Today we’d like to introduce you to Rain Eatmon.
Hi Rain, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello! I’m Rain Eatmon, and I’m 32 years old. I am the founder and Executive Director of the Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group. I’ve been married to my AMAZING husband, Landon Eatmon, for seven years, and we currently serve at Faith Temple Worship Center.
I was born and raised in Trinity Gardens. The majority of my family is spread across Trinity/Houston Gardens, Kashmere Gardens, and Fifth Ward. When I was seven, my mother and I moved to Acres Homes, and I’ve been here ever since. I graduated from G.W. Carver High School in 2010 and Texas Southern University in 2017, where I majored in Music Performance. My original goal was to be a performing music teacher. I gave piano and voice lessons during the day and gigged at night, and for a while, I was happy. But I really had a passion for serving. I would love to volunteer in church and help my mom around the house, but it didn’t go further than that until I finished college. I always loved my community, but I never got a chance to know my community until I was much older. I understood that I grew up in a place of privilege, and when I finished college I wanted to give back through my piano lessons.
However, I noticed that the more I offered lessons in my community, the more I heard other priorities compete for relevance. “I have to worry about food before I put my kids in lessons.” “I have no transportation or room for lessons.” More often than not, I would have to travel to Sugarland, Pearland, and Myerland to get paid for my services. Then I would offer my lessons at reduced prices or in some cases completely free. Meanwhile, I was really upset with how many challenges there were in my community. Some of the stories were similar to my upbringing, but the key difference was that my mother and my family banded together to bridge whatever gap we came across for my own piano lessons and theater camps. I also saw that it was nearly impossible for families to discuss anything regarding the arts when safety, lack of nutritious food, and lack of resources were always top of mind.
My last effort to celebrate the creative spirit in Acres Homes was the Garden City Music Festival! This festival was created to help independent musicians in Acres Homes learn the basics of the Music Business while displaying their talents to the community. Although it was a major success, other pressing matters in the community drew me closer to organizing.
Fast forward to 2019, I hosted the 2nd Garden City Music Festival, and I was approached by State Representative Jarvis Johnson amidst the De Soto Batch Plant battle. He appreciated my tenacity and grit and wanted me to help plan events for his seniors in Acres Homes. I was excited to be on his team because I wanted to learn how to make meaningful change. Donisha Cotlone helped make the introduction and the rest was history. I spent the next year learning about state government and connecting with my community on a completely different level. It was the best training ground I could have asked for.
Unfortunately, my time in his office came to an end, and I became more involved in the nonprofit space with organizations like Houston Justice and Restoring Justice. Durrell Douglas and Houston Justice really showed me how to be bolder and direct in my organizing, and Drew Wiley and the Restoring Justice team covered me during the COVID-19 pandemic with grace and a better appreciation for the fight to end mass-incarceration.
From there, I connected with Tarsha Jackson, and I worked on the last leg of her campaign. After she won, she asked me to be her Director of Constituent Services. I’ve wanted to work in District B since I was a child, so this offer meant the world to me. Due to her background in organizing, I saw what effect organizing could have from an elected official’s office, and it made me evaluate the importance of engaging the community.
Over the next year and a half, I noticed that there were a lot of misconceptions about city government, organizing, and the importance of civic-engagement. After speaking with CM Jackson, I made the difficult decision to leave my dream job to help cultivate a culture of civic-engagement in Acres Homes, and thus the Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group was born.
Over the last two years, we’ve expanded our mission to preserve and empower the community through educating, organizing, and addressing the immediate needs of the community. Our focus is to empower current and future residents in Acres Homes to ensure everyone is Healthy, Housed, and Heard.
This nonprofit is the culmination of years of listening, learning, and growing under pressure. I’m grateful for every individual who contributed to my growth, and I’m excited to plant seeds for future generations to eat from.m.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This journey has NOT been smooth, but that’s okay. the hills and valleys have contributed to the momentum I’m experiencing now, and I count every experience as a lesson for my next.
A lot of my struggles stemmed from my lack of identity and my lack of boundaries. I’m always eager to serve and work for the greater good. However, my people-pleasing tendencies and the toxic “Hustle Culture” I chased made it impossible for me to take care of my mental and physical health. It also made it difficult for me to spend time with my family during my twenties, and now I’m working to mend those relationships so I can still be connected.
I just recently celebrated my sister’s graduation and I’m excited to celebrate so many other moments with my family while serving my community. “Work-life” Balance is REAL and it’s important to practice it as soon as possible.
As you know, we’re big fans of Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group (Acres Homes CAG) serves residents in the historic boundaries of the Acres Homes Super Neighborhood. We focus our resources on the youth, seniors, and low-income communities within Acres Homes. Our approach to engaging residents is based on educating and creating communal spaces for residents to gather, learn, and grow together.
The Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group aims to preserve and empower the community by educating residents, organizing for key health and housing policy changes, and addressing the immediate needs of our community in Environmental Health and overall wellness.
Our focus is to empower current and future residents in Acres Homes to ensure every neighbor is Healthy, Housed, and Heard.
The Acres Homes Community Advocacy uses education and communal gatherings to serve our community. We provide opportunities for neighbors to come together to learn about resources that can improve their overall lives and empower them to take charge of their lives.
We offer a weekly newsletter, “What’s Good In The Neighborhood” that summarizes resources and events that happen in the Acres Homes Community, host a digital community calendar for partners and residents to review what activities take place in the community, host a digital map that identifies healthy eating and active living resources in the neighborhood, and we host monthly civic 101 workshops to help residents navigate municipal, county, and state government.
The Acres Homes Community Advocacy Group is always seeking to deepen our engagement with the community, and we have created initiatives like our Engagement Ambassador Program to focus on reaching our apartment communities and help residents from all corners of Acres Homes to develop new skills and take action in advocating for their neighbors and their neighborhood.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Please know that you are not alone in your fight. No matter how specialized your cause may be, you will ALWAYS find like-minded people to help you navigate whatever space you walk in.
If you are the type of person who LOVES to give, serve, or just be helpful…please practice putting boundaries in place so you don’t deplete your well. It’s heartbreaking to realize you’ve burnt yourself out doing the thing you love the most. You never want to resent what you love because you give until you’re empty. Saying no doesn’t mean you don’t care, it’s an intentional strategy to preserve your energy for all of the amazing work you’re about to do.
There will be a season where you have to sit and learn, and there will be a season when you become the authority on the subject. I can’t tell you when that transition happens. When that shift happens, accept your authority and move unapologetically. (not arrogantly) You will work and serve so much that you will be seen as a pillar in your community, and it is up to YOU to rise to the occasion. You will still have questions, you will still make mistakes, and that is all perfectly fine. But you cannot allow your mistakes to invalidate you. You’ve got this!
Pricing:
- Donations are always accepted
- https://givebutter.com/tlZqUB
Contact Info:
- Website: www.acreshomescag.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acreshomescag/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcresHomesCommunityAdvocacyGroup
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ahcag
Image Credits
Rain Eatmon Jamie Rivers
