PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

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The Community Cocoon weaves together intergenerational care, equity, and grassroots leadership through the creation of a space for individuals of all ages to slow down, reflect, re-center, and grow. Through statewide events, workshops, and trainings, participants experience personal renewal and shared growth rooted in the African principle of Ubuntu—“I am because we are.” This program nurtures solidarity, emotional well-being, and community care as foundational tools for justice and  liberation.

Empowering youth and young adults ages 15–24, this program harnesses the power of art as a tool for healing, identity, and justice. Through visual arts, performance, and activism, young creators of color use their voices to challenge oppressive narratives, elevate marginalized stories, and promote civic engagement. This alliance nurtures emerging leaders who blend creativity with activism to heal from trauma and push for systemic change across the Greater Richmond Region.

This culturally responsive initiative addresses the mental health crisis among Black adolescents ages 13–18 in the Greater Richmond Region. It combines storytelling, family engagement, and youth-led advocacy to destigmatize mental health and build community-based support systems. BYMHC centers the voices of Black youth to reshape policy and create healing infrastructures grounded in justice.

Designed for young Black women and femmes ages 18–29, the Heal Her Collective focuses on healing-centered leadership development, personal ecology, and strategic action. Participants engage in intergenerational mentorship, healing circles, and political education to build sustainable movements that honor both rest and resistance. This collective empowers participants to lead with clarity, purpose, and deep commitment to the liberation of Black and Brown women and girls.

The Rapid Responders Network is a healing-centered alternative to traditional crisis response. We train and mobilize trusted community members—youth leaders, caregivers, organizers, and advocates—to provide immediate support in moments of harm, conflict, or community need.

Our model replaces policing and surveillance with care, accountability, and connection. Whether responding to violence, school-based harm, housing instability, or state intervention, our responders are equipped with trauma-informed tools, resource navigation skills, and de-escalation strategies. This is not just crisis response—it’s community repair.