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What started as a way to unify community members in the city of Bryan has quickly taken off and now is looking to expand to surrounding communities in the Brazos Valley and throughout the state of Texas.
I Heart Bryan founder and CEO Fabi Payton says her team hopes to expand the organization’s mission and rebrand with the name We Heart Incorporated to support cities and their communities all across the state. With We Heart Incorporated, Fabi says she’s excited to help communities discover the magic of their own communities.
“The more I worked with the people of Bryan, the more I fell in love with Bryan, and the more I realized the magic we have,” Fabi says. “I want to share that magic with other communities across the state.”
Beginning in late 2020, I Heart Bryan was founded after the death of George Floyd, Fabi says she was deeply affected by and wanted to create unity in her community. After she visited a community forum, Bryan Police Chief Eric Buske offered to meet with her and discuss ideas for building connections between police officers and the community.
Despite fears of the meeting affecting her life as a teacher, Fabi says she met with Chief Buske a week later and was welcomed with compassion and open ears.
“I went and I was greeted with the most loving, warm hug and soul that I never thought existed in a police uniform,” Fabi says. “They took me upstairs to the board room, started to talk and that conversation changed everything.”
During that meeting, Payton said she was surprised at the openness of the police department on their policies and immediately wanted to volunteer to help others have similar conversations.
“They said they didn't really have an event coordinator,” Fabi says. “I just remember saying ‘I’ll do it’.”
From that meeting, Fabi began to develop the idea for the organization to bring the community together as one through common goals including police engagement, supporting new community members and connecting individuals to volunteer efforts for the city.
Through programming and various groups open to all, Fabi says they have been able to bless many in the community including teachers, Bryan ISD students and LGBTQ+ community members.
Fabi says there are other issues in the community that she hopes to tackle and bring awareness to with the organization.
“Building relationships is complicated,” Fabi says. “We had cracks in our foundation that were multifaceted. You can’t just fix one crack either; you have to fix all of them.”
Currently, the We Heart Incorporated team is working on finding local leaders who want to help support the organization in cities across the Brazos Valley and the state of Texas.
“The goal is that the organization grows as far as it needs to grow to be a blessing to other communities,” Fabi says. “We hope the new initiative continues to have a heartbeat and a pulse and that organization pulls a group of people that are willing to have uncomfortable conversations for the right reasons.”
After seeing the success of I Heart Bryan, the organization has partnered with community members in Hearne to create I Heart Hearne, who is also working on a mission of unifying the community with I Heart Bryan’s support.
“We need people who want to lead with passion and believe in our mission,” Fabi says. “I Heart Hearne is coming with all of Bryan behind them.”
I Heart Bryan is always looking for leaders who feel passionate about helping their community with their mission of inclusivity and service.
“If there’s somebody out there who feels like there’s something inside them, and they don’t know how to name it, come find us,” Fabi says.
For more information about I Heart Bryan, visit iheartbryanevents.com. Individuals interested in getting involved or starting their own I Heart organization should contact the team at iheartbryanevents@gmail.com.
Teacher Closet
With many out of pocket costs, teachers often struggle to provide classrooms with supplies due to having to provide them with personal funds. The Teacher Closet initiative hopes to bring support to teachers in the community by providing them with the classroom supplies they need to succeed.
Journey Together
For many college freshmen, transitioning to newfound freedom can be difficult and, at times, lonely. Journey Together pairs these area freshmen with adult mentors to give advice on essential skills, such as career advice and time management.
Belong in Bryan
Bryan is a beautiful blend of people from other states or sometimes even from around the world. However, being a new resident can be tricky. The Belong in Bryan initiative strives to show that everyone, even fresh faces, can find their place in the community and connect with locals.
Come Together
Being your authentic self can be scary without knowing who to trust in the community. By creating family-friendly LGBTQ+ events, the Come Together initiative hopes to bring every member of the community together and create unity with the Bryan Police Department.
I Heart to Help
For those looking to give back to their community, I Heart to Help connects locals to many different volunteer opportunities, including a Six Kittens Rescue and helping families impacted by the pandemic.
Workout Together
Need a workout partner to make healthy living less intimidating? Workout Together brings likeminded community members together to achieve a common goal — a healthier lifestyle.
