Shaerine
ROOTED
IN WELLNESS
Nourishment for Life
*HIGHLIGHTS*
YOUTH SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS
OUR STORY
Rooted in Compassion. Driven by Purpose. Growing a Healthier Future.
Rooted in Wellness Education was founded by Shae Gawlak and Catherine Sousa on one deeply held belief: your circumstances should never determine your opportunity to be healthy.
Through years of serving families facing food insecurity, Shae and Catherine witnessed challenges that extended far beyond hunger. They saw parents struggling to provide healthy food, seniors balancing basic necessities, individuals managing chronic disease with limited resources, and families without access to the nutrition education and wellness support many of us take for granted.
They also saw something greater than hardship: strength, resilience,
and the desire for a healthier future.
A Community Taught Us What Was Needed
In the heart of Fallbrook, California, Shae witnessed a reality that would ultimately change the direction of her life's work.
The Fallbrook Food Pantry had been serving neighbors experiencing food insecurity since 1991. When Shae became CEO in 2018, she brought her background in nutrition, health education, and nonprofit leadership to an organization already deeply committed to addressing hunger.
But as she worked alongside families year after year, something became increasingly clear: Food could help someone through today. But knowledge, opportunity, and support could help change tomorrow.
Shae saw families facing challenges that extended far beyond an empty refrigerator. Limited access to nutrition education, preventive health resources, chronic disease support, mental wellness services, and affordable opportunities for healthier living created barriers that food alone could not overcome.
And behind every statistic was a person.
A mother trying to stretch one paycheck far enough to feed her children.
A senior sacrificing personal needs to make ends meet.
A family navigating diabetes without knowing how to translate medical advice into affordable meals.
A cancer patient searching for trustworthy nutrition guidance during one of the most vulnerable periods of their life.
A child growing up without access to the health education that could influence an entire lifetime.
That experience inspired a powerful question: What if we could move beyond responding to hardship and give people the knowledge, resources, and support to help change what comes next?
From that vision, Rooted in Wellness Education (RIW) was born. RIW bridges the gap between healthcare and everyday life, providing accessible, evidence-based education in nutrition, chronic disease prevention and management, cancer-supportive care, mental well-being, and healthy living—particularly for communities facing financial and social barriers.
For Shae and Catherine, this work has never been about a handout. It is about extending a hand. It means meeting people where they are, educating without judgment, protecting dignity, and empowering individuals to become advocates for their own health.
And the impact can extend far beyond one person. Knowledge shared with a parent can reach a child. A healthier family can influence a neighborhood. One empowered individual can create a ripple of wellness throughout an entire community.
Today, Shae and Catherine invite physicians, businesses, foundations, donors, and community partners to become part of that ripple. Together, we can remove barriers, expand access, and build a bridge to better health that is wide enough for everyone. Because health should never be a privilege—it should be an opportunity available to all.
"Rooted in compassion, driven by purpose—because love never fails."
— Catherine Sousa