"At the roots of Collective Power is the idea that we can do more collectively than we can do individually."

On this week's episode of the Culture Stew, Maria interviews Kelly and Christine Wyche, co-founders of Collective Power, an organization founded with the purpose of assisting underserved communities facing the challenges of climate change, aging infrastructure, and unsustainable lifestyle practices. Together, they explore how to imagine new infrastructures for sustainable living, scaling from book clubs to broader communities.

We will get a sneak peak into their new book "Building Community with Collective Power: A Practical Tool," which outlines how you can bring this work to life in your own community. Find out more about Collective Power at https://www.ourcollectivepower.com/

How can the food we choose to eat, as well as the practices we use to source, prepare, and share our food, be a source of activism and liberation?

Karina Sanchez (she/they) is a holistic health and wellness practitioner and food justice organizer. She co-leads Veggie Mijas Chicago, supporting plant-based education, mutual aid, and community programming for Queer BIPOC communities. Karina is an herbalism apprentice with Urban Growers Collective, a yoga teacher through the Latina Sweat Project, and an energy healing apprentice at Verde Holistic Wellness Studio, where she studies Mesoamerican healing practices and facilitates trauma-informed, culturally rooted wellness offerings.

With over a decade of experience in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and community engagement, Kari brings a strategic and relational approach to systems change. In recent years, she has hosted workshops and community spaces that invite participants to begin decolonizing their relationships to food, health, and healing. Her work centers reconnecting people to their bodies, the land, plant medicine, and ancestral wisdom as pathways toward individual and collective liberation.

Ways to Connect With Veggie Mijas

• Follow on Instagram:

• • National: @VeggieMijas

  • Chicago: @VeggieMijasChicago

• Donate via the website to support programs, including community fridges, food access, and education.

• Purchase the digital cookbook, Manteniendo Nuestra Cultura, available on the Veggie Mijas website — a celebration of plant-based recipes rooted in culture and tradition.

• Partner or work with Veggie Mijas: they offer services and collaborations for individuals, teams, and organizations interested in plant-based education, food justice, and sustainable, equitable food systems.