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One year ago Monmouth University graduates [shown above] Mychal Mills and Rodney Salomon, both 28, set out to combat some of the things that can plague urban neighborhoods.

Be it poverty, crime, gangs, drug abuse or alcoholism, the pair quietly took a holistic approach to what has become an increasingly popular Open Mic Night at Kula Café.

“It is holistic intervention with mind body and soul,” Mills of Neptune told triCity News. “It’s holistic intervention for the whole community.

At 5 p.m. Saturday they will celebrate the weekly Open Mic Night’s one year anniversary with a Holistic Fair preceding the 6:15 talent showcase.

The fair, held in conjunction with event sponsor Dean’s Natural Foods, features free health smoothies and t-shirts, and a meditation workshop in the adjacent Kula Farm greenhouse.

When it started, the talent showcase was aimed at the city’s youth as a way to bring attention to their KYDS program, an acronym for Konscious Youth Development and Services.

Today it attracts all ages and participants from outside of the city, as far as Philadelphia.

“I’ve seen the common connection among people in the region,” Salomon of Marlboro said.

The essence at the core is all the same – mindfulness, meditation, and yoga are the keys, he said.

The Open Mic Night showcases everyone from singers and poets, to dancers and spoken word artists or just those who want a positive outlet to tell their story.

The KYDS program launched this summer, with a total of 21 participants.

“It’s about balancing mind, body and spirit,” Mills said. “I’ve seen the change on the faces of these kids as the quiet their minds.”

Kula Café is located at 1201 Springwood Avenue. For more information about Mills and Salomon’s programs visit KYDS Facebook page, Asbury Park TV spotlights, and Kula Café’s Facebook page.

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The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

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