Good news is the best news. And we’re so excited to share that we’ve chosen Brown Hope as our 2021 volunteer grant winner! This Portland nonprofit started in 2018, from founder Cameron Whitten’s sense of urgency to overcome the vicious cycle of wounding caused by historical trauma.
In their own words, “Brown Hope is a community solution for racial justice, creating connection with Black, Brown, and Indigenous leaders through the heart, mind, and voice to inspire our collective healing.” Through the Portland nonprofit’s programs and services, they create intentional spaces, resources and funds to support Portland’s Black, Brown and Indigienous communities.
On June 1, 2020, during a pandemic peak and the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement, they took their mission a step further and launched the Black Resilience Fund in response to the murder of George
Floyd, which has since raised more than $2.5M and funded more than $2.1 in immediate financial relief to Black Portlanders. This resource is in addition to their Power Hour (a place for people to build community and heal from the impacts of racism), Blackstreet Bakery (an economic development program), Equity & Beyond (a multi-week, dynamic learning experience that leverages a cohort model to address racial inequality), and the Mutual Aid Network (community-driven effort that expands access to basic life essentials, such as diapers, mattresses, groceries, clothing, hygiene supplies, yard work, and more).
After reading through Brown Hope’s application, meeting their team and discussing their organization further, our 5-person grant committee was eager to sign up Grady Britton for 150 volunteer hours throughout the year by awarding them our volunteer grant. While our efforts will mostly focus on the Mutual Aid Network, we look forward to learning more about their other programs and engaging where we can. We also hope our greater community will take the time to learn more about Brown Hope’s impact on our community, and raise your hands to help in any way you can, too.
We’ll soon be sharing more on the Grady Britton blog and social media channels about our two incredible runner-ups, with information on how you can help, if you’re looking for volunteer opportunities. To say these grant decisions are difficult to make would be an understatement.
We share our sincerest gratitude with every organization that took time to apply and share their stories with us. Above all, thank you for your selfless service to our community.
Be sure to read more about this year’s marketing grant winner, MESO!