INSPIRATION 4 LIFE MAGAZINE
NON PROFITS
FASHION & MORE!
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NON PROFITS
FASHION & MORE!
Hello everyone! I want to thank everyone for being a part of our Journey and our Online Digital Magazine. Our Magazine is simply here to inspire you and help be a Voice for everyone! We love to share your stories with the world. This is another wonderful Platform we have put together for you to enjoy. We are here to help encourage those who love to write but don't know where to start, have hidden talents as writers, editors, photographers, graphic designers and so much more, to be a part of our Magazine. We want to inspire you to embrace new talented writers as some will be sharing their stories for the first time. We also have experienced, amazing writers from around the world. Here at Inspiration 4 Life, we are a judge free zone and love to give others the opportunities to also live their dreams and passions. We have been trying to make this dream come true since 2010 but with so many obstacles that stood in the way, we managed to break barriers and still made our dream come true. We inspire you to never give up on your Dreams!
In this Magazine, you will read about some of our amazing Inspiration 4 Life Team, our Members, Partners, Sponsors, Advertisers and more. Inspiration 4 Life has covered the Eastside, Westside, Southside, Northside, surrounding areas and also around the world. There are no boundaries of the location and type of inspiration we will cover in our Magazine. We have covered it all after all these years. We have so many amazing people in our Communities of San Antonio, therefore we will always have stories for you. Inspiration 4 Life will always be thankful for our Local Heroes Segment on KENS 5 Great Day SA, Sunday Morning Show from 2011-2015.
If you would like to be a part of our Magazine or have any questions, you can visit www.inspiration4life.org/Contact
Rita Hernandez Editor-in-ChiefGet Inspired! Be Inspired! Stay Inspired!
would go to my parents about this and from that point on, I was taking it seriously,. I was going to vocal classes, practicing at home, and learning more about how we can make this passion thrive. Over time, I’ve learned that I do what I do, not only because it brings me joy but because I love being able to create songs that people love.
Well, lol, with having gone to vocal classes I did try my hand at learning the guitar and piano. Unlike the progress I had in vocals, I did not do well in learning an instrument. I do own both and I do reach for them when I’m inspired to make a song.
I perform tons of different stuff! Depends on the event and what I’m doing. I base my sets on what’s around Hi I’m Janie Victoria and I’m pursuing a career in music as a performing songwriter. I also do a little writing on the side and often am involved in coordinating fashion shows. As far back as I can remember, I’ve loved music. As a young child I fell in love with what it felt like to sing on the mics in church. I knew I liked music and I knew that I loved singing. It really made me happy.
me, alternative pop, pop, canto en espanol, country, classic songs of the 80’s, rock, soft rock, song that I like. I started as a recording artist at the age of 14 and have been releasing music ever since.
My main message as a Musician, if you’ve ever gone to a concert or festival or even just listened to music by yourself you know the feeling of a song being so impactful that it changes your day. I think a musicians purpose is to be impactful through a song. I’m inspired by the love I have for music and making my own.
I currently do not have a band but I would love to one day. My dream collaboration for sure would be Paul McCartney and Russ. I currently I do have collaborations in the works with some talented people that I know. Recording songs and performing makes me happy, so my hope is that it does that for others. It’s such a good time when you’re singing songs that people like. People love music! Music is meant to take people away.
The best way to connect with me is through my social media. You can look me up under Janie Victoria. on Facebook and on Instagram you can find me @call.mejane I will be dropping a single along with a music video for you to enjoy and that will be coming out very soon. “BRING ME UP” stay tuned. ~Janie Victoria
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Eye Injury Prevention Month
• Health Literacy Month
• Healthy Lung Month
• Home Eye Safety Month
• National ADHD Awareness Month
• National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
• National Bullying Prevention Month
• National Dental Hygiene Month
• National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
• National Medical Librarians Month
• National Physical Therapy Month
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
• Spina Bifida Awareness Month
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month
• Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 4–10)
• Malnutrition Awareness Week (Oct. 5–9)
• World Cerebral Palsy Day (Oct. 6)
• National Depression Screening Day (Oct. 8)
• World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10)
• Pastor Appreciation Month
• Bone and Joint Health National Action Week (Oct. 12–20)
• Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day (Oct. 13)
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day (Oct. 15)
• National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (Oct. 15)
• International Infection Prevention Week (Oct. 16–22)
• World Food Day (Oct. 16)
• National Healthcare Quality Week (Oct. 18–24)
• World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day (Oct. 19)
• National Health Education Week (Oct. 20–24)
• International Stuttering Awareness Day (Oct. 22)
• Respiratory Care Week (Oct. 25–31)
• World Psoriasis Day (Oct. 29)
I am looking for inspiring stories, Non Profits, Small Businesses, Events, Schools, Military, and so much more! Everyone has a Story!! I want to Interview you!
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“B ea¨¶ Caoce SaÖed MÝ Life”
BÝ: LISA BONANNI
D¾ iog a z¾¶ioe b ea¨¶ ¨elf eÜam io ¶he ¨hz×e , I fz¾od ¶he ea-¨içed l¾m zo mÝ 48¶h bi ¶hdaÝ aod ¶ha¶ ×z¾ld
¨aÖe mÝ life! I ¨a× mÝ dzc¶z , ×he e I eceiÖed oz¶ zoe, b¾¶ ¶×z ¨hzckiog diagoz¨e¨. Nz¶ zolÝ did I haÖe ¨¶age 2
b ea¨¶ caoce , b¾¶ I al¨z lea oed I ×a¨ a ×alkiog ¶ime
bzmb d¾e ¶z a 6.5 cm ¶hz acic az ¶ic aoe¾ ݨm, eadÝ ¶z
¾¶¾ e a¶ aoÝ mzmeo¶.
Af¶e a g ¾eliog eigh¶-hz¾ ¨¾ ge Ý ¶z emzÖe ¶he aoe¾ ݨm aod eai ¶he az ¶a, I eceiÖed ¶he gzzd oeר zf a ¨¾cce¨¨f¾l ¨¾ ge Ý. B¾¶ mÝ heal¶h c i¨i¨ ×a¨ oz¶ zÖe ; I oz× had caoce ¶z bea¶. I ¨eo¶ ¶he oeܶ fe× mzo¶h¨ zf mÝ eczÖe Ý f zm ¨¾ ge Ý eceiÖiog z al chemz¶he aÝ ¶ ea¶meo¶¨ fz mÝ b ea¨¶ caoce .
I la¶e had a bila¶e al ma¨¶ec¶zmÝ (d¾e ¶z lÝmh ozde¨ beiog di¨czÖe ed) ×i¶h eczo¨¶ ¾c¶izo, ¾l¶ima¶elÝ eod¾ iog a ¶z¶al zf eigh¶ ¨¾ ge ie¨. S¶ill eeliog f zm ¶he oe×oe¨¨ zf mÝ dz¾ble heal¶h c i¨i¨ aod ¨¾ ge Ý, I had ¶ ea¶meo¶¨ ¶z face; b¾¶ I ×a¨ al¨z a ¨iogle mz¶he
¶z ¶×z bzݨ aod I had ¶z ge¶ back ¶z ×z k. Wi¶h emlzÝee heal¶h io¨¾ aoce io lace, I fel¶ czmfz ¶ed
koz×iog I cz¾ld face ¶he heal¶h challeoge¨ ahead zf me.
Theo, aoz¶he blz× came, a¨ I ×a¨ le¶ gz bÝ he
EmlzÝe . Wi¶h oz ioczme, aod elÝiog zo COBRA a¨
¶emz a Ý heal¶h io¨¾ aoce, I dido’¶ koz× ×he e ¶z ¶¾ o.
Tha¶’¨ ×heo Th iÖeWell Caoce Fz¾oda¶izo ¨¶eed io.
Th iÖeWell i¨ a Sao Ao¶zoiz ozo zfi¶ dedica¶ed ¶z fiodiog a c¾ e fz caoce bÝ f¾odiog e¨ea ch, zÖidiog
a¶ieo¶ ¨¾z ¶, aod zffe iog zg am¨ ¶z im zÖe ¶he ¾ali¶Ý zf life fz a¶ieo¶¨ aod ¶hei familie¨ io Sao Ao¶zoiz aod i¶¨ ¨¾ z¾odiog czmm¾oi¶ie¨. Nz¶ zolÝ did Th iÖeWell a¨¨i¨¶ ×i¶h ¶ ao¨z ¶a¶izo ¶z dzc¶z ¨’ azio¶meo¶¨, b¾¶ ¶heÝ al¨z heled ×i¶h he cz-aݨ ¶z ge¶ ¶he ¶ ea¶meo¶ I oeeded. Thaok¨ ¶z ¶he ¨¾z ¶ zf
Th iÖeWell, ¶eo Ýea ¨ la¶e , I am caoce -f ee aod ema ied ¶z a ×zode f¾l cz-¨¾ ÖiÖz h¾¨baod.
“Th iÖeWell came io¶z mÝ life a¶ a ¶ime ×heo I had lz¨¶ hze. I am ¶ ¾lÝ ble¨¨ed aod mz¨¶ g a¶ef¾l fz all Th iÖeWell ha¨ dzoe fz me aod mÝ familÝ!” I feel ble¨¨ed ¶z ¨eod ¶ime ×i¶h mÝ ¶ ibe, ×hich iocl¾de¨ mÝ fz¾ child eo, h¾¨baod, aod mzm aod g aodkid¨! A¨ a eczgoiçed czmm¾oi¶Ý Özl¾o¶ee I’Öe eceiÖed maoÝ
a×a d¨, iocl¾diog “Vzl¾o¶ee zf ¶he Yea ” f zm Uoi¶ed WaÝ aod ¶he Sao Ao¶zoiz B¾¨ioe¨¨ Jz¾ oal, Cz z a¶e Philao¶h zi¨¶ Vzl¾o¶ee zf ¶he Yea .
I haÖe fz¾gh¶ alzog¨ide z¶he b ea¨¶ caoce ¨¾ ÖiÖz ¨. I ×a¨ ¶he VOICE fz maoÝ bÝ ¶e¨¶ifÝiog befz e ¶he S¶a¶e Legi¨la¶z ¨ a¶ ¶he S¶a¶e Cai¶zl io A¾¨¶io ¶z hel ge¶ HB170-Mammzg ah a¨¨ed, ×hich e¾i e¨ io¨¾ aoce lao¨ ¶z czÖe diagoz¨¶ic mammzg am¨ io f¾ll.
MÝ me¨¨age ¶z z¶he ¨? “Ea lÝ de¶ec¶izo ¨aÖe¨ liÖe¨,” i¶ ¨aÖed mÝ life! I fz¾od ¶he “Cao io caoce !” aod “life i¨ all gzzd!”
I’m lzzkiog ahead, lzÖiog, la¾ghiog, aod liÖiog. I’m a ×alkiog ¶e¨¶imzoÝ zo hz× Th iÖeWell hel¨ ezle ¨¾ ÖiÖe aod ¶h iÖe.
E io E czlioe, EÜec¾¶iÖe Di ec¶z , Th iÖeWell Caoce Fz¾oda¶izo, eÜlaio¨ ¶ha¶ ¶he Fz¾oda¶izo zÖide¨
“¶aogible ¨¾z ¶ ¶z caoce a¶ieo¶¨, heliog ¶hem ge¶ ¶z aod aÝ fz ¶hei life-¨aÖiog ¶ ea¶meo¶, a¨ ×ell a¨ zffe iog f ee eÜe ci¨e, o¾¶ i¶izo, aod ×elloe¨¨ cla¨¨e¨
¶h z¾gh z¾ DiÖa&D¾de, ¶ha¶ kee ¨¾ ÖiÖz ¨ heal¶hÝ aod ¶h iÖiog.”
I make award-winning tamales!!! Since I grew up in a rich Mexican culture, my family was engulfed in the holiday traditions. My Abuelita was the glue of the family. Everybody gathered at her house to celebrate. She cooked daily for my Abuelito who owned a local cantina down the street. But during Thanksgiving, she made everybody pitch in by bringing a food dish and then we had to clean up afterwards. Thanksgiving was one thing, but when Tamale Season kicked in, no one was allowed to help. She was very particular about the size, shape and the thickness of the tamales. Everytime I attempted to help her spread the masa, she ended up taking the spoon away from me. So I just watched. I watched her spread hoja after hoja until all the masa was gone. She particularly made pork tamales but once in a while she made the sweet ones with raisins. Everyone would gather at her house for Christmas Eve to eat her tamales. Occasionally she sold some here and there to friends in the barrio. Her tamales were the best and yes we ate them with ketchup.
My name is Mayte Ruiz, I was born in south Texas but was raised in the border town of Del Rio, TX. I lived there for about 30 years before I made the move to San Antonio. Growing up, I spent a lot of time around familia, especially my Abuelita Ninfa and my Tia LaLa. My mother was a single mom and a school teacher. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, since I followed in her footsteps. But due to her working so much, my Abuelita and Tia helped raise my older sister Myrna and myself. After Myrna left for college, I stayed behind finishing school and becoming a very young mom. I went to college and became a middle school teacher.
La Tamalera was born in December of 2019. Just like my Abuelita made tamales for the family, I had been practicing every Christmas for my family. Every year, our little family would gather to eat tamales, rice, charro beans, champurrado and of course exchange gifts. One day, I posted a picture of my tamales steaming on social media. Many people commented, astonished at the fact that I could even make tamales. A teacher friend sent me a message asking if I could spare her a couple of dozen. She messaged me the next day with, GIRL…you need to sell these, they are delicious.
It took me a couple of days of thinking and asking for advice from my family, talking to friends for opinions before I decided to actually sell them. But of course, I needed to change it up. I started to experiment in the kitchen with different yet popular combinations of ingredients to put into a tamal. When I saw it was going to e a success, I began a social media group page and started taking orders. Business boomed quickly!
Tamaladas are a wonderful tradition, but unfortunately the art of tamale making isn’t what it used to be. It is plenty of labor intensive work and because of this many don’t want to take the time. Tamales help gather families and friends. It is amazing to hear the stories told and the laughter that comes with the tradition of tamales. Sitting at the table withthepeopleyouloveandthearomaofhomemade
tamales, salsas, and chiles, brings warmth and comfort into our hearts. This became my therapy. The joy of making tamales helped me relieve stress and just knowing the many smiles my tamales would bring drove metomakethemagainandagain.
My Abuelita inspired me to cook. I saw how much joy it would bring her to have her children and grandchildren eat whatever she made for lunch. I thought it was pure magic how she fed all of us from one pan. I am a one woman show. I do everything from marketing, delivering, packaging, taking orders and the one “elbow deep in masa”.
La Tamalera brings people together. Through networking, I have met some wonderful people in San Antonio, Austin, Del Rio, Schertz, Von Ormy, Pearsall and surrounding cities. I have provided tamales for meetings, get togethers, weddings, conventions, the holidays and other social events.. La Tamalera has a social media page on Facebook. This is where I post the order form and also announce any festivals or tamalecookoffsIwillbeapartof.
Email: latamalerasa@gmail.com
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1056203901386747
Special Offers: During the Christmas Holidays, there are tamale bundles available for purchase until supplies last. The bundles include 4 dozen tamales, a bag of chips and salsa, and a 2 liter of soda.
Awards: La Tamalera is the Pearsall Tamale Festival Winner of 2021 (Guisada, bean and cheese tamale). I was also a featured extra in the movie, “Tamale Season”, which is now Streaming on Amazon Prime!
My name is Ana Banda, and my love for travel began in my childhood years. As a child in the 80’s, I first traveled by car with my parents to the southern states of Mexico.At that time, we would mostly visit family over the summers and stay at my grandfather’s rancho. As adults, we talk about those times with my parents as we remember the beautiful moments we experienced while there. Running around as kids with no safety concerns or time restraints, just the joy of swimming in the local watering hole where the local cows or vacas and cattle would drink their water right beside us, scaring us city kids! That same watering hole served as the local laundry services for some of the residents. The (mostly) local women would wash their laundry for their families by scrubbing their clothes on the big boulder flat rocks and rinsing their clean laundry in that same water! As kids, we jumped and splashed around in the same sudsy water that hydrated the town livestock that roamed the undeveloped roads. When we think about organic foods and organic life, for me nothing is more organic than those towns in Mexico. I come from a family that would harvest their own corn fields or milpas and run their own mill or molino at my grandfather or abuelito’s rancho. I remember picking fresh pomegranates to eat from the rows and rows of granada trees that aligned their land. My grandfather owned pigs and chickens and cows on his ranch. Therefore, we enjoyed fresh milk, eggs, cheese and corn tortillas while there.As kids, we fed the pigs the corn feed harvested on my grandfather’s land. As a city kid, little did I know that we would be eating that same pig for the big family farewell dinner when we departed that summer. My grandfather also owned and operated the only transportation bus or camión from his ranch. This bus transportation allowed fellow town residents the opportunity to visit some of the neighboring towns and the bigger city. I am grateful for this childhood experience. If my parents hadn’t traveled to their home town and brought us there, I would have missed out on learning so much about the lifestyle in these small towns in Mexico.
As an adult, I first traveled to Virginia Beach, Virginia by car.At the age of 18, I remember driving through the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas all before arriving in Virginia. I lived in the Commonwealth of Virginia for about 4 years. Because of this exposure to these states, travel became a passion of mine, and it has been for years. There is nothing more liberating than exploring our own unknowns. Yes, you can read about a place, a culture, a recipe in a book and google most anything, but there is nothing like your own experience of the world. Trying new cuisines, listening to new music or visiting a new site is as easy as taking a day trip to a neighboring town. Fill up the gas tank or charge up your electric car, check your tires and allow the roads to take you. I can recall being 18 years old, and popping in a cassette by the band “The Cure” into my car cassette player and driving and exploring the great state of Virginia. This was in 1994, before cellphones and GPS systems were automatically available in our vehicles. I would drive and stop at local gas stations to check a road atlas or ask a local about where abouts I was at that moment! Fearless, I know! This gave me such a sense of freedom! Imagine then, how much easier it is for a road trip in this modern day! We live in a world with all the access to maps and google and yelp reviews at our fingertips! A day trip or road trip is the simplest thing you can do that won’t break that bank account, but what joy it will bring!
My favorite advice when exploring the unknown is remembering that you are never really lost, you are simply about to embark into a new found place. Google things to do in that new place. Remind yourself that this place is not necessarily new, it is simply new to you! Exploring places will be an unfamiliar terrain and environment but with an open mind and heart, you will soon connect with something around you. Remind yourself that this is someone else’s space that you have the privilege of exploring! In that moment, you are simply out of your norm, but this is the beauty of it! Get out of your norm! When you allow yourself to connect, your personal world begins to expand. Travel by car is fun but so is traveling by plane or boat. All are options and all offer their own great experience.
We all come from different likes, dislikes, hobbies, traditions, cultures, etc. Therefore, our views are naturally different in many ways. What someone may find entertaining, may easily be unappealing to someone else. When we step into other places and environments, we will be drawn to what we are naturally comfortable with. My favorite thing to do when I find myself in another town, is to ask a local what their favorite local restaurant or must-have favorites are in their town. Locals are most always eager to share their thoughts and favorites about their town. We all know our own favorite eateries in our own town. Think about this, what are your favorite locations in your city? Maybe this local place does not necessarily advertise on an online page, but as a local, you know about it. Maybe that great restaurant or your favorite eatery you frequent is off the beaten path! Think of where or what you would recommend to a newcomer as they explore your town! Our beautiful Alamo city boasts some of the best tacos around! With so many choices, you are bound to have your favorite! Imagine how excited you would be to share this insight with a new visitor to our city! Just as you enjoy your local places, music and traditions, someone is enjoying their local favorites.
When you travel and start exploring, you will quickly realize how similar you are to others. You may not realize it initially, but you bring your own value to the new places that you seek. You have your own story, your own journey to share! You may find yourself quickly realizing that others may be living a congruent life to yours, just hours away but in a different environment. Allow yourself that opportunity to experience it! In the end, because of my travel experience, I take time to reflect about life when I find myself in new places. What I have realized is how much wasted energy we place into our daily trivial pursuits. There is a whole world to encounter and enjoy outside of our daily lives.
Traveling is a gift that you give yourself. In the long run, traveling is one of the biggest investments in yourself and for yourself. Think about what you spend most of your money on. We all have our guilty pleasures that may perhaps be costing us extra money!Travel is the only thing that you buy, that makes you richer in return. You will become richer in experience, richer in new outlooks, richer in creativity and awareness of the world! Travel may even help your mental health as it allows you to learn more about yourself. I am personally very close to visiting all the states of this great nation, by car, plane, trains, boats, kayaks and motorbikes to name a few! I hope to encourage you to step out of your norm and seek some adventure outside of your daily grind and familiar surroundings. Stay tuned for more of my adventures and experiences from my travel journey! Follow me on FB – Ana Banda and on Instagram The Ana Banda
“YOU ARE NEVER REALLY LOST WHEN YOU TRAVEL, YOU ARE SIMPLY ABOUT TO ENCOUNTER A NEW EXPERIENCE.” ANA
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