Give Like A Mother

This Mother's Day we're spotlighting three communities that are central to Spirit of the Earth and that have been deeply affected by the impact of these challenging times; Brooklyn, New York, Detroit, Michigan and the Indigenous Peoples of local Pueblos, the Navajo and Apache Nation. 

From May 1 through Mother's Day, 20% of our profits* will go to three underserved communities and the local organization's that are leading the recovery efforts in response to this historic health crisis:

  • Red Hook Initiative (Brooklyn, New York)
  • ISAIC (Detroit, Michigan)
  • Seeding Sovereignty (Navajo, Apache, and Pueblo communities in New Mexico)
Everyday new information reveals that this global crisis impacts under-resourced communities at exponentially higher rates, amplifying pre-existing social inequities tied to race, class, and access to health care.

Brooklyn, Detroit, and the Navajo, Apache, and Pueblo communities of New Mexico are home to many of the makers we love and whose work we celebrate. Each of these communities are bedrocks of resilience and creativity, and central to Spirit of the Earth.

Learn more below about the communities and Organizations that you'll be giving to below.

 

Navajo, Apache, and Pueblo communities, New Mexico | Seeding Sovereignty

Vulnerable communities are hit hardest by crises - even those that purport to affect everyone.

During this global pandemic, Indigenous communities that remain strong and resilient despite chronic deep poverty, a youth suicide epidemic, and myriad COVID-19 health complicating illnesses will be last to receive desperately needed PPE, medical care and support.

Seeding Sovereignty's Indigenous Impact Rapid Response Initiative works to immediately provide sewn protective masks, distribute healthy meal kits to elders and families, fund essential stipends directly to those in need, and send Indigenous authored books to quarantined students.

Seeding Sovereignty supports Navajo, Apache, and Pueblo communities in New Mexico where need is critical and with community partners Orenda Tribe, Pueblo Action Alliance, and the Jicarilla Child & Family Education Center. 

In addition to children and young women, they are committed to their Elder culture and language bearers who sustain our communities, ways of knowing and provide grandparent medicine. Their Indigenous knowledge can help our global community during this climate crisis.

Indigenous peoples are on the frontlines and protect living forests, waterways and resist extractive projects for us all.

Brooklyn, New York | Red Hook Initiative 


Red Hook Initiative (RHI) believes that social change to overcome systemic inequities begins with empowered youth. In partnership with community adults, RHI nurtures young people in Red Hook to be inspired, resilient and healthy, and to envision themselves as co-creators of their lives, community and society.

RHI's emergency response model provides vital services and advocacy for its community of largely Black and Latinx households who call Brooklyn's largest public housing development home. Distributing reliable information, caring for vulnerable residents, advocating for community needs, and offering support services for youth is helping vulnerable families through this crisis. As Red Hook heads into the second month of NYC’s struggle at the epicenter of the global pandemic, the city-wide and national statistics confirm that RHI's community will endure disproportionately high exposure risk, hardship, and death from COVID-19. RHI exists in order to confront the systemic inequities that have persisted for decades, and in keeping with its mission, their work is led by local residents and youth who are best equipped to identify needs and design their own solutions.

Learn more at rhicenter.org.

Detroit, Michigan | ISAIC

ISAIC is centralizing one of the area’s most substantial responses to date in the production of Personal Protection Equipment. Millions of pleated medical grade masks and thousands of sewn surgical masks and isolation gowns will be available through a single coordinated effort designed to also support local businesses and keep workers employed.

ISAIC has been working with the City of Detroit, the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s Pure Michigan Business Connect, Carhartt, Rock Family of Companies and Empowerment Plan on a two-pronged approach: First, to mobilize local apparel manufacturers to produce standardized, centralized PPE and second, automated, mass production of pleated surgical masks.

Under this regional initiative, ISAIC is making mask and gown kits with standardized product specifications, created in consultation with area hospitals, to be dispersed to local manufacturing partners for production. ISAIC will administer orders, control inventory and handle distribution to hospitals and other medical facilities.

In its second level of response, the ISAIC factory will be the site for automated mass production equipment, purchased by Quicken Loans Community Fund, which produce more than one million masks per month. The line machine will be the only one of its kind in the region.

Learn more at isaic.org