collage of Emily by Twyla Malchow-Hay

Emily Lobba’s Radical Body Memorial Fund

Full spectrum support offered to radical bodies, marginalized humans, and persons in need seeking therapeutic sessions, educational programs, workshops, and continuous care through Responsive Body in direct relationship Emily Lobba’s mentor, Holly Johnston. All direct aid given to this scholarship fund will be distributed among individuals and programs that serve persons who identify as: Radical Body, LGBTQ+, Visibly or Invisibly Disabled, Unhoused or Free Travelers, In Recovery/Sober, Post-Trauma Survivors, Artists, Abolitionists, and persons with Arthrogryposis.

What is a ‘radical body’?

An ablely-adaptive human in continuous expression of body’s biological optimism and resiliency as they encounter conditions of medical, physical, mental, social, emotional, financial, educational, and/or relationship adversity.

 

How does RB support and serve radical bodies?

Reduced, affordable, or free access to trauma-informed therapeutic bodywork, assistance connecting to community of resources for social bonding, scholarships and lowered cost for Responsive Body Certification training programs, workshops, classes, and professional development consultations.

Dear Love Responders…..

We are celebrating October as RESPONSIVE BODY’s Radical Body Month!! We have workshops, podcasts, RB t-shirts, and RB blogs coming out over the next few weeks that highlight the extraordinary lives of radical bodies within our RESPONSIVE BODY ecofamily. We are launching this month with fundraising for Emily Lobba’s Radical Body Memorial Fund!!!

This is where you come in!!! Last year we raised $10,000 for radical bodies. Your previous donation to Emily Lobba’s Radical Body Memorial Fund made it possible for us to serve and support-

  • 1 Full Scholarship for RESPONSIVE BODY Certification Program- Bailey Root

  • 2 no cost registration in RESPONSIVE BODY Certification Program

  • 25 discounted sessions for Radical Bodies

  • 5 RB workshop participants- financial aid

  • 3 RB Leadership Circle- monthly stipends

This year our goal is to raise $15,000 for radical bodies!!!!

With your growing donations you will create for us the ability to expand our reach to serve and support-

  • 2-3 Full Scholarships for RESPONSIVE BODY Certification Programs

  • 50 discounted sessions for radical bodies

  • 25 RB workshop participants-financial aid

  • 3 RB Leadership Circle- 2 part-time salaries, 1 full-time salary

  • 2-3 Educational/Creative Residencies

  • Creation support of new choreographic work “Roots of Loving Us” with CONTRA-TIEMPO

We are a small, but fiercely mighty organization led by BIPOC, Female, Queer, Non-Binary + Gender Expansive humans who are artists, activists, teachers, organizers acting as co-conspirators to disempower oppressive systems that dismantle resources, relationships, and reciprocity. 

We believe in radical bodies as our leaders, teachers, healers, partners and laborers in building a world grounded in the principles of radical inclusion, justice, equity and empathy. We all have work to do as the conditions of the world are far too harsh for bodies with higher-level medical needs, physical asymmetries, neurodivergence, and/or trauma-stress dysregulation. RESPONSIVE BODY is dedicated to doing the work to improve living and working conditions that liberate our capacities for creativity, courage, and cooperative labor. 

We want you to join us!!!! This is such a good cause!!!! This is a reason to give until you stretch to your edges!!!!

Help us reach 15K !!

Be a Love Responder

Donate Now- RB tax deductible donation (above $250)

Donate Now- RB direct donation (not tax exempt)

Investor’s Circle - learn more

Redwoods- above $5000

Mycelium Roots-$1000-$4999

RB Seeds- $1-$999

Join our Redwood Donor Roberta Falke who has pledged renewable donations 2022, 2023 and 2024!! Be a part of the expanding network of 75 donors to Emily Lobba’s Radical Body Memorial Fund so that more of us can, in Emily’s words “lean into what makes our body’s purr!”

Emily Lobba’s Legacy

Emily’s birthday is Oct.28. This year, she would be 29 years old. She was born to dance. She was born to teach. She lived to LOVE. And she called it as she saw it, always making you laugh out loud when the truth hit you in the face. 

Emily was born with Arthrogryposis, a condition of curved joints that created physical asymmetries and structural adaptations. She was a giant standing under 5ft tall. Appeared to some like a delicate bird, but we all knew her as a fierce creature. She was so funny and hilariously joyful that your body vibrated from laughter for hours after being with her. She also lived through so much of her life in pain. She tried all the medical treatments and procedures. None of these brought her to the level of aliveness she wanted to feel through her body. 

It was when Emily started to DANCE that her body mobilized, animated, and properly expressed the vast expanse of her bodied existence. Through her work with RESPONSIVE BODY, Certification as RB Practitioner, and her own bodied brilliance, Emily danced her way into her own liberation.

Emily was killed April 3, 2022. Her death was shocking and devastating for all of us who love her. Alongside the Lobba Family, holly stood by Emily during the murder trial that found the killer guilty. He is serving a life sentence in a California State Prison. holly and RESPONSIVE BODY are dedicated to sharing and growing Emily’s legacy as a body liberator, freedom fighter, joy maker and transformative healer. She was onward bound toward living this work, we continue to do this work with her and for her.

Thank you for your support, contributions and sharing your love with RESPONSIVE BODY. We are a social movement and body liberation practice whose mission is to advance human systems towards the integration of embodied health, wellness, and vitality through somatic technologies that enhance creativity, connection, and courage.