Welcome! We are so glad you are here. You deserve to heal with people that understand and know where you're coming from. In your healing journey, you should be surrounded by people that share your identities.
You might be here because you are coming to terms with a potential eating disorder and/or it has been difficult for you to find safe and adequate spaces to connect with others that get you.
Here at Sage and Spoon we believe that race, colonialism, and socioeconomic oppression are critical and non-negotiable factors that need to be addressed when speaking of mental health, food, and body image. We prioritize the need for Black, Indigenous, people of color to have intentional spaces to fully thrive.
We see you!
Sage and Spoon
For Who:
Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)
What:
Free online monthly peer support group for folks struggling with disordered and body-image.
When:
Every last Wednesday of the month at 5pm PST/ 8pm EST. Dates may change due to holidays. Sign up for email alerts for updates.
Where:
Zoom (sign up below for login details)
About Our Facilitator
Hilda Franco is a fat, queer, Xicanx, femme. She has been a community organizer for the past 20 years. For the last 11 years she has been doing gender based violence prevention and intervention work. During this time, she developed and managed youth advocate programs to engage young folks in DV and SA Prevention in Boyle Heights. She worked as a counselor/advocate on the Sexual Assault Response team doing crisis intervention at the LAC/USC Medical Center. And has been organizing grassroots efforts to support marginalized communities in developing art based programs to raise awareness around gender based violence. She specializes in designing and facilitating trauma informed, healing and justice centered programs and interventions for BIPOC folks. Hilda received recognition for the trauma informed altar making project she designed and conducted, by the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) in Sacramento. She has developed Trauma Informed Pedagogy guides for teachers and facilitators working with survivors of sexual violence, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ folks and foster youth.
Since 2014, Nalgona Positivity Pride, community, and colleagues have actively been pursuing and creating community-based eating disorders awareness and resources for marginalized communities. Sage and Spoon was created because there is a need for more closed spaces designated for BIPOC where folks can feel seen and supported without having to explain themselves.
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If you believe in the mission and would like to make a positive impact, consider donating to support our work. Your contribution will help us provide accessible resources, organize educational events, and foster a supportive environment for individuals living with eating disorders. By donating, you become an integral part of our movemenTogether, we can create lasting change and empower individuals on their path
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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SS is for Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) older than 18. Folks of all sizes and gender identities are welcome.
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Style of meetings vary from presentation with slides, reflections, group sharing, & discussions. Each meeting has a different theme ranging from perfectionism and eating disorders, shame and pleasure, and coping strategies during uncertain times.
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Although not a therapeutic group, SS for BIPOC is held by Hilda Franco, MS a queer, fat, femme Xicana (She/Her). Hilda is a trained counselor and a community activist.
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Yes. Folks can opt out of using video conferencing and participation as well as change their display name.
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Yes. Part of the group agreements include maintaining confidentiality. We also ask participants to use a headset if they don't have privacy in their physical space.
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Yes.
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SS is supported by restitution contributions by the general eating disorders awareness community.
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Yes.
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No, it is a peer support group. We recommend participants to find other forms of support alongside SS.
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1. We cannot guarantee a safe space 100% of the time but follow the saying, “What is said in the group stays in the group!”
2. No numbers talk here about food, calories, body size, clothing size, exercise, etc. For instance, if you ate cake today, say “I ate a lot of cake.” Numbers can bring up uneasy feelings for people dealing with eating disorders.
3. Speak from your own way of living and do not compare yourself to other people’s way of living or identities.
4. I agree to honor and use people’s correct gender identity/expression. Please don’t assume someone’s gender identity/expression by their looks; Sage & Spoon is a space where all people can develop the habit of asking others’ correct gender identity/expression. If you don’t know or don’t remember, it is always best to ask.
5. Meetings will be free of diet, body size and exercise talk. We will NOT food or body shame anyone in this space. All foods have a place in our meals and snacks.
6. Sharing is not a must but we invite folks to be open and share. Meetings are much more powerful when this happens. Speaking of sharing.! You may want to share some services or products you have tried BUT please do not do this in the meeting.
7. Be kind and aware that we may be in different places in our journeys. We all have a lot to “unpack” when it comes to food, exercise, or just life stuff so be kind if someone says something that makes you feel uneasy. Let’s be civil while we are growing.
8. We invite all members to challenge thoughts and language about fatness and health. Anti-fat talk is not accepted in this safe space. Try not to use the “O words” aka obesity, obese, and overweight.
9. This is a support group NOT a clinical therapy group! If you feel you need more expert help, reach out to one of the co-learners. However, if you are experiencing a crisis and/or suicide ideation please contact https://dontcallthepolice.com/ as a preventative service for resources. Wellbeing visits do involve police presence.
10. If you are hungry, PLEASE feel free to eat. Mute yourself and then rejoin when you are ready.
11. We will put a trigger warning in the chat box and say it out loud before talking about topics that may be sensitive. You may “leave” the group temporarily by turning off your camera and speaker. We will put a message in the chatbox to let you know when we have finished talking about the sensitive topic.