As we wrap up the Juneteenth - Call to Action campaign, we want to end by highlighting an organization we have had a great relationship with over the years - Brown Hope.
Brown Hope is dedicated to helping uplift, connect, and facilitate collective healing within Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. Its mission is to plant seeds of change and seeds of racial healing in the Portland, Oregon area.
Founded in 2018, as a nonprofit organization, Brown Hope is making a significant impact on its local community and beyond. Offering six different programs, whether through virtual volunteering and donating, or getting involved on the ground level, there are many ways you can support their year-round advocacy.
Today we are highlighting Brown Hope’s Black Resilience Fund, which launched in 2020, and recently expanded its original goal of providing relief to Black Portlanders through direct monetary aid. When the Black Resilience Fund launched, it provided one-time $300 microgrants to Black community members in the Portland area to help them meet their needs. From a structural level, Brown Hope recognizes the continued disinvestment in the Black community and prides itself on making a direct positive impact through its various programs.
“In the age of Covid, it was really important for us to be able to give people this immediate financial relief,” said Kaliko Castille, Director of Development and Communications at Brown Hope.
Last month the GivePulse Special Events Team spoke with Castille about the Black Resilience Fund. Since its launch in mid-2020, the Black Resilience Fund has generated over $2,600,000 to direct reparations-inspired actions that have directly impacted over 7,000 Black Portlanders.
Castille added, “Part of our mission is to create systems for people who are not able to get the help they need from the traditional political or economic systems.” Every year during Juneteenth, Brown Hope hosts their largest fundraiser to support the Black Resilience Fund. They partner with businesses across Portland that donate 19% of their profits on June 19th or other proceeds to Brown Hope’s Black Resilience Fund. “This is an opportunity for us to engage people across Portland, and Oregon generally, to have a chance to not only honor the legacy and history of Juneteenth but really be able to celebrate and invest in the future - to have this sense of Black resilience - to really be able to thrive and not just survive.”
The newest version of the Black Resilience Fund is what Brown Hope calls a “village building program.” This will be a guaranteed basic income program where depending on the family size, a family could receive upwards to $2,000 a month. The goal is to raise $500,000 this summer to allow this program to reach 50 families and last for three years. For the Brown Hope team, this is about making a generational difference, to set families up for a brighter future with increased stability immediately.
Now you are invited to show up for Black Portlanders and contribute to the Black Resilience Fund. Castille reminded our team that every donation makes a difference. Furthermore, by sharing this initiative and spreading the word through your network, you can support Brown Hope’s mission to build a village of support that meets the tangible needs of Black families.
Brown Hope also has five other programs you can support and get involved with
- Power Hour “is an intentional space for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people to build community and heal from the impacts of racism.” Power Hour is offered every Monday and hosts a local speaker to go in-depth about a local and relevant topic for individuals to think about and discuss.
Power Hour is a space designed only for Black, Brown, and Indigenous individuals. If you are racially privileged and want to participate, you can do so directly by donating and supporting Power Hour and, at large, Brown Hope. - Solidarity Squad is a Black-led movement that responds directly to community needs.. They provide apartment kits to people moving into their own apartment for the first time and they have an entire warehouse of clothing, diapers, food, and other basic needs to help directly during a time of need. The Solidarity Squad is currently hosting a monthly mutual aid volunteering event where you can help distribute, package, and deliver donated goods to community members in Portland.
- Blackstreet Bakery uses the concept of regenerative economics to restore economic opportunities for Black Portlanders in North and Northeast Portland by providing living wage jobs in plant-based baking.
If you are interested in some delicious plant-based treats and helping reverse the impact of gentrification, support this pop-up bakery that goes to various locations around the Portland area, and follow @blackstreetbakery to see where they will be next! - Equity and Beyond is a learning experience to help build collective power for racial justice. Equity and Beyond has an upcoming Winter 2022 Cohort and is taking registrants now!
- Healing Initiatives Brown Hope has several healing initiatives to cultivate lifelong wellness within individuals and communities living with the traumas of systemic racism.
Brown Hope’s current healing initiative is Ancestral Abundance. A project focused on developing a community healing garden and workforce training program.
Are you in the Portland area and want to get involved? Get in touch with Brown Hope’s Volunteer Coordinator through their GivePulse page to learn more. Thank you!
About
The GivePulse campaign “Juneteenth - Call to Action” is designed to promote the importance of Juneteenth as a national holiday while supporting organizations focused on work that centers around social and racial justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and education.
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