news briefs

Ariya Chiropractic Upgrades Westhampton Office

Ariya Family Chiropractic Centers has made a large investment in the long-term health of its Westhampton office at 5600 Patterson Avenue, Suite D, in Richmond. After eight years in the same location, the office is moving to a newly renovated suite at Post Office Square. The team at Ariya spent three months conducting a complete buildout of the new space.

Dr. Minesh Patel, cofounder of Ariya Chiropractic, states, “We saw an opportunity to take a great space and bring it up to date. The difference is amazing. The revived look and modern interior creates an energizing and soothing space for patients.”

Cofounder Dr. Nisha Saggar-Patel led the team’s design vision. “We focused on a new interpretation of classical themes. The color palette adds a sense of comfort to the environment, and the artwork is naturalist and minimal. We’re very happy with the results, and we know our patients will enjoy an expanded and updated home for their treatment,” she says.

For more information, call 804-288-1005 or visit AriyaChiro.com. See ads, pages 5 and 30.

New Chiropractor Joins Ariya’s Colonial Heights Team

Dr. Andrew Bauman

Dr. Andrew Bauman has joined the chiropractic team at Ariya Family Chiropractic Centers in its Colonial Heights office. Bauman served in the Marines before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from the University of Akron and attending the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Florida. Certified by the Virginia Board of Medicine, Bauman has treated patients in the Richmond community since 2017. He is a member of the Unified Virginia Chiropractic Association and enjoys working with patients from newborn to elderly to achieve their health-oriented goals.

Location: 3507 Boulevard, Ste. A, Colonial Heights.For more information and appointments,call 804-526-7125 or visit AriyaChiro.com. See ads, pages 5 and 30. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden will host their annual Spring PlantFest Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., May 13 and 14, in parking lot C, rain or shine. The Garden’s plant sales are among the largest in the region, with more than 40 vendors selling plants ranging from well-known favorites to rare exotics and other garden-related items.

It is also a great opportunity to get gardening questions answered. A wagon is recommended for easy carrying. PlantFest is presented by Garden volunteers, and all proceeds benefit the Garden’s educational mission. Dogs are welcome to attend, but are not allowed in the Garden.

No admission fee for the sale; regular Garden admission in effect. Location: 1800 Lakeside Ave. For more information, including vendors, visit bit.ly/PLANTFest.

Shalom Farms Welcomes New Executive Director

Änna Ibrahim

Änna Ibrahim has been appointed the new executive director of Shalom Farms, a local nonprofit working to build healthy communities by growing more than 600,000 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables on over eight acres in Chesterfield County. The produce is distributed through a network of programs and partnerships in Richmond and surrounding communities where access to healthy food is limited. Partnerships and initiatives include the Mobile Market, Prescription Produce Plan and Nutrition Distribution Program.

Ibrahim has a demonstrated track record of success, including serving as chief operating officer for Faith in Public Life, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization where she facilitated embedding a racial equity lens into program planning, strategic planning and visioning. Ibrahim will appear at the Shalom Farms Summer Kickoff, held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 21.

Location: 2676 Venita Rd., Midlothian. For more information, call 804266-1914 or visit ShalomFarms.org.

Black Vegan Experience to Host Second Annual Event on May 14

The Black Vegan Experience multicultural educational conference and vegan festival had its debut last year and will be held this year on May 14. This celebration of African American ancestry and networking event was born in November 2019 during a Vitamix demonstration and conversation between a vegan teacher, vegan nurse, vegan nutritionist and naturopathic physician. They created an educational platform to address the medical concerns in the Black community and remove the stereotypes attached to veganism and Black culture. Keynote speaker Dr. Milton Mills, featured in documentaries What the Health? and The Invisible Vegan, with producer Jasmine Leyva, will speak about plant-based living. There will also be special guest musicians, Official Grey Music, with Plant Based Drippin’. The event this year will be hosted by Sunnispeaks and feature local talent that includes comedian Mike Jay and vocal artist Kimberley Edmonds-Best. The main event sponsor, Committee of Consciousness (COC), is a newly formed nonprofit that empowers people through education. The COC plans to partner with other organizations on projects that eradicate food deserts and improve access to healthy food. This year, their focus will be on supporting the Jackson Ward community. Other sponsors include VegFund, Vegan Action, A Well-Fed World, Unchained TV and Qi Mind and Body.

Executive Director and Event Organizer, Vonettia Calloway, believes that educating others empowers them to make informed choices and helps us hold one another accountable to higher standards of self-care, other care and caring for Earth. A percentage of the proceeds from The Black Vegan Experience will go toward building the knowledge base of plant-based nutrition, meal planning, budgeting, nutrition services and scholarships in local and surrounding communities.

Location: Outside the Flying Squirrels Stadium at 3001 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. and online. For more information, call 804-571-6689 or visit TheBlackVeganExperience.com.

City Bees Teaches Ecological Awareness

Beekeep ers Hollee Freeman and Nikiya Ellis joined forces after managing their local hives for three years to develop City Bees, an engaging and educational program that demystifies our understanding of honeybees and helps educate the community about the importance of bees in our lives and our ecosystem.

Participants ages 8 and up get a 90-minute “bees-eye” view of a hive through safe interaction with honeybees in their apiary. During the program, they will better understand the job of beekeeping (including apiary inspections and hive management), the history and biology of bees, weather and climate influences, environmental justice and more. Student groups are also welcome.

City Bees is held in-person at a local orchard/farm in the metro Richmond area. Programs occur during weekends from April to September and are followed by tea time and Q&A with the beekeepers. Guests can sample local honey and learn how they can support sustainability efforts in the region.

Register for the programs through city_bees_ RVA on Eventbrite. For more information, email CityBeesRVA@gmail.com.

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