Wider Circle’s Stories From The Circle: Better Together, One Juice at a Time: Rashida’s Story

Sometimes the smallest change ripples out further than we expect. For Rashida, it started with a juicer and a community that showed up for her.

In this edition of Stories From The Circle, meet Rashida, a single mom who turned a serious health scare into a fresh start. With the support of her Wider Circle community and a new focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, she lowered her blood pressure, cut back on medications, and got her energy back. Today she’s a Wider Circle Ambassador, helping others do the same, with her son right beside her.

We hope her story reminds you what’s possible when we show up for one another.

Rashida D.

Better Together, One Juice at a Time: Rashida’s Story of Health and Community

Rashida’s community showed up for her when she needed it most, and now she’s giving back, one fresh juice at a time.

Early last year, a dangerous spike in blood pressure landed Rashida in the hospital, a scare that meant even more as a single mom and the primary caregiver for her son. Although she had lived with high blood pressure and diabetes for years, she decided to make a change so she could be healthy and present for her family.

Luckily, she had her Wider Circle community to lean on. As she recovered, they reached out, checking in on her health and her life. “Wider Circle has helped with my blood pressure journey by checking in on me and asking the tough questions, like have I been to the doctor? Was my blood pressure okay?” Rashida said. Even when she couldn’t make it in person, the virtual gatherings kept her connected to people facing similar struggles. “We uplift and encourage each other,” she said.

At those events, the conversation often turned to simple, budget-friendly ways to incorporate more healthy eating into her day. The community also pointed her toward resources she’d never known about, from food assistance programs to local deals that helped stretch her grocery budget for her and her son.

The ideas stuck. Rashida put fresh produce at the center of her breakfast and began experimenting with juices, quickly falling in love with the process. A morning blend of pineapple, papaya, and apple became her go-to, and she stopped eating out altogether. She had more energy as her blood sugar stopped spiking and crashing, and she began sleeping through the night again.

Soon, she was bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to events, and members noticed her reaching for those instead of fast food. The community cheered her on, asking questions about her health progress and trading ideas of their own. 

“We are like family,” Rashida says.

Over time, her blood pressure settled into a healthy range, and she’s since gone from five daily medications down to two.She’s stayed out of the hospital and felt more in control of an irregular heartbeat that once worried her.

As her own health turned around, Rashida couldn’t stop talking about it. Her Community Engagement Lead, Lanita Williams, watched her go from too shy to speak up to leading the conversation, and saw a chance to help her grow. Lanita invited her to become an Ambassador and host her own juicing event, and Rashida jumped at it. Lanita helped organize the produce, and Rashida walked members through her recipes step by step, showing just how affordable fresh fruits and vegetables can be.

The event struck a chord. Rashida now hosts “Juicing and Eating Healthy” events every quarter. The ripple keeps spreading, too: several members have started making their own juice at home, and Rashida gives away donated juicers to encourage others to start. Even her son makes juice right alongside her and has become a fixture at events himself. “We make each other better and healthier by learning from one another,” Rashida said.

Today, Rashida is showing up for her community more than ever. She picked up additional hours caring for older adults, and started a mentorship program for local teens. When someone misses an event, she’s the first to call and check in. “I think it’s just the way her heart is built,” said Lanita.

Thank you, Rashida, for showing us what one small change and one big heart can do. And thank you to our sponsors for helping make stories like hers possible.