(There is some irony that I will center a bit to decenter that is not lost on me. I am learning.) However imperfectly let's dive in. This grandmother is turning sixty and I am celebrating 36 years of working with women in my bones. When I turned 50, I was given over 2k for what we called the Dream Hive fund to be able to give monies to women. This decade birthday tradition is worth keeping up with because fundraising impacts lives and not just one at a time but many. The focus this time is for women of color and to center and amplify their projects and to also keep confidential some of their names when it comes to their personal health issues.
These are the women and projects that I wholeheartedly ask your support for. They are women I personally know who bring so much love and healing to our world. Rather than choosing one place, I propose to raise monies for all. In my promise to you that every penny will be donated out to the people and projects named, Marsia Shuron Harris has agreed to be my accountability partner and she will witness that process. If for whatever reason we do not reach this goal, I commit to another form of fundraising until we are complete. Mostly I believe in us and I am grateful for your trust as you choose to participate in the uprising.
So here are the projects, people and situations we are fundraising for this round. Just so you know too, if you want to donate directly to them where there are links I will add. If you want to PayPal directly to I will add your donation manually into this fund in an offline donation which doesn’t have fees. Also donate anything whether it is 2- 5-10- or 100-500. It is more about participation than amount. Do what you can as it is understandable there many demands. For those who just don't do online anything, you can also send to She Loves Life PO Box 13Baldwinville, Ma 01436 and again it will be added as an offline donation. Okay? Here we go! Let's start with where much of these funds are needed.
Three Amazing Individuals with Some Very Serious Health Challenges
Three women who I am choosing not to name out of respect for their privacy are going through serious cancer and health journeys with ongoing treatment. It is well documented that women of color deal with much higher health risks from racial trauma and stress that are experienced daily. It is exhausting for them. I would like to give a lot to these women because they are single and single mothers and financial help will aid them with easing their way with many financial hardships present. Some of them need lawyers, more reliable transportation, and just plain support with all they are going through. They are strong and sometimes too capable and would be there for you in a heartbeat if you needed something. Also they do not have links so this is the place to give forward plentifully because this is where what you do matters in their lives.
Harriet’s Dream, a vision held fiercely by Catrice M Jackson
"The intent and mission of Harriet's Dream℠ is to provide a healing sanctuary for black women to combat the daily barrage of racial trauma they experience and to help black women experience healing, happiness and harmony in their lives. Racism is trauma. Black women need a safe, trauma informed and Afrocentric (black-centered) space to begin healing from the lethal effects of racism and that place will be Harriet's Dream℠.” A direct donation if preferred can go here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/harriet039s-dream Also share this link too.
Walking with Grace, a project with visionary Grace Ogden A Witnessing Walk to End Child Detention and Family Separation
Grace is on fire with this vision and has all ready gone on her first walk. In the spring she is organizing with the knowing and support of the organization Freedom for Immigrants (https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org), a walk from NY state to Texas. In her words, "From New York the push continues on foot to visit different prisons serving as ICE detention centers to bear witness, be in community, and continue to bridge the gap from inside and out. Along the way we will meet with communities to share stories from people being detained, to practice and remember that what happens at the border, inside the prisons, and in camps happens inside each one of us. We are practicing and remembering, together, a trust that there is enough and that everyone belongs." https://www.walkingwithgrace.net
Indigenous Storytelling for Youth of Color gofund held by Lushanya Echeverria
Lushanya has been a close friend of mine for many years and this is what she shares in her spiritual work as a Lakota woman: "I am going to the Amazon forest/jungle for two weeks to be in community with the Ashaninka tribe to experience first hand how pivotal spiritual teachings are to navigating healthy behavior patterns. Currently, I work in a program called Changemakers, which is an "Alternative to Long-Term Suspension" model, and we are building emotional and social capacity in underprivileged and under-served students. I do this work because CHILDREN are OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE."
If you want to go direct, go here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/Help-me-teach-US-students-indigenous-ways
Hattie Carthan Gardens in Brooklyn NY; Yonnette Fleming Yonnette is my friend of over 13 years and one of my super sheheroes . When we fund her, we feed so many people and also care for her communities which she inspires and gives life to. They are in a campaign now “Decade of Transformation’
Yonnette Fleming is an urban food justice farmer and lifelong musician who is committed to advancing systems of knowledge which build healthy individuals, families and communities and provide community solutions to the issue of food insecurity, health disparities and social inequities. Farmer Yon, as she is known, has worked to grow food and advance community resilience to food insecurity through intergenerational education and operating food-based ventures in the Central Brooklyn community since 2003. Farmer Yon’s approach reflects the unique needs of the Hattie Carthan community garden’s aging population and the need to advance bold, educated leadership in order to address equity, inclusion and resilience in the food system. Farmer Yon serves as project catalyst/Vice President of the Hattie Carthan community garden and general coordinator of the Hattie Carthan Herban Farm and its two community-based markets in addition to teaching at the gardens. Here
Learning about her work and donating directly Photo credit: That is Yonnette with that chicken!
JWOW, Julie Woods www.JulieWoods.com Julie Woods is always up to good- whether it be truthtelling, support, mentoring, loving big- whatever we send her way, she will spin into something beautiful in our world. She is here to assist. And her hand extends to many people’s backs. Julie also is a beloved friend who has taught me much in how to stand on this earth with all our human complexities, traumas and gifts. Thank you Julie.
Dr Marie Nazon has a gofund. Again Marie is a dear, dear friend and I pay attention to where her energy goes because she serves the many with her life force. Here is here gofund for planting trees for Haiti where her family is from. https://www.gofundme.com/f/trees-for-haiti You can donate here and we will get some there or donate directly.
Rites of Passage 20/20 Vision is in its second live production is led by Pooja Prema (I met Pooja at our women’s Belly and Womb Conference and Daughters of the Earth Gathering)
https://www.ritesofpassageproject.org/2020vision
Rites of Passage 20/20 Vision, centering Women of Color, will take place in the summer of 2020 in The Berkshires MA. 20/20 Vision will be co-created by dozens of diverse women of color + allies from around the US, weaving together multiple perspectives and diasporic herstories. It centers around healing colonial legacy, reclaiming women’s innate wisdom and connection to our bodies, nature and the land, and honoring our ancestors along with visioning new possibilities for us as individual women, for our lineages, and for us as a collective. Rites of Passage is based on live performance events which take place site-specifically in a house, where each room represents an initiatory theme of women's lives from birth to death. The first live production took place in 2013 in MA in collaboration with 60 other women age 3 to 89.
Pooja shares this: The Project is currently calling for more women to join the community of beautiful, powerful visionaries, artists, activists, herbalists, doulas and change-makers who are coming together to co-create this revolutionary work. This includes WOC artists to cure-ate rooms, performers, and WOC + white allies who are passionate professionals to join the production team. Specifically, Rites of Passage is now seeking a Grant Writer and other fundraising and production support. To learn more please visit: https://www.ritesofpassageproject.org/join-the-village . Hit the “Apply” button and send a note about what calls you.
This is not specifically for women but I need to give a shout out and some monies to the work taking place here too. And you need to know about their work too.
Soul Fire Farm: Soul Fire Farm is committed to ending racism and injustice in our food system.
Check out our new book, Farming While Black!
You can donate directly here: http://www.soulfirefarm.org/support/
I am adding a 100 donation too for Kunsi Keya Tamakoce- the work of Beverly Little Thunder and her daughter Lushanya Echeverria in honor of Indigenous People's Day and their work there with the vision of the land in Vermont.
Thank you for your care, your place in our world and joining me in celebrating these beautiful women on my 60th birthday focus. Each of these women have given so much and I am so grateful for their lifeforce in this world. Together we can do this.