Meet 5 Locals Making Waves With Must-Reads On Patch

What do a New York Times best-selling author, a vegetarian food blogger and a full-time fitness instructor have in common? They all post on the Patch.

The Patch has long been a great place for blogging about the happenings in your community. It's also a perfect platform for pros in an array of different fields to share their passions and expertise with a wider audience. We're amazed every day by the incredible people contributing to the Patch, and we thought a few needed a shout-out this week.

Meet five local voices making a splash across our 1,000-plus communities this month with stories, tips and advice being shared from neighborhood to neighborhood. They each have a different take on life, but their love for impacting their local communities has put them on the Patch.

Author Rachel Macy Stafford

Must-read: An Unforgettable Reflection: My Issues Don't Have To Be My Children's Issues

Rachel is the New York Times best-selling author of "Hands Free Mama" and "Hands Free Life." She is a certified special education teacher who helps people overcome distraction and perfection to live better and love more. Her latest best-seller, "Only Love Today," is soulful, bite-size encouragement for busy individuals yearning to anchor themselves in love despite everyday distractions and pressures. “Only Love Today” began as a mantra to overcome her inner bully, but it is now the practice of Rachel Macy Stafford’s life. It can be a practice for all of us. "Only Love Today" is available at Target, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Read all of Rachel's articles on Patch

Fitness Expert Dan Taylor

Must-read: 5 Truths About Mindful Eating

Dan Taylor is a 20-year resident of Pleasanton, California, and a nationally certified fitness trainer and educator. He is a former faculty member of both the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. He teaches general wellness, exercise and healthy eating principles to individuals and local corporations and operates a local online wellness service provider directory with video blogs on healthy lifestyle strategies and practices. Dan can be reached at TriValleyTrainer.com.

Read all of Dan's articles on Patch

Educator Anne Yount

Must-read: Why I'm Glad My Son Married An Immigrant

Miss Anne founded Boston Tutoring Center in 2003 to help students with standardized test prep, academic tutoring and private school entrance exam test prep. BTC has worked with hundreds of students over the past 14 years in the Boston area, via Skype across the United States and in Asia, Europe and Central America. Send your questions about education to Miss Anne at: bostontutoringcenter@rcn.com

Read all of Anne's articles on Patch

Food Blogger Kristin Wendell

Must-read: Corn and Potato Potstickers With Honey Tomato Dipping Sauce

Kristin Wendell, founder of Kristin's Kitchen, is a full-time food blogger and new first-time mom. After becoming a vegetarian in 2014, Kristin was quickly bored of standard vegetarian recipes and set out to create her own using the creativity she used in her baking. She has a passion for creating delicious foods and sharing them with her friends, family and blog readers. Kristin lives outside Boston with her husband, newborn son and two adorable cats.

Browse all of Kristin's recipes on Patch

Lifestyle Guru Bonnie McDaniel

Must-read: Outdoor Entertaining: 6 Ways To Up Your Hosting Game

Bonnie McDaniel of Farm Girl In The City™ is a lifestyle writer and editor, television and radio personality and the author of three books. The first book in her Farm Girl In The City™ cookbook series is set to debut in the fall of 2017.

Read all of Bonnie's articles on Patch

Interested in having your writing featured nationally? Find out how to become a Patch Contributing Writer. Or email a post you've written on the Patch to liz.lashway@patch.com.