Our Story

We were two Charm City souls committed to doing the internal trauma healing work necessary to be our best selves for the world. While on our own personal journeys, our hearts and minds collided and we discovered we could support each other because of our parallel stories. At this moment, the initiative for a Pledge for Peace and the concept of Reach for the Stars Walkathon was born. We are firm believers that with the power of love, faith and hope, the universe has a way of letting us know we are exactly where we need to be, doing the work we are meant to do, with the people we are meant to do it with.

Email us at hello@reachforthestarsbaltimore.org

​Ashley Rivera

Ashley is a thriving activist who has experienced domestic violence of various forms and mental health struggles throughout her life. She shares her story starting as a young Latina from Jersey City, New Jersey in an emotionally disconnected home. Her experiences catapulted her from a DV research participant into a co-researcher of 5+ years. She is a proud member of the Community Family Life Services (CFLS) Speakers Bureau as of May 2021, where she sits on the advisory committee guiding new cohort members and facilitating support groups. Ashley is a local resource advocating for wellness, trauma healing and self care. She volunteers at EPIC Church Baltimore as a prayer warrior and provides holistic support at Charm City Integrative Health. Her mission is to use her pain and journey as a hopeful guide to empower others to have faith, instill confidence, and foster strength to recognize unhealthy dynamics within themselves and their community.

---

Lauren Williams

Lauren is a Baltimore native and has served the community as a registered nurse since 2017. After years of dealing with addiction and unresolved trauma, she began the journey of recovery through intensive therapy and trauma work, including EMDR and brain-spotting. With the passion of helping others always on the forefront, she is excited to help create a space that focuses on domestic violence awareness in her community. As a survivor herself, this is an issue that truly speaks to her heart. As she progresses in lifelong healing, she wants to help others recognize the importance of searching for a silver lining because while it may be hard to find, it is always there. She believes that shifting your state of mind and living every day with gratitude can change your life, as it has for herself.