Our Story

The Seed Was Planted: Kampala, Uganda — 2008

Heartfelt Community began with a seed planted in Kampala, Uganda.

I had dreamed of serving in Africa since I was 11 years old, but as a brand-new massage therapist, I never felt qualified. I believed Africa needed doctors and teachers—not someone like me.

While visiting an AIDS clinic, I stood before a sea of faces and wondered how many people were living without the simple gift of healthy, compassionate touch. Many were isolated because of illness, fear, or stigma.

Then I noticed an alternative health clinic offering different therapies and had a life-changing realization:

“That’s what I can do. I can offer therapeutic touch to people who otherwise may not receive it.”

That moment changed everything.

When I returned home, I began looking for those in my own community who were experiencing the same lack of connection. I quickly realized that our elders—especially those in later stages of life—are among the most touch-deprived people in our society.

I had found my calling.

A Calling Becomes a Mission: 2021–2022

Years later, in May 2021, a friend asked me why I started my massage practice. I explained that my dream had always been to serve people who couldn’t come to me—to bring care into homes, hospice, hospitals, and skilled nursing communities.

Then she asked a simple question:

“Are you doing that?”

I looked down and answered, “No.”

That question became a turning point.

For years, I carried this vision. I shared it, talked about it, and searched for ways to serve those who needed it most. But I realized it was time to stop waiting and start walking forward.

I began learning how to create a nonprofit, and on November 29, 2021, Heartfelt Community held its first official board meeting. In March 2022, we received our official nonprofit designation.

A dream that began years before was becoming a reality.

Growing Where We Are Planted:

While my heart has always been in East Africa, my mission has always been rooted here at home.

Heartfelt Community began in Gloucester, Virginia, serving our elders and surrounding communities through Compassionate Touch®, therapeutic massage, and meaningful connection. Our commitment remains to those in our own communities who experience isolation, loneliness, and a lack of healthy touch.

As we continue to grow, our vision is expanding—not replacing our local mission, but extending it.

We believe every elder deserves dignity, connection, and compassionate care, whether they are in Gloucester, surrounding communities, across the United States, or in East Africa.

Coming Full Circle: East Africa Expansion — 2026

On July 20, 2026—exactly 18 years after that first moment in Kampala—Heartfelt Community officially expanded its mission to offer Compassionate Touch® to elders in East Africa.

In September and October 2026, I will return to Uganda, not as someone wondering if massage therapy has a place there, but as an educator and partner. I will teach Compassionate Touch® at Hospice Africa in Kampala and provide additional trainings for medical professionals and family caregivers in western Uganda.

What began as a seed planted in Africa has come full circle.

Heartfelt Community exists to remind people that every person deserves dignity, connection, and the healing power of compassionate touch.

From Gloucester to East Africa and beyond, our mission remains the same:

Touching lives, one person at a time.