Creating Ripples of Light: Our Community Impact at SoulShine

At SoulShine, we believe that magic happens when hearts connect and community thrives. Our impact extends far beyond our studio walls, creating spaces where transformation touches not just individuals, but ripples outward to embrace our whole community.

We’re more than a studio – we’re a gathering place where every soul can shine their light and lift others up along the way. Through mindful partnerships, accessible programming, and heartfelt community support, we’re weaving a tapestry of connection that grows stronger with each passing day.

We believe in giving back!

Seva, or selfless service, is at the heart of everything we do at SoulShine. This ancient principle of giving without expectation guides us both in our classes and in our broader community work, reminding us that true transformation happens when we support and uplift each other.
This is WHY we have our Soul Movement Fund – because TOGETHER WE SHINE!

Organizations impacted from 2019 - 2024

SOULSHINE DONATIONS

2025

RABA

Every year Richmond Area Bicycle Association, through its RABA Foundation (a 501-c3 organization), raises money to purchase bicycles to donate to area Christmas Mothers so they in turn can give them to kids less fortunate in our community. The program provided 550 bikes in 2024!

American Heart Association

Play for FA

Play for FA is committed to improving the lives of individuals with Fanconi anemia (FA),. They fundraise to advance research, improve treatments, and build brighter futures for everyone facing FA and associated cancers.

2024

Henrico Humane Society

A volunteer‑run, foster‑based non‑profit that rescues dogs and cats from Central Virginia and places them in loving homes.

American Heart Association

Bon Air PTA

The Bon Air PTA’s mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children at Bon Air Elementary School in Lower Burrell, PA and the wider Burrell School District.

Play for FA

Play for FA is committed to improving the lives of individuals with Fanconi anemia (FA),. They fundraise to advance research, improve treatments, and build brighter futures for everyone facing FA and associated cancers.

REAL LIFE

REAL LIFE creates pathways to attain and sustain a thriving life for those who desire change.

Junior League of Richmond

The Junior League of Richmond is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.

Maymont

Maymont is a 100-acre historic estate and public park in Richmond, Virginia. Once the home of James and Sallie Dooley, it’s now cared for by the Maymont Foundation and open for everyone to explore its gardens, mansion, wildlife habitats, and nature center—a place where history, nature, and community come together.

Habitat for Humanity

Hanover & King William Habitat for Humanity is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International serving Hanover and King William Counties in Virginia. Founded in 1990 (initially as Hanover Habitat) and expanded to include King William County in 2021, the organization builds safe, affordable homes alongside families who pay fair mortgages, and runs a critical-repair program to keep existing homes safe and dry. 

Midlothian Montessori

Midlothian Montessori — A child-centred Montessori school in Richmond, VA, on a four-acre wooded campus where children ages 2-12 build confidence, autonomy and a lifelong love of learning through mixed-age environments, self-paced work and nature-rich outdoor play.

2023

St. Thomas’ Day School

St. Thomas’s Day School in New Haven is an independent Episcopal school where young learners explore the world with curiosity, lead with compassion and grow through community-connected discovery.

St. Andrew’s School

St. Andrew’s School is a K–5 independent school in Richmond providing a full scholarship education for every student. Rooted in Grace Arents’ 1894 vision, the school fosters curiosity, creativity, and belonging through hands-on learning and whole-child support.

SPARC

SPARC’s mission is to profoundly influence young people’s lives through exceptional performing arts education.

 

SPARC programs provide transformative performing arts education to nearly 1,500 students each year. Through Creative Youth Development initiatives, SPARC’s highly skilled teaching artists intentionally integrate the arts with youth development principles. Students discover their creativity and build critical learning and life skills that carry into adulthood.

Henrico Humane Society

A volunteer‑run, foster‑based non‑profit that rescues dogs and cats from Central Virginia and places them in loving homes. 

American Heart Association

Bon Air Elementary School

Bon Air Elementary School, rooted in the historic village of Bon Air since the 1880s, is a K–5 community that values curiosity, cooperation, and care. The school partners with families and educators to help every child grow into a confident, capable, and compassionate learner.

UVA Club of Richmond

The UVA Club of Richmond connects University of Virginia alumni, parents, students, and friends through community events, service projects, and scholarship support. With a focus on connection, celebration, and giving back, the club strengthens ties between UVA and the Richmond area while fostering a spirit of lifelong engagement.

Housing Families First

At Housing Families First, we help families in Metro Richmond resolve their homelessness. We are profoundly grateful for the chance to bring about constructive change in our community. We continue to make strides toward a future where every family has a safe place to call home through the collective efforts of our family of supporters.

Junior League of Richmond

The Junior League of Richmond is an organization of women whose mission is to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.

Point Sabot at StonySchool

An independent school for children ages 2 through 8th grade. Rooted in Reggio, guided by inquiry, growing curious, confident citizens.

The Autism Society of Central Virginia (ASCV)

Autism Society of Central Virginia is celebrating over 40 years of non-profit services, advocacy, and support to children, youth, and adults with autism, their families and the professionals who serve them. We are a local affiliate of the national Autism Society, founded in 1965.

Harvest of Hope – Habitat for Humanity

Hanover & King William Habitat for Humanity is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International serving Hanover and King William Counties in Virginia. Founded in 1990 (initially as Hanover Habitat) and expanded to include King William County in 2021, the organization builds safe, affordable homes alongside families who pay fair mortgages, and runs a critical-repair program to keep existing homes safe and dry. At Housing Families First, we help families in Metro Richmond resolve their homelessness. We are profoundly grateful for the chance to bring about constructive change in our community. We continue to make strides toward a future where every family has a safe place to call home through the collective efforts of our family of supporters.

RPAA (Richmond Performing Arts Alliance)

The Richmond Performing Arts Alliance advances the performing arts throughout the Richmond region by providing programs and resources that support today’s artists, nurture tomorrow’s creators, and furnish vibrant spaces where the arts can flourish. With its venues including Dominion Energy Center and Altria Theater, RPAA envisions a community where arts education, inclusive access, and cultural excellence strengthen Richmond’s social and economic vitality.

2022 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

– American Heart Association

– Sabot at Stony Point

– CARE (Capital Area Rescue Effort) dog rescue

– JR Tucker High School

– Wild Fern Montessori School

– CREW Richmond

– Extra Mile Pediatrics

– A Giving Heart

2021 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

OAR of Richmond

We collected  52 new and gently used winter coats for OAR of Richmond. OAR’s vision is a community which advocates for the fully-recognized humanity of those affected by the criminal justice system.

Black Ballerinas for Change

We collaborated with West  End Academy of Dance and Studio 4 to financially support Black Ballerinas for Change.

Project Yoga Richmond

We collaborated with Project Yoga Richmond to offer Yoga, Community, and Allyship with J Miles.

2020 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The Giving Heart

The Giving Heart provides food, fellowship and needed items to those in the Greater Richmond Metropolitan Area.

Feeding America

Feeding America’s mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Side By Side

Side by Side is dedicated to creating supportive communities where Virginia’s LGBTQ+ youth can define themselves, belong,and flourish.

Over $4,000 Raised!

Girls for a change is a youth development organization aimed at empowering Black girls and other girls of color in Central Virginia to visualize their bright futures and potential through discovery, development, innovation, and social change in their communities.

Our commitment to positive change flows through everything we do:

  • We create spaces where every body feels welcome and seen
  • We build bridges through meaningful community partnerships
  • We share our resources to support and uplift our neighbors
  • We nurture growth and healing through accessible movement and mindfulness

This is how we grow together – not by fitting in, but by standing out and lifting up. 
When you join us at SoulShine, you become part of something bigger: a community that believes in the power of showing up for each other, exactly as we are.

MARYBETH aka... MARE

Mare Grinnan is the creative force and co-founder of SoulShine Studios—a powerhouse space where movement, self-expression, and bold connection collide. 
With degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Mare could’ve followed the straight-and-narrow path of traditional success. Instead? She threw off the rulebook when dance and creative movement lit a fire under her, flipping the script on her life and career forever.
From London to Paris to Richmond, Mare spent years learning, teaching, and fine-tuning a fierce, heart-centered approach to holistic well-being. She fuses yoga, dance, & martial arts with curiosity, creativity and connection. 
Her philosophy? 
Growth isn’t a solo gig—it’s amplified in a wildly supportive, inclusive community. That pulse drives SoulShine Studios, a hub for seekers to move, explore, and tap into their untamed creativity—together.
Whether she’s guiding a heart-opening retreat where nature meets deep self-discovery or leading an unapologetically joyful movement class, Mare invites you to ditch perfection, get messy, and love yourself fully—right here, right now.
Come as you are. Leave a little brighter.