Who We Are
Welcome to Run With Wine, Inc., a non-profit organization headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated to supporting wellness education and holistic services for underserved populations in our community.
“The organization’s name, RUN WITH WINE, is a metaphor for finding joy during one’s wellness journey while mastering the mind/body habits for healthy behaviors and thinking patterns that promote optimal health, self-care and love.”
- Founder & CEO, Anitra (Coach AJ) Harris
OUR MISSION
“EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION AND ACCESS TO HOLISTIC WELLNESS THERAPIES, MOVEMENT, AND PLANT-BASED HEALING.”
At RUN WITH WINE, we believe that everyone deserves access to resources and opportunities for personal growth and well-being.
While our focus is on empowering women survivors, we believe that true empowerment knows no gender boundaries. Therefore, memberships and classes at Run with Wine, Inc. are open to individuals of all genders. We welcome everyone who shares our commitment to holistic wellness and a community that thrives on inclusivity. The revenue that we receive from paid memberships and weekly classes, open to the public, helps fund free and discounted programming offered to shelters, health centers, and social service agencies serving women survivors.
OUR VISION
At RUN WITH WINE, we envision a world where access to wellness education and holistic services empowers every individual, irrespective of their background or financial status. By uplifting women through empowerment and education, we believe in breaking barriers that benefit our entire community, fostering strength, health, and confidence for all. We recognize that when women thrive, families are strengthened, communities flourish, and societal well-being is enhanced.
Statement Regarding Racism
RUN WITH WINE stands against racism and all the ways it manifests itself against the betterment of humanity. Promoting respect, celebrating diversity, demanding ethical leadership, and working tirelessly to advance peace are central beliefs of our work.
We will do our part to listen and understand the pain African Americans and other people of color experience, to learn about privilege and systemic racism, and to take action individually, collectively and institutionally to bring about change. We stand in solidarity against injustice, institutionalized racism, discrimination, and violence of any kind against anyone.
History
Run with Wine was initially established as a “for profit” wellness education organization in 2020, during the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. This organization was born out of the growing challenge of worsening mental and wellness concerns facing individuals struggling with excessive stress, financial uncertainty, social and racial unrest, and health breakdowns. People needed a way to cope and arm themselves with healthy methods of preventative and positive self-care.
The founder of Run with Wine, Anitra (Coach AJ) Harris, is a certified nutrition and wellness coach through the American Sports & Fitness Association (ASFA), and a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). She realized that the need for wellness education and access to holistic, preventative care had only grown since the initial outbreaks of the COVID-19 virus. Additionally, the need was and still is greatest in impoverished communities that often lack knowledge and access to resources to thrive physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially.
In 2023, Run with Wine underwent a transformation, transitioning into a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our mission remains steadfast: to empower the community, along with its women survivors, with comprehensive wellness education and services, fostering personal growth and well-being. As a 501(c)(3), we are committed to serving our community by operating exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Our financial support comes from individual donations, grants, membership and non-member class sales. The organization focuses on education of non-traditional, evidenced-based and disease preventable wellness methods. None of which, are traditionally available nor accessible to impoverished communities, primarily comprised of the BILPOC population.
We believe that our work towards this mission will help address systemic disparities in wellness within our society, help enhance meaningful economic opportunities, and provide an integrative approach to improving the overall family unit of the people we serve.
Thank you for being a part of this transformative journey with RUN WITH WINE. Together, we can make a difference and create a brighter, more empowered future for all people.