“I am the one who creates intimacy by embracing vulnerability in myself and others.”

Ari creates safe spaces to heal. He does this through drumming and gardening. Ari volunteers with special needs preschoolers, many whom don’t yet have the language to talk about their feelings. Most of these children are emotionally traumatized. Ari is on Disability for a Traumatic Brain Injury. 15 years ago he could not speak, read, or write. He started to rehabilitate himself by making and playing drums. He soon found out drumming is a method of communication more versatile and universal than language. Ari reached out to the community at large offering drum building classes and gifting drums for personal and ceremonial use.  When he is not making drums he has his hands in the dirt. Ari maintains a vegetable garden for 48 households. He also trains others to build gardens in their own backyards. He does this in collaboration with the Southern Arizona Community Food Bank.  Ari is a Mentor and Elder in the Tucson Transgender Community. He is an active contributor to Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, speaking and educating the Greater Tucson Community.