Our Story
It all started when…
We started as activists and advocates organizing across Maine to educate the broader community on racial justice issues. We led training/workshops and consulted hundreds of people in various workspaces & institutions to create safer spaces for BIPOC and increase equality. We organized the largest protest in Bangor, Maine demanding change that would improve the wellbeing of Black communities in 2020. We worked with the city to create its first Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Human Rights. We decided to spread light on racial injustice and to support our community battling racism under a non-profit organization. Since then, we have: redistributed thousands of dollars to BIPOC community members as direct support, volunteered over 600 hours of advocacy for People of Color experiencing racism and connecting people to resources, organized the first Black Leadership Summit in Maine, organized wellness retreats and outdoor outings, collaborated with other entities to support our communities mental health, land access, youth empowerment, financial literacy, gardening skills, and housing access and more. Our strength has been in our mutual aid with organizations and entities that support our work. Through collaboration, we have worked on land access, land justice, housing issues, food security, harm reduction, policy change, movement building, resource distribution, racial justice education, DEI consulting, healing through culture, outdoor recreation, leadership development, and more. The co-founders of our organization co-created a consulting business to now carry out most of the DEI education and consulting.
Our work has evolved over the years—from organizing protests and advocating against discrimination, to implementing policy change at the municipal level, educating the broader public about racism and bias, growing food for our communities, and offering BIPOC-centered outdoor retreats.
Today, Generations Retreat & Grow Farm (GRGF) - based out of Avon, Maine is intentionally focusing our efforts on supporting BIPOC individuals and families through land-based wellness and healing programming. We believe that healing in connection with land, culture, and community is essential to liberation and long-term change.
