>> Happy
>> holidays from all of us here at KPRC. 2.
at KPRC. 2.
>> From
KPRC, 2. This is Houston
newsmakers with khambrel
Marshall.
>> Good morning and welcome to Houston newsmakers and
to Houston newsmakers and
they’re also what you joy.
That’s joy. You’re seeing on
the faces of these children
experiencing discovery. Green
is a part of the Year of joy.
This year on Tuesday, joy sewing who started this
sewing who started this
outpouring of love for the
community will be celebrating
the 6th annual H e B enjoy
holiday ice skating party.
Skating party. Just one part of the
joy offered all year long.
This event and the year of joy
wouldn’t be happening. We’re
not for the vision empathy and
passion of joy sewing Houston
Chronicle lifestyle and culture columnist. Good morning, joya.
columnist. Good morning, joya.
Good to see you. Good morning.
This is such an amazing effort
of love, is it not. It is.
Can you believe 6 years.
I can’t believe because I started very organically.
started very organically.
And so the fact that so many
people are supporting
us and we have so many kids
coming out. It’s it’s been
amazing the people to know you were skater. I was. And so is
were skater. I was. And so is
that what led you to this was
at the party that started and
from that. Well, it started
probably a year prior. I had
been on this journey to live more joyfully.
more joyfully.
>> head. I could like a lot
of people out of the experience
burnout. And I was just trying
to find ways to bring myself,
joy skating was always one of them. I could not figure
of them. I could not figure
out a way to bring skating 2
children.
And I just happened to call
discovery green and they were
on board. And there we go. And you have brought a
And you have brought a
collective group of children
from specific communities.
Talk
about yes. I really I’m from
3rd Ward. I wanted to focus on children with in our community
children with in our community
as well as outlying. So I work
with a lot with hype. Freedom
school this year. We have
Blackshear elementary.
>> A Houston Southside community center Sunday us say
community center Sunday us say
hi community center. So we
bring them all together.
>> This whole process. Now we
talk about that, I look at it. And I see the video and I can
And I see the video and I can
only imagine what you’re
thinking when
you see children out there may
be experiencing eyes for the
very first time getting the skates on and also notice that
skates on and also notice that
you provide the kids an
opportunity to see other people
who may be looking just like
them who are able to be on the
ice and skate and do very well.
This video that get that for
don’t see that very often.
Now and that was really
important for me.
I’m not.
>> But a performer anymore. So I wanted to reach out
So I wanted to reach out
and find skaters of And then
this year we have all blacks
skaters who can show the kids what what they can do and what
what what they can do and what
the possibilities are and and
seeing it is a big, big effort
toward getting them believe
that they absolutely. And we
have 2 girls this year who we’re in our
year who we’re in our
event last year and they were
so taken with the sport that we
decided to offer them free
skating lesson since April. Every week they have been
Every week they have been
taking lessons.
And we just gave them their
first pair of ice skates and
now they have gear and they’ve been training under Diana
been training under Diana
Coleman who as adult skater
and she’s pretty amazing, too.
So this started as a ice
skating party. Now you have all
kinds of other things. We say
year joined really is the talk about some of the other
about some of the other
elements to go along with this
not so hot before the pandemic
we were doing every quarter I
would do girls of girl empowerment event. So we’ve
empowerment event. So we’ve
branches and etiquette
classes and wonder woman thing
kind of empowerment events it
would mean it’s been pretty amazing. So hopefully we can
amazing. So hopefully we can
get back to that and then so
other things that you have
going on right now is just the
skating party. And I’m hoping
that we can expand the scholar skating scholar program to have
skating scholar program to have
more kids who can take ice
skating lessons throughout the
year love to get back into it.
We had a literacy program that
was through children’s book
that we went into schools so
I’m hoping to kind of bring
those back in
once week.
>> The pandemic. You talk about
that. I want to touch base on Anybody following social media
Anybody following social media
kind of know some of the store.
You know, you had a
I mean, that was something that
people don’t know your doctor.
These dogs. Yes, though, there are great stories from those
are great stories from those
absolutely. But you also that
the children I have. And so
that has obviously I’m thinking
had a big impact on how you
view the world that you cover oh, absolutely. I have 2
oh, absolutely. I have 2
children. I have 2 children,
2 dogs.
>> And so I’m very busy, busy
life, but I’m also concerned
about how they see themselves.
My children and want to make sure that they have
sure that they have
opportunities and
they see. Community and and
children who are experiencing
joy. And and so that they can know how to do that themselves
know how to do that themselves
again. What would you want
people to do to help you to be
involved in your year of joy
Well, you know, we can always take more. Don’t donations are
take more. Don’t donations are
good and it’s a year of joy
dot org. Are, you know, if
there are opportunities for him
in kind support. I’m always looking for new activities and
looking for new activities and
experiences
for children. So so that all
always something I were talking
before we end of the interview.
You and I mentioned to you and I by the way, I’ve applied for
I by the way, I’ve applied for
the position of president and
just
I’m just.
>> In Amman with what you have
done and giving back in this community. What do you
community. What do you
ultimately hope will happen as
a result of the lives. You
touched along the way. Well,
you know, I hope said we have
more children who feel great about themselves and and and
about themselves and and and
I’m power to do whatever
they’re they are called to do.
I mean, that really is what you
want. You want children who
have.
>> High self esteem and know they can go out into the world
they can go out into the world
and and that she can be great
and do all those things.
>> One thing to and they have
a good role model for that in
you. I’m trying to think you thank you. Joy. You’re doing
thank you. Joy. You’re doing
a good job. Thank you for what