Shavonna Gilbert

Family is like a support system. Just having people that have your back people to spend time with enjoy things with making memories with. So I grew up with my mom, Phyllis, single mom. She's been with the Urban Appalachian Council since before I can remember it before I was born. But yeah, just like I wanted to bring my son today because this was like a tradition. We always had come into the Appalachian Festival. We would come work, sell apples at the stand, walk around. Like I was telling him that, you know, there used to be rides and games and all the things we used to do as a kid. Memorial Day we would go to the country and decorate graves for my grandparents and get to meet all the relatives we never had a chance to meet. The family would reconnect. It was like a family reunion at the graveyard. I just think I've grown up in the Appalachian community and just the support and connection that everybody shares. I think it's good to keep that going and just have that support system that they may not get other places.