Time for another Meet the Collective post. We have a number of new folks who have joined us at the Cihuapactli Collective and we are so excited to have you get to know them.
Next up is Jessica Restrepo! Jessica has been a comadre of ours for a few years. After moving to Florida and back to Arizona within a year, we found an open space for her to join the collective team where she shares her HR strengths with us. She not only supports us with human relations (or people relations as we like to call it) but she also helps with our indigenous food packs, events, and most recently our new merchandise!
Tell us about yourself:
I am a Colombiana mama of two beautiful girls, Julissa y Jeniya. I support the Collective as their Comadre of People Relations, assisting with all things HR. I am a trauma informed mindfulness coach, Usui Reiki therapist and breathwork facilitator.
What kind of hobbies do you have?
I really enjoy exploring nature. Being outdoors provides a balance from the busy day to day routine of the work week. I like hiking, biking, gardening, walking by water and discovering new places. I love to travel and curate my trips with much intent, always finding myself gravitating towards visiting sacred archeological sites. I travel yearly to Colombia and spend my summers “puebliando” como decimos en Colombia, wandering from one picturesque small town to another.
How do you practice self-care and wellness?
I have cultivated a daily yoga and somatics practice that helps keep me centered and prepares me for the day ahead. I add to this a variety of tools that help me be more present such as reiki and breathwork. Plant medicines heal.
How has your family lineage impacted the way you navigate the world, or the way you do your work?
My family lineage is a mix of various cultures - Andean Mesoamerican, West African and Western European. This has allowed me a variety of perspectives and beliefs that all run parallel to each other. It’s been a beautiful journey weaving these teachings together – Indigenous relations with the land, Afro Caribbean spirituality and ancestor worship, and Western European Catholic teachings. My background has shaped the way I engage in the workplace as an HR professional as well as how I engage in ceremony space while in service of self and the community.
In the Andes there is one “natural law” that comes into play in everything we do, it’s the law of reciprocity. This is how I intend to show up in the world every day…
Hoy por ti, manana por mi. Today for you, tomorrow for me.
How do you show up for your community?
Outside of my work through the Collective, I am honored to volunteer my time serving on the board for an organization I am passionate about, Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona. At Free Arts, we use the arts to provide safe, positive opportunities for children to engage with trained, trauma-informed volunteer mentors to provide support.
What do you appreciate about the collective?
I appreciate that we move at the pace of our children. Work life balance is valued here. I also appreciate their focus on employee wellbeing. We recently rolled out four new benefit options for employees to participate in.
What is a strength or positive quality of yours that you bring to the collective?
I bring to the Collective my professional HR skills to support the growing internal work team. My approach is focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and I see opportunities for us to bring forward our traditional ways in how we engage with each other.
What do you look forward to in the work with the collective?
I look forward to our Campo Santo project and the continued growth of the food forest.
What book are you currently reading? (It can be an audio book). Or what podcast do you often like listening to?
Currently reading “Ritmos Afro Puertoriquenos” by Dimas Sanchez and Jesus Cepeda. One of my favorite books is “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Thank you Jessicfa for sharing about yourself. We’re so happy to have you be a part of the Collective!