Society’s unyielding pressure towards perfection, combined with rampant increases in mental health concerns, creates significant obstacles for healthy, happy development. Oftentimes, this sensation is realized in body image issues, and I am proud to support an organization that encourages people to recognize their worth – within and beyond their bodies – so they may move toward a more positive way of feeling about themselves and being. 

“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.”

–Mary Wollstonecraft 

Joanna Rogister

Hom, RHN, BA Author, Speaker, Intuitive Life Coach, Homeopath

“Sometimes we’re tested, not to show our weaknesses, but to show our strengths.”

–Anonymous 

We are profoundly impacted by the events of our lives because they limit our potential to achieve great things. When we provide people with the tools that they need to deal with impactful events, rather than ignoring

them or avoiding them, we can help them achieve the impossible. Recognizing, understanding and learning how to deal with eating disorders will change people’s lives. 

Education, prevention, and early intervention are essential components in supporting individuals and families who are experiencing the impact of an Eating Disorder, and food and weight preoccupation. Hope Matters to me because it signifies that these members of our community are not alone and we can connect them to resources, offer education and most importantly share our hope for recovery. 

“Never apologize for burning too brightly or collapsing into yourself every night. That is how galaxies are made.”

–Tyler Kent White 

Heather Davies

Professional Organizer, Owner BirchTree Organizing

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”

–Ayn Rand 

As someone whose life was impacted by disordered eating and who is now the mother of a young daughter, Heather is excited to be a part of an organization fighting against the myths and stigma surrounding disordered eating and connecting people and families to the resources they need. 

Growing up as a little girl, images of perfection, size, weight and the norms of what an “ideal” woman should or should not be, or resemble, have always influenced myself and my friends around me.

Nowadays with more social media access, presence
and influence, these same issues have never been more impactful on today’s society.
I am grateful to be a part of group mission that helps spread more awareness and resources to those who may be suffering in silence. 

“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

–Leonard Cohen 

Anita Watkins

Studio Owner and Photographer at Anita Watkins Portraits

“If you are the kind of person who tends to succeed in what you start, changing what you start could be the most extraordinary thing you do.”

–Anand Giridharadas 

As a photographer that works with women to help them feel confident and beautiful as they are, and a former high school biology teacher that spent decades working with teens, I am acutely aware of how body image and self esteem are so often linked. I am passionate about the work that Hope’s EDS does. 

I have seen firsthand how devastating an illness it can be for the individual and their loved ones. Growing up
as a millennial with access to different modes of social media, I see firsthand how difficult it can be for women and men constantly being compared and comparing themselves to what is deemed “beautiful” in our society. I am passionate about changing this norm in our society. 

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

–Thomas A. Edison