NEW MEMBERS!

Biographies by Wendell Abern

WELCOME, KIMBERLY GARCIA LEON! Ya gotta love someone who refers to herself as an "Air Force brat." But that's new member Kimberly Garcia, who joined River of Grass on June 4th, 2023.
 
Originally from Biloxi, Mississippi, and schlepped to Patrick Air Force Base in Satellite Beach as a child, she has been in Florida ever since. Kimberly received her BA in Public Relations from the University of Central Florida (Orlando) and practiced in that profession until son Mateo came along in 2007. Then she began teaching.
 
Kimberly married Yanmar in 2020, and they have been wrestling with our befuddled Immigration Service for three years, trying to get Yanmar's sweet 13 year old son, Yonar, out of Cuba. ​The couple moved here because Mateo, now a beautiful 16-year old, has autism, and South Florida has the proper resources to handle it.
 
Recently Kimberly and Yanmar moved from Coconut Creek to Sunrise, so now they will be closer to River of Grass.
 
According to Kimberly, their tiny Chihuahua, Zorro, thinks he's a lion because he has the heart of one.
 
For the last two years, Kimberly has been working at her "dream job," teaching English as a second language to immigrants at Atlantic Technical College. She claims all of her cohorts are "amazing people" and she couldn't be happier.
 
It's unlikely anyone today calls her a brat. 

CONTACT INFO:
Email address: garciaka2020@gmail.com
Cell phone: (321) 591-3978
Birthday: November 13

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​WELCOME, NEW MEMBER TOBEY PEARL! Tobey and family moved here from Boston at the beginning of the Pandemic. She grew up in Brookline, Mass., received a BS in psychology from Tulane University (where she also interned at the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic), followed by JD and MA degrees from Boston U for law and international relations. While practicing law, this Jill-of-all-trades worked at a nonprofit legal services center in Boston as a housing advocate. Tobey's husband, Matthew, is a professional writer, with eight published novels worthy of a Google search. Tobey left her law practice to raise their three children: Cooper, 12; Graham, 11, and Olivia, 9. Somehow, with three kids clamoring for attention, Tobey found time to write a book: a history of the first jury trial in the country (1638), "Terror to the Wicked," a murder trial.
 
Three kids, three degrees, a law practice, nonprofit experience, a published book, and the only member of our congregation named after a Yellow Lab Retriever. Now if anyone deserves a good warm River of Grass hug, it's Tobey!

CONTACT INFO:
E-mail address:  tobeyrpearl@gmail.com
Cell phone:  617-981-0496
Birthday:  June 25

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Please welcome new member Andrew Meit to River of Grass!
 
Andrew joined River of Grass on December 4th, 2022. He has been attending worship services regularly over the past year and has already become involved in numerous congregational activities.
 
Originally from Kentucky, Andrew currently lives in Plantation.
 
Andrew is an amazing person. He shared that due to the rubella his mother contracted during pregnancy, he was born DeafBlind, and has some brain processing difficulties. But he has never let that stand in his way.
 
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies with minors in Philosophy and Mathematics from Stetson University. He is a life-long student of Martin Buber and of Da Vinci, and has a deep and extensive knowledge of Judaism. He is a published digital artist, and has done software testing, tech support, and User Interface design. He was involved in the Independent Living Movement in the 1980's.
 
Andrew says he is never bored, always working on various projects or learning new skills. He delivered his first sermon at River of Grass in April 2023.
 
Andrew welcomes new friends, hugs, and enjoys cats.
 
CONTACT INFO:
Email address: meitnik@gmail.com
Cell phone: 954-791-5226
Birthday: December 18

Bio was written via collaboration between Andrew and Membership Chair, Leana Bresnahan 

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