Our Facilitators
Auntie Jess
With Heartful Rootz Afterschool Program M-F 1-6pm.
As an extension and support system for the TLC Traveling School youth program, Heartful Rootz is honored to welcome additional youth into our nurturing community, guided in part by the vibrant leadership of Jess Rene.
Auntie Jess is the embodiment of care and creativity. With a lifetime dedicated to nurturing others, Jess has cared for over 60 babies and youth as a nanny, supported individuals with disabilities, provided elder care, and served as a compassionate death doula. Their professional journey includes training as a Certified Nurse Assistant, as well as studies in Interior Design and Architecture.
A lifelong gardener, Jess is a self-taught—and Indigenous community-taught—herbalist, ethnobotanist, and ecologist, passionately creating food forests and advocating for food sovereignty for all. Their artistic spirit shines through pottery, song, body painting, tattooing, and Danza, all of which keep Auntie Jess deeply connected to their cultural roots.
Auntie Jess’s work reaches far beyond the classroom. They:
Teach Immigrant Youth Entrepreneurship Skills: Guiding young people from immigrant backgrounds in developing practical entrepreneurship skills, empowering them to create and sustain their own ventures.
Support Educators: Facilitate workshops for groups of teachers on how to Indigenize classroom and garden spaces, fostering environments that honor and integrate Indigenous knowledge and practices.
Garden Design Transformation: Organize and support the transition of single-home gardens into thriving community sharing garden spaces, cultivating food security, collaboration, and ecological stewardship. They also partner with community centers to design and establish food forests that are created by and for the community, ensuring everyone has a hand in shaping these abundant, shared resources.
As the first in their family to actively reconnect with their heritage since colonization, Jess brings a unique perspective and dedication to cultural reclamation.
Indigenous heritage on Auntie Jess's mothers side, her mother's roots are: Nahua - Otami, Zapotec, Mixteca with Tarahumara, Andean and African roots. Their great grandmother was a Potter, and it means the world that we recover their rootz and culture! Her mother's father was mixed Spanish and they are trying to heal from colonization within their family. On Jess's father side, his father's roots are mixed First Nations: Algonquin, Cree, Ojibway (Anishinaabeg), Iroquois (Mohawk), with French & Scottish mix, some would say Métis. Jess's father's mom is Scandinavian, their great grandmother was the first to come to the Americas in Minnesota. A descendant of the Indigenous Sámi peoples. They have not yet been claimed by their tribes.
Auntie Jess is excited to support youth in expressing their emotions in healthy ways, following their hearts and passions, curating art for markets, and boosting self-image and self-worth. They are also committed to helping young people develop attunement to their gut health, instincts, mindfulness, and a sense of belonging within the wider community.
You may have seen Jess at local markets, and you can explore their creative works at JessReneCreative.com or follow them on social media @Singing_Pots.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. We offer a variety of opportunities for individuals and groups to get involved and make a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Assistant Facilitators
Hired for collaborations, when needed and expansions.