Working towards a better community

Our work for 2021 will be centered around health equity, leadership development, violence prevention and community capacity building.

2021 will bring with it many more stories of the power of our interconnectedness. The stories of the relationships that have been built through the ashes and how people across our community stood side by side to peacefully demonstrate injustice, how our neighbors used social media as a tool for community building and advocacy and how we learned to value our time together and phone calls from those we miss.

2021 will bring with it a local emergence of Black and brown leadership, white allies and grassroots organizations and faith-based institutions that are working together to craft a new story grounded in the strength of our ancestors to endure, the abolitionist who supported their fight for freedom and our collective ability to build a future where all across our community have access and opportunities to thrive.

HEART

Background: People experiencing addiction, homelessness, or previous incarceration face enormous stigma from healthcare institutions. Frequently labeled and blamed for their own problems when they seek help, many lose trust and disengage from healthcare and social services where they feel unwelcome. Exclusion drives unmet needs, poor health and early death.

Values and Principles: HEART puts people from excluded communities in charge of their own narratives and invites professionals into their space for partnership. HEART will develop new partnerships for inclusion health developed by and for the people in our community who traditionally have been excluded from decision-making about their own care.