We’ve categorized the many people, organizations, groups, collectives, friends, neighbors, and community members helping us get off the ground into the following categories:
Neighborhood and Community / Org Partners are groups of people and individual abolitionist accomplices who align with our vision and support our work while maintaining their primary involvement with projects / initiatives other than this one. We’re especially seeking to partner with locally-based food security, healing justice, and crisis care initiatives in the city, to maximize our impact while deepening meaningful relationships. This group also includes folks who’ve made (and continue to make) critical donations to help us get off the ground without relying on funders who don’t share our values ❤
Our Core Organizing Crew is the group of folks who meet monthly, carry out the bulk of tasks required to get the project off the ground, take responsibility for making sure all the pieces move and work together well, and hold ownership of any accountability needed on our part, to increase safety, and to facilitate repair in the event of harm.
Consultants and Advisors include seasoned abolitionist, mutual aid, mental health / emotional support practitioners, and mad pride organizers, both locally and afar. These supporters offer guidance as we develop our policies and practices, troubleshoot potential problems we haven’t thought of, and offer encouragement alongside loving critique.
Our Peer Support Team is the group of roughly 150 abolitionist peer volunteers we are actively recruiting to provide 1:1 peer support to our guests. Folks who’d like to stay up-to-date on becoming a peer support worker can submit their information through the PSW Interest Form. Please note, submitting your info is *NOT* making a commitment to help out, but gets us your contact info so we can keep you up-to-date on the how-to of getting plugged in, if you decide that’s the right move for you.
Our Guests are folks who stay at our respite for up to 7 days, receiving community care while helping us to prove that psychiatric incarceration and other carceral approaches are not only harmful but also simply unnecessary. We can, and always have, cared best for ourselves and each other in community. ❤
Detroit Peer Respite 