Real people, real stories: Longmont residents star in ‘Local Lives’

The Longmont Community Foundation is showing people that they don’t have to look far to find interesting stories.

Longmont residents from all walks of life are sharing their experiences and accomplishments in “Local Lives,” a new documentary series on YouTube. Each episode of the project features a roughly 20-minute interview with a notable community member.

“It’s through the sharing of stories that we believe we create compassion for one another,” said Eric Hozempa, CEO of the Longmont Community Foundation . “If you’re able to glimpse into one another’s lives, I believe we will probably find more similarities than differences.”

The series was directed, produced and edited by local filmmaker Trenton Hoshiko . As of Friday, seven episodes of Local Lives have been posted on LCF’s website. The foundation plans to release 11 total episodes, with a new episode debuting every week.

The participants in the series represent a diverse array of perspectives and professions, with several talking about their involvement with local nonprofits and businesses.

On Thursday, LCF held a public screening of three Local Lives episodes at the Longmont Theatre Company. The subjects of the three videos attended and stayed after the screening to talk to guests.

In her Local Lives video, Hermine Ngnomire talked about her entrepreneurship endeavors in Boulder County, her experience as a U.S. immigrant from Cameroon, and the lessons she’s learned from raising her daughter.

“I spent the first 20 years of my life trying to be perfect,” Ngnomire said in her video. “There’s a lot to be learned in that space where you feel safe enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m not perfect.’ And people understand that, because they’re not perfect either.”

In an interview after the screening, Ngnomire said what she got out of the Local Lives project was the sense that her life has been “pretty good.”

“It may have included some tough times, and there may be some in the future, but there’s always that silver lining,” Ngnomire said.

Another Local Lives subject, KJ Whitney, shared their passion for providing massage therapy and bodywork to the LGBTQ+ community through their business, Prideful Wellness . Whitney also talked about how they feel accepted as a nonbinary person in Boulder County.

“These mountains, these people — this is my home, and I love it here,” Whitney said in their video.

After the screening, Whitney said it was an honor to be a Local Lives subject.

“There are such cool people here doing incredible things,” Whitney said. “I’m really glad to be a part of this. It’s really special.”

For Vanessa Ramirez, growing up in Longmont wasn’t always easy. In her Local Lives video, Ramirez detailed her move to Longmont from El Paso in eighth grade and how her first dog helped her with the challenging transition.

“I knew that this was an opportunity, not only for my parents, but for me to experience something different and, quite honestly, have a chance at life,” Ramirez explained in her video.

On Thursday, Ramirez said watching herself share her story was a “beautiful moment.”

“It was honestly more comfortable than I anticipated,” Ramirez said.

To watch Local Lives, visit longmontfoundation.org/donor-story/local-lives or youtube.com/@longmontcommunityfoundation .