Welcome to Our 11th CAN Cohort

Front (left to right): Kim Weaver, Charles Scott, Lizette Valdes, Citlaly Reyes, Carmen Taylor, Isobeau Trybula, Masara Al-Sharieh

Back (left to right): LeDarious Johnson, El Coffman, Carl Newton

Missing: Julio Mortera

I am so excited to introduce you to our 11th Community Animator Network (CAN) cohort! I cannot believe how remarkable the people in this group are. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other at our kick-off event, and I am eager to see the amazing discoveries and connections these folks make in their neighborhoods throughout the remainder of this program.

Lizette Valdes

Bold, charismatic, and thoughtful, Lizette’s passion and commitment to her neighborhood are apparent in how she shows up in her community. As we talked during our interview, she fondly called her experience in her neighborhood, “Neighborhood University,” because everyone knows how to do something in the neighborhood, and it’s only a matter of figuring out who you can learn from or whom to activate to get something accomplished. It’s a really beautiful lens through which to view a neighborhood. Lizette has lived in her neighborhood in KCMO for over eight years. Here's a fun fact: one of Lizette’s favorite artists is Tupac! 

Masara Al-Sharieh

Masara is an incredibly active community member! After growing up in Clearwater, KS, she moved to Wichita to attend Wichita State University. She now works as a Community Organizer for Alliance for a Healthy Kansas. Her kind, inquisitive, and inclusive disposition enables her to connect with others easily. We are so excited to welcome Masara to our TNM community!

Charles Scott

Charles’ thoughtfulness and his ability to actively listen and hold space for others make him a great connector in his community. Charles was born and raised in Wyandotte County and supports community members through his participation in various groups and associations. In his free time, Charles enjoys disassembling and reassembling various electronics and even has programming skills! 

El

El’s personable and creative presence is highlighted by her active involvement in the community. Due to her passion for environmentalism and her pursuit to spread knowledge and awareness around the different ways to care for the Earth, El has been involved with various local environmental nonprofits throughout Wichita. El grew up in Wichita, and she enjoys sewing as a creative outlet in her free time! 

Carmen Taylor

Joyful, resilient, and empathetic, Carmen is a vibrant connector in her neighborhood. She grew up in Wichita and enjoys teaching folks about resources that are available to them and creating community wherever she is. In her free time, Carmen likes to craft, and she also knows a thing or two about astrology (she’s a Capricorn in case you were wondering). Carmen also lives in our founding South Central neighborhood, and we are so excited to have her as a participant in this group!

Citlaly Reyes

Citlaly is a catalyst in her community! Hailing from Liberal, Kansas, we are so excited to have her as a participant in this cohort. Citlaly’s kind, warm, personable nature makes her a fantastic connector, and she’s an active community member who participates in New Frontiers and sits on the board for United Way. Citlaly enjoys photography and is passionate about advocating for children to have access to the educational resources they need to succeed. In her free time, you can find her at her mother’s restaurant, Chikas Fresas! 

LeDarious Johnson

LeDarious is a seasoned community organizer who serves as a Program Manager at WyCo Mutual Aid. His kindness, down-to-earth nature, and commitment to his community are apparent in the various men’s groups he hosts, which can center around supporting fathers as they support their partner’s breastfeeding, to supporting men as they process trauma. LeDarious is also passionate about health advocacy and canvassed for the COVID-19 vaccine. Fun fact: LeDarious has a gift for decorating cakes! (I’m a bit envious of this; my cakes typically look disastrous.)

Kimberly Weaver

Kimberly Weaver is one of the co-founders of WyCo Mutual Aid and a Program Director at the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County. Born and raised in WyCo, Kim has extensive community-building and community-organizing experience. Kim recruited a couple of the participants in this cohort from the Wyandotte County area, and she is a welcome observer of the ins and outs of our CAN program! We look forward to collaborating with Kim to bring our We Care initiative to Wyandotte County! Fun fact: Kimberly knows how to build and play banjos from gourds.

Julio

Julio is passionate about working as a collective for the greater good, which is shown through his volunteer work with Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation and various other nonprofits. His warm, personable nature makes him a remarkable connector in his community. Julio enjoys web design, is knowledgeable about proper grammar in the Spanish language, and knows how to make tortillas from scratch! 

Isobeau Trybula

Isobeau grew up in Wichita and then moved to New York! She moved back to Wichita two years ago and is passionate about doing her part to help others thrive, focusing on the small connections that foster collective power. She has extensively studied Conflict and Peace studies as well as Eastern medicine. She’s now a practitioner of acupuncture and in her free time, Isobeau enjoys the beauty of nature and gardening. 

Carl Newton

Carl’s charisma, warmth, and geniality make him an incredible connector in his neighborhood and community! Heavily involved in local youth outreach, Carl has many skills, including but not limited to de-escalation training, crisis intervention for youth, and anger management. Carl is also a pastor at his church, which is located near his neighborhood! Fun fact: Carl used to own a food truck, and the best-selling item was the “Newt Burger,” named after himself!

We are so excited to welcome this newest cohort to The Neighboring Movement and are thankful for all that they bring to their neighborhoods and communities! Stay tuned for updates as they complete Phase 1 of the Community Animator Network.