Who We Are
OMH is a San Diego based community project, designed to address the social and emotional well-being of youth and adults, through storytelling, reflective art, and creative writing.
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Our Mommies Hands is a community project that is strengths-based and trauma informed in practice, addressing the social and emotional needs of youth and professionals through various creative and non-traditional outlets.
OMH Roots
The Our Mommies Hands Project was born out of a Facebook post, dedicated to my mother; a single parent of four girls. My Mom and I spent an afternoon together, where I had planned to share and celebrate my departure from a job that had completely depleted me of good energy and spirit, transformed who I was as a mother, wife, step-mom, professional and friend, into someone almost unrecognizable. When I shared this news with my Mom, she went into full on lecture about why this was not a good idea, supporting that thought with all the many things she had taught me and my sisters, and embedded into our heads over the years. Some of those reminders were, “Never depend on a man,” “Make sure to always have your own,” “Use your education to support a self-sustaining life,” and the list continues. My mom was not very pleased with my decision to leave my job which was not exactly how I had envisioned my celebration! During the lecture, I looked down at her hands and started to think about all the stories that lay within them, and how she used them as her super powers to raise me and my sisters, alone. The next day, while cleaning my house, (my method for processing), I started to recall the lecture along with some of my childhood memories; some good and some awful, then took to Facebook to write a tribute to her hands. The post had others sharing hands’ stories about their mothers and mother figures, which quickly birthed the Our Mommies Hands project. I originally created a platform via the website, for people to honor, grieve and reflect on who their mother and mother figures are, how they’ve shaped their lives, and how they will shape their future because of the experiences they’ve had with these significant women. A dear friend and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) teacher, learned what I had created, invited me to her classroom to share my project with her students, which morphed into a writer's workshop on the spot. She then introduced me to other teachers on her school campus who hosted me in their classrooms, and from that point forward we’ve continued this journey to service other students and local schools through this project, by way of opening dialogue and using art and writing as a means of self-discovery and wellness. In context, “Mommies" represent any woman who has had a hand in influencing who we’ve become; by either being present and active, distant and inactive, positive or challenging. |
Nashona Andrade Seals, M.S.
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I am Nashona Andrade Seals, M.S, Founder of Our Mommies Hands. I have a Bachelor’s Degree from SDSU in Child and Family Development, as well as a Master’s Degree in Human Services/Community Psychology, from Springfield College, School of Human Services. This project has afforded me the opportunity to marry my education with practical experience, into useful tools with which I have designed and developed a group-based curriculum to serve the social and emotional needs of the youth, professionals, and adult communities. I am highly skilled in connecting with participants through a non-judgmental, easy going and professional demeanor which allows for a safe atmosphere, whereby participants are comfortable disclosing the intimate details of their primary relationships with self and others. I have two beautiful children who fuel my passion to connect with people on an authentic level. Each of my children speak a language that requires a different listening ear, and energy which serves as training for being in tuned with the outside world through different frequencies. Together we share a love of nature, hiking, and adventurous road trips with visits to national parks, colleges, and state capital buildings in the U.S, feeding our love of trees, our connection to the outdoors, and our respect for higher education. With purpose, I have chosen a tree supported by hands, as the OMH logo. The image represents the stories we hold, from our roots to our trunks, through our branches and leaves, and supports lessons on learning to prune back, understanding when to hold on and let go, to regenerate, and live a fruitful life.
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Our hands in the community!
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Let's get connected!
Please click on the button below to learn more about booking a workshop for your youth community; after school program, girl and boy scouts, juvenile justice system, foster youth, middle and high school youth, expecting teens, and or adult communities, and professionals who service youth.
