At this point, there isn’t any aspect of life in the U.S. that hasn’t been affected by the pandemic. This is especially true in Black and Brown communities. Covid-19 has magnified every inequity. People are struggling to put food on the table, pay their rent, get high-quality health care, and make sure their kids are getting the education they have the right to.
In those same communities, the local organizations on the frontlines tackling violence and healing community trauma are seeing a growing demand for their services even as the work gets much harder.
These are EJUSA’s partners in our shared mission to reimagine justice. These are the leaders who have built the solutions to violence and trauma that will replace the justice system that relies on prisons, police, and executions. So when we heard what our partners needed to move their work forward, we pivoted on our strategy. We couldn’t meet in person with our allies, but we were able to reallocate more than $17,000 in funding to make sure these organizations could meet their community’s needs. I want to share the impact that this has had.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Butterfly Society, a volunteer-based anti-domestic violence organization, needed emergency funding to relocate survivors who were forced into isolation with abusive partners. Our funding provided financial assistance for women who had no choice but to leave their homes during the pandemic.
When shelter-in-place orders left households without essentials like food and water, The Bridge Agency Inc. held a “Summer Kickoff Essentials Drive-Through” to essential packages to families. EJUSA contributed $5,000 to the effort.
Another organization, The Healing Circle, could no longer meet in person to continue their community therapeutic sessions and would need more volunteers to support post COVID. EJUSA provided the organization with a Zoom subscription to help continue therapy sessions for the community, and for their team to earn a Mental Health First Aid certification. They will continue to educate and support the community as they address trauma and healing post-COVID, increasing the expansion of this service city-wide.
Rapid City, South Dakota
Journey On, an indigenous-led organization focusing on wellness and healing, needed help to support the city’s homeless population. With funding from EJUSA, volunteers distributed sack lunches and backpacks with nonperishable goods, toiletries, clothing, and other basic necessities.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Avenues for Youth supports young people facing homelessness and the trauma that it produces. With EJUSA’s support, the organization provided children with bus passes and gift cards to purchase food and necessities.
Denver, Colorado
In response to COVID-19, the Colorado Center for Change provided virtual programming for women and young people to support their social and emotional well-being during isolation. EJUSA supported this initiative, as well as care package delivery and rental assistance for families in need.
