, a bit of a struggle after mile 20 but with the support of my partner and family following me through the last few miles I was able to finish strong. The fundraising was nice, even though I only got to half of the goal, but I’m still glad I was able to help raise something so that Rising Hearts can put that towards the awesome stuff they do. Next up I would like to do a couple of half marathons and definitely do CIM and I would like to PR at all of them and if it’s alright I will continue to use the Rising Hearts singlet at these races.
Running With Purpose Athlete Advocate, Candace Gonzales
This December I ran as a Charity Bib Runner for Rising Hearts through The Wander Project partnership in the Quad Keyah. A running event where participants run a half marathon or marathon in four days and in four states. Quad Keyah means Four Lands in the Navajo language, and this race took place at the Four Corners Monument where the states Arizonia, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico intersect. The four states being on Dine, Pueblos and Ute lands. I chose to participate in the trail half marathon. It was a privilege to be able to participate in this event and run on these beautiful Native lands. I’ve always believed that nature is healing and there is a spiritual aspect about running with the land and this race was both healing and spiritual. The community in the area welcomed runners and shared life experiences with us. We heard from an elder who spoke to us in Dine and shared with runners the horrors he and other Indigenous peoples experienced when they were placed in residential schools and stripped of culture. We also heard the national anthem sung in Dine. A song that carries so much weight for BIPOC due to the racial injustice in our county, however hearing it in Dine was powerful. It was these moments that made this event special and like nothing I ever experienced before. Saturday was a challenging day for me mentally. I was really struggling to find my purpose to race. This was day three. Maybe because I was struggling and being challenged mentally it was why this day was the most spiritual day on the trail for me. It was the day I would cry and feel the healing powers of nature as well as my father’s presence. Wild horses ran across the racecourse right in front of me and at this moment I knew that I was running with nature and exactly where I needed to be, and those mental challenges of earlier went away and I found my purpose again. This race was extremely challenging both physically and mentally. However, when I remembered my purpose, I was able to accomplish each half marathon each day. My purpose was to run for Rising Hearts, and all the good relatives in my life who supported my efforts and Rising Hearts with their donations. To grow as a runner and to continue to learn as an advocate. I still can’t fully put into words how this race impacted me but what I can say it was a privilege and an experience that I am fortunate to have. For that I will forever be grateful.
FUNDRAISE FOR RISING HEARTS
We had 11 runners in 2024, turning their passion into purpose! We came close to $15,000 for 2024! Here’s a chance to support our heart work through a different means - running! We hope to find 10 runners for 2025!
2025 RACES ARE OPEN!
WANT TO RACE FOR RISING HEARTS OUTSIDE OF THESE WE HAVE SELECTED?
Not seeing a race you want to run in this list? Check out all of the Wander Project events and choose the “Your Choice” option. They will reach out to learn more about your charity of choice and once you let them know that you’ll be running for Rising Hearts, they will make sure your funds come to support our mission!”
Athletes who want to support Rising Hearts for a race that is not listed, can sign up for any of the events on The Wander Project calendar: https://www.wanderproject.org/event-partners/ and pick 'Your Choice' for charity and then fill out the form to indicate they want to support Rising Hearts: (FAQ page here: https://www.wanderproject.org/athletes/frequently-asked-questions/)
Reach out to us via email, info@rising-hearts.org. Share with us your plans, then we’ll set you up with the link!
Want to run for Rising Hearts?
This is more new for us! We have a givelively link specifically for runners/individuals, who want to raise funds for the heart work we do! If it’s not through our partnership with The Wander Project, or our other partners at CIM or Boston, you can run for Rising Hearts at any race you choose and bring more fun and purpose to your why and the run.
Suggested fundraising limits:
RH Athletes / Community = $500
Open to Community = minimum $800
Perks: RH Singlet, merch, stickers, fuel, and if shoes are needed, we can help you!
PODCAST SPOTLIGHTS
Marlinda Francisco is on Women’s Running Stories Podcast! Check out her podcast interview as an Ultra Trail Runner and her running journey to finish her first 100km at the Javelina Jundred!