Page 50 - Demo

50 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || JUNE 2015 || EDITION 2Adding to her already impressive resume, R%u00edos is a humanitarian, working with a variety of organizations to strive for a better world. R%u00edos is a national spokesperson for Goodwill where she focuses on the Latino community. R%u00edos says, %u201c We all want to be a part of something and Goodwill helps people become more contributing members of their communities.%u201d In addition to being a national spokesperson, R%u00edos has been on the board of DIFFA (Design Industries Foundations Fighting AIDS) for several years. She says that DIFFA is one of the largest grantees of function to AIDS charities in the country. They gave the first grant to %u201cGod%u2019s Love We Deliver%u201d which delivers food to sick and housebound people throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Growing up in the West Village of Manhattan, her family noticed so many of the young men in their community were dying. These were beautiful, energetic, young men dying from AIDS. Her family lost two close friends during that time. Her work with DIFFA allows her to give back and hopefully keep this terrible disease at bay. %u201cCurrently mostly women of color are affected by AIDS. The work is not done yet,%u201d she says and then adds %u201cWe need to continue to educate, protect and provide services for those living with HIV and AIDS.%u201dBalance is clearly a huge requirement of Evette%u2019s life, balancing her many passions, jobs, and newborn baby. R%u00edos sends a huge thank you to her parents who live right around the corner from her Manhattan home and have been enormously helpful. Her parents babysit their grandson and are raising him to speak Spanish. She says that if there is one thing that keeps her going through each and every day, it%u2019s her partner. He is her best friend and invaluable teammate in keeping things running smoothly. Speaking of family, R%u00edos is in touch with her Puerto Rican roots and says that they are instrumental to the person she is today. Puerto Ricans have a rich, vibrant culture with delicious food using lots of fresh ingredients. Evette says, %u201cLatinos naturally have a palate and are raised to appreciate farm to table cooking. It is in our blood.%u201d Growing up, R%u00edos lived in a house full of DIY%u2019ers who were constantly making things such as clothes, food, and even beer. Reflecting, she says these are the moments that instilled her crafty nature. Traveling has been a huge inspiration to Ms. R%u00edos and has improved her eye for food and design. Whether she%u2019s in a foreign country or taking a stroll around her neighborhood, she finds inspiration. When it comes to traveling, R%u00edos believes, %u201cTravel should be number one on every young person%u2019s list.%u201d There is always time to buy a new car or fancy furniture, but family and experiencing new things are what is important.In addition to being a television host on English speaking networks. Her ability to speak Spanish has also put her in the position to host and speak on a variety of Spanish television such as %u201cDespierta Am%u00e9rica%u201d and %u201cBuenos Dias Nueva York%u201d. When talking about the difference between television in English and Spanish, R%u00edos notes that there is just something about Spanish television that makes it irresistible. %u201cThey take into account that viewers like a little dancing a little music and a little absurdity,%u201d says R%u00edos.As for the future, Rio says that there are many different directions that life can take her. However, she says that this is the year that she plans to write her book, especially after being featured in many others. While writing a book has been on R%u00edos mind for a long time, she knows that by staying positive through the process anything is possible. While R%u00edos%u2019 life may sound hectic, in the end, R%u00edos is simply a mother following her passions.