Communal healing is a birthright. Our stories are sacred. Each person deserves the space to re-story and reclaim their healing, especially through the arts.

This second cycle of mutual aid prioritizes Black and Brown women and gender-queer survivors, providing micro-grants and art mental health spaces. We are gathering a cohort of 8 survivors interested in healing through therapeutic art sessions. Half of the mutual aid is reserved for Trans, Gender Queer and Gender Nonconforming relatives. This mutual aid is dedicated to the health and wellness of survivors and its use is entirely up to the recipients' discretion. Eight recipients will receive a one-time $1,111 micro-grant with no follow up needed.

Additionally, the cohort will participate in a planning meeting with Raveena & Britt from the mutual aid team, followed by 7 virtual art mental health groups. Rooted in self-determination and choice, the cohort will decide which forms of art or healing modalities they prefer for the mental health groups. For example: using poetry, doll making, movement/dance, jewelry making, drumming, photographing self portraits or any other ideas the cohort dreams up as a means to process trauma, center joy and reclaim their own story.

This mutual aid is intended for survivors of domestic violence, intimate partner violence and sexual assault. We honor the truth and heart-space required to identify as a survivor and will not request proof of this identity or any details about your story relating to violence.

TIMELINE
Applications are open between August 8th - 12th, 2022. All recipients will hear back from the team by August 22nd. Selected recipients will have until August 26th to (1) confirm participation in the cohort, (2) provide schedule availability and (3) confirm where to issue the $1,111 micro-grant. The first meeting will take place the first week of September. Eight art-based mental health groups will take place mid-September to late October. Recipients should expect to receive $1,111 funds disbursement by November 1st.

Please only apply if willing and able to participate in 8 weeks of sessions during this time period.

LOTTERY SELECTION PROCESS
This mutual aid is specifically for low-income black/brown women, femmes & gender queer folks who are survivors. Of the qualifying applications, 8 individuals will be selected via a lottery system to participate in the cohort.

HEALING JUSTICE & SELF-DETERMINATION

In the spirit of mutual aid, the Aurora Loving Kindness Project supports healing justice that is rooted in choice and determined by survivors. In the first cohort session, with Raveena and Britt from the Aurora Loving Kindness Team, discussion on what type of sessions the cohort would like will be had. Queer/value aligned practitioner options and healing modality options will be shared as well if needed.

PRIVACY
We understand the importance of protecting survivor’s privacy and do not intend to share any identifying information about participants. Submission data will not be shared outside of the grantmaking team without informed, written consent. Our application is hosted on the Pabbly platform. For further details, read more about Pabbly’s Privacy Policy - especially sections 6, 9 and 10 - or contact the Pabbly Privacy Team at admin@pabbly.com.

If selected for the mutual aid cohort, you will be asked to provide a one-page tax form called a W-9 for us to process your $1,111 micro-grant. This form asks for a name, address and TIN or social security number. If this is not possible, we will put our best effort into accommodating needs.

SUPPORT
Reach out to mgmt.raveena@gmail.com if you are unable to submit using the form above and we will troubleshoot entering your application. We are here to meet access needs and security needs for the application. Reach out with specific requests and we will put our best effort into accommodating needs. This is a support email address, please do not not follow up once the grant application has been submitted.

In community & In solidarity,

The Aurora Loving Kindness Project Team

“As a survivor myself of domestic violence , intimate partner violence and sexual assault, I know first hand how much money can be a barrier from leaving and / or healing from an abuse situation. I also know intimately how resources for therapy and healing modalities can be hard to access as people of color and queer people. My hope for this grant cycle is to making healing modalities more accessible, share some of my own resources, and hopefully inspire other people in the community to extend care for survivors of these types of violence.” - Raveena