Care Café hosted a virtual presentation from our “In the Spirit of Wellness” series entitled “Understanding Wholistic Methods to Enhance One’s Quality of Life.” In partnership with the Williams Institutional CME Church and Rivers of Living Water (Faith) Church in Harlem, an audience of over 40 attendees were educated about wholistic health approaches. Our well-rounded panel of speakers included, Mr. Donald Sheppard Jr. of The Sheppard Foundation, Inc.; Mr. William “Tony” Rogers, CEO of Urbanology Systems, LLC; and Mr. Keith Williams, all of whom offered their personal stories, reflections and guidance based on their specific areas of expertise. The speakers spoke, at length, about tips, benefits, and strategies to implement wholistic health methods into our daily lifestyle, including but not limited to the following:

• Walking barefoot and on your toes – promoting improved balanced and steady gait
• Eating organic foods – predominately plant forward
• Engaging deep breathing and restorative exercises such as yoga and Tai Chi
• Increase movement to support improved blood circulation
• Strongly consider modifying your lifestyle to support your maximum productivity

Sheppard is a protégé of his grandfather, who was ordained into the Arawak priesthood in 1959. He shared that his reasons for adopting wholistic health methods was a result of his sister’s very personal experience with cancer, diagnosed at age 11. He and his sister explored herbal formulas to facilitate the remission of the cancer. As a result, he and his sister organized The Sheppard Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit corporation designed to research and educate the public pn the most effective wholistic alternative and nontoxic and natural treatments available. Williams reflected on his fondest memories of his grandmother as the foundation for wholistic health with castor oil. Today, Williams, a veteran, is a proponent of the use of ginseng and educated the group about benefits of its uses. He also encouraged attendees to strongly consider learning the mechanics of growing their own gardens and offered guidance to help people to do this, noting that “it is important to have the ability to grow fruit and vegetables yourself.” Finally, Rogers, president and CEO of Urbanology Systems, LLC, a New York-based strategic management and marketing consultant company, is also co-founder of the Harlem Ki Energy Wellness Center. He is a certified Ayurvedic Medicine practitioner, a six-degree black belt in GoJu Karate, and the first African American trained to be a Korean Taoist Ki wellness master. Rogers is also the founder of the Annual Harlem Holistic Wellness Week (H2W) occurring in the last week of April, considered the largest urban cultural/economic development festival on the east coast. President of the Harlem Tourism Board and Founder/CEO of ARTWAR Travel and Tours Inc., Rogers served as urban policy advisor for five City College of New York presidents and has been an executive board member of the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce for over 40 years. He is also an author, newspaper columnist, radio talk show host, producer, and host of the Urbanology Show aired on the Soul City TV Network. Attendees were invited to attend the 2022 Harlem Wellness Week from April 30 through May 7. For more information about Mr. Rogers: ; ; For more information about Care Café and to get involved, please contact Kim Moore, director of Care Café at 646-592-6827 or Kimberly.moore@yu.edu To all, be well!