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Lehigh Carbon Community College
Pictured from left: Dejane Clark (RU-2018) and Ana Thaysa Bezerra (RU-2018)

By Suzy Alstrin

In 2024, two alumnae with psychology degrees from Reinhardt combined forces and created an organization to connect the Atlanta-area community with health and life skills education and resources. Ana Thaysa Bezerra (RU-2018) and Dejane Clark (RU-2018) launched a non-profit called Gaia Community Outreach.

As former classmates, Bezerra and Clark’s paths crossed again in the professional world, and they discovered common passions for helping others. Bezerra’s enthusiasm for teaching life skills to children, preventative care, and mental health education complements Clark’s desire to connect individuals with existing resources and oversee case coordination make them a perfect partnership.

“What I’ve noticed working in the mental health industry is there are so many wonderful community mental health providers, but a lot of people don’t know about them or know where to start,” explained Clark, “Especially if you have a severe mental health disorder and you’re trying to navigate the healthcare industry, it can be overwhelming. We want to make it easy for people to access the care they need.” Bezerra added, “People cannot address their mental health skills if they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. They need a holistic approach to their needs. Gaia means ‘mother earth’ and when you pour love into your community, it will blossom.”

Together, the women organize and manage community outreach, in-person events, activities, and workshops. They are excited about what the future will hold, but grateful for the present and appreciate what got them to this point. Bezerra recalled, “Truly this dream we have brought to life would not be here without Reinhardt and the education we received while there.” Clark added, “The Reinhardt psychology department fostered resilience and resourcefulness. The program really lit a fire in me, and that has really changed the way that I see the world, the way that I see my access to the world, and the way that I process information in the world.”

 Gaia Community Outreach can be followed on Instagram.