Passion and focus are key elements in new nonprofit

It is without question Melissa Horn and her husband, David, have big hearts.

You can just feel it when they talk.

And now, they are expanding what those big hearts want to give with a nonprofit organizations targeted at helping everyday people lead better lives.

YOLOVIVI Rooted Wellness Collective is now an active organization in Mariposa County and beyond and the couple are hoping to help even more people.

“We want to bring this to the masses,” said Melissa.

There is a long list of offerings from the organization. Those include mindfulness and grounding, sound healing, nature-based healing, wellness education, meditation and breath work, aromatherapy and sensor-based healing, symbolic guidance and reflective practices, community healing circles and group spaces, life skills, safety and preparedness, workplace and occupational wellness and more.

That is a lot, but the couple said a much of it is simply grounded in improving the human experience.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time,” said Melissa.

David works at Yosemite National Park focusing on safety and occupational issues. Melissa now works at Mariposa County Health and Human Services, but it was her time at Heritage House that brought this into focus.

“It changed my life,” she said.

While at Heritage House, she developed a program working with unhoused people “who didn’t know where there next meal was coming from.”

That, she said, had a major impact on her life and gave her focus which led to this new venture, YOLOVIVI Rooted Wellness Collective.

For David, he said focusing on safety and occupational health services as his occupation showed how he could take those skills and bring it to the masses.

“I want to apply it to the real word, the life safety skills,” he said.

Moving forward

They have been doing it for quite some time, but it was in February of this year when they obtained the nonprofit status.

“It changes everything,” said Melissa.

The biggest change, she said, is it means they can offer services at no or low cost to potential clients. It also allows them to seek funding sources.

“We are still in our infancy,” she stressed.

Part of that growing up means asking one simple question: “What does the community need?”

They’ve been trying to get those answers by having a presence at events like the Mariposa Butterfly Festival and the recent Fourth of July celebration.

In meeting with people, they are gaining a better understanding of the needs and how they can focus their offerings to meet what the community wants — and needs.

Melissa said they are working on partnering with as many local organizations as possible in order to provide a wide range of services.

“We have a lot of connections,” said Melissa.

Whether that means teaching people how to climb a rope or using glass instruments for calming moments, the possibilities seem endless.

“There is a lot to be said about connections,” said Melissa.

Whether that is referring people to other resources or focusing on what can help them, both are there for the community.

She said they have developed a newsletter and there are also many resources available on the group’s website.

Melissa’s next big goal is getting a license to become a therapist, which she is currently in the process of obtaining.

The current times

One thing that cannot be overlooked is the times in which we all live.

Melissa and David are well aware of that and know it has impacts on nearly everyone.

“The only thing we can rely on is ourselves,” she said.

Stress, too, is a major issue in the current economy, when people are struggling just to put food on the table, pay rent and try to survive the best they can.

But, said Melissa, with the right guidance, things can change for people, especially those who are struggling.

“You can see the light come on,” she said of success stories through YOLOVIVI Rooted Wellness Collective. “It starts within.”

Also part of the mission, they said, is guiding people in the right direction so they can take control of their lives and “how to get the footing they need.”

That could mean learning job skills, or even resume writing lessons.

By adding in wellness and safety, they said it brings it to an entirely new level.

“Wholistic,” is how Melissa describes her focus.

“Uncertainty is why we got into wellness,” said David.

His expertise in issue like OSHA safety courses is one way he can not only help people gain confidence, but also to help guide them in the bigger scheme of things.

Focusing on the future

The couple said they are taking this new venture one day at a time and have been traveling to events around the region to spread the word.

But what about that name, YOLOVIVI?

Well, the first four letters are simple: You only live once.

Vivi, they said, is an African word which means “look for the lights” and “there is always love.”

Those are themes for them and have deep-rooted meaning for a couple who literally met in a cave.

Both are from rural Pennsylvania and one of their first dates was him taking her into a cave. Not your ordinary tourist cave, mind you, but one where actual spelunking takes place. Tight fits. Crawling.

She said when they arrived, it was “literally a small hole in the ground.”

He invited her in and it’s been love ever since. She wasn’t a cave person then, but was quickly converted, possibly on that early date.

“Caves were our lives for years,” said David.

It doesn’t take long to realize that, either, when he starts rattling off the various caves around the country, even breaking them down by state.

Did you know Missouri has the most show caves? That Tennessee has the most caves?

David does.

That caving experience certainly shows in how the couple interacts and how they are planning to pursue this nonprofit venture focused on helping those in need.

“We want to reach the people by getting to their level,” said Melissa.

She added something else that is obvious to anyone who has a conversation with the couple.

“I am highly passionate,” she said.

To find out more information about the organization, visit the website at www.yolovivi.com, where there is a wide variety of information about the programs they offer and more.