Cristabel grew up amidst books, origami and constant climbing of her neighbor’s mango tree. She is native of the Dominican Republic, a land of warm hearts and countless social contrasts. She is proud to be a Caribbean soul yet sees herself beyond any categorization and geographical boundaries. She believes our shared humanity is borderless and our identities and worldviews are continuously evolving. She hopped on a plane and moved to Alberta a few years ago, where for the first time she witnessed the leaves mirror all the possible shades of the sun (which she fell in love with) and her first winter (no comments!).
Cristabel enjoys using creative processes in her work, such as participatory photography, which she used while doing her master’s thesis exploring food security among low income immigrant families. Her volunteer endeavors have included: coordinating volunteers for the “Make Trade Fair” Campaign led by Oxfam, building homes with Habitat for Humanity Bolivia, supporting a collective kitchen with the Multicultural Health Brokers, a local nonprofit supporting newcomers Edmonton, among others. She currently works in the area of public health and health promotion.
When Cristabel isn’t doing ‘grown-up stuff’, she loves to dance in the tackiest ways, pretend to sing gracefully and reinvent blends and flavors.