The combined impacts of systemic racism & poverty on the body and mind of Black* people are already devastating, and that is only amplified in hyper-white places like Vermont. To attempt to alleviate some of this impact in our community, BLMGB’s “Black* Bodies Healing Fund” is available for any Black* person to subsidize their acupuncture, physical & mental therapy costs, chiropractic services, yoga, personal fitness, hiking gear, herbalism, massage, dance, & martial arts.
We’ve been dreaming and talking about building this since 2018, and the 2020 outpouring of community support helped make it a reality. However, those funds have long-since dried up. This project not sustained by any huge grant-funding, and is funded from a 20% cut of every dollar we receive in donations. It is also not our goal to become a service organization. But this effort is important to us. So we commit to spreading it only by direct word of mouth. Please share this with people you’re in relationship with, rather than by blasting it into public spaces.
All we require from a community-identified Black* bodied person is your name, who shared this with you, your contact info (phone & mailing address), preferred payment information, and a receipt afterwards (because IRS–but payments may also be made direct to provider at your request & we can provide receipt/confirmation back to you). Other notes on how this works:
- The amount you request can be *up to* the whole amount (up to $100 per request; higher than that BLMGB can send funds directly to payee in your name after it is brought to the POCC Collective for exception approval).
- This can be used for costs dating back three (3) months or less.
- A request does not guarantee funds. (a lack of available funds or a unanimous collective vote can deny funds for reasons that must be both a) explicitly stated and b) endangering or compromising the project or community in some way)
- Since you might be sending information related to your healthcare, we recommend you send us files using Tresorit Send https://send.tresorit.com/ or request a secure upload link from us.
*formerly POC; official decision decided April 2022