C.A.R.E. Wellness Center
Christlike AgroTourism for Racial Equality Wellness Center & Services
Spirituality + AgroTourism + Racial Justice
FIVE PROGRAM COMPONENTS:
Healing Circle: 9-day nutritional detox, journal, guided meditation, and yoga for beginners.
Focus: Strength, Flexibility, and Balance
Self-Advocacy Training: 20-40 hour guided class building self-awareness, -love, -advocacy, -esteem, and discovering personality, spirituality, and community connections.
Focus: Self-Awareness, Autonomy, and Community
Nature Therapy: weekly guided classes and curriculum “Plant Teachings for Growing Social-Emotional Skills”, farm and gardening projects, and building connections between herbalism, diet and nutrition, and holistic health care.
Focus: Sustainability, Permaculture, and Community Service
Individualized Counseling & Group Support: weekly therapy sessions with a licensed family therapist, group activities and support groups.
Focus: Anger, Trauma, and Communication
Racial Socialization Class: 10-20 hour introductory class on healthy racial integration.
Focus: African-American History, and Critical Race Theory
What does Christlike mean? The C.A.R.E. Wellness Center is non-denominational and non-religious in nature because many people of color have suffered trauma directly connected or affected by religion and its alliances with white supremacy, sexism and/or homophobia. Though we embrace and respect that there is an innate desire to connect to “God” and become self-actualized, we also appreciate that every individual experiences “God” in their own unique way. Being “Christlike” is a pursuit of following the steps of great Master Teachers, like The Christ, who led their lives serving purposes larger than themselves. C.A.R.E. is dedicated to serving its community with a safe and inclusive space for healing and individually exploring spiritual tools.
Why do we encourage Spirituality? Every human seeks love and belonging, but sometimes that healthy curiosity to seek self-actualization and ascension is severed by trauma or deprivation. When regretful or traumatic experiences rewire our brains, or we are instead focused on maintaining our basic essentials to survive, we follow new pathways that lead us further and further from our calling, from our purpose, or from faith in ourselves and a hope in something greater. Having faith in a higher power or principles larger than ourselves keeps us grounded, inspired, and hopeful. C.A.R.E. does not indoctrinate participants, but only encourages each individual to seek their own personal truths of Spirituality, reconnecting themselves back to their pursuit of Truth.
What is AgroTourism? This is a type of tourism and travel experience with a heavy emphasis on agriculture, minimalism, food forestry and sustainability that relies heavily on its partnership with nature and astronomy. We promote the ideology that “less is more” and want to help our community to return its focus back to our essential basic needs. There are enumerable benefits to being in nature, stewarding land, and embracing permaculture: a synergetic partnership with nature and its ecosystems. C.A.R.E. programs incorporate agriculture as a tool of therapy, self-empowerment, and both a gainful and profitable skill of sustainability, teaching herbalism, native planting, and its connection to body and nutrition. Our components of Nature Therapy empower participants to find comfort in nature and safety in traveling internationally. Nature Therapy, also called ecotherapy or green care, are used to help people overcome depression and anxiety.
How do we challenge Racism? Our American culture has scarred people of color in ways that run deep. Yet we are not given the safe space to recover, or the necessary tools to overcome our generational curses and personal traumas. Instead, we are expected to forget them, to move on, and to ‘get over it’. For anyone who has suffered extensive and multiple traumas compounded over years, and have had their experiences invalidated, denied, and refuted, C.A.R.E. finds it absolutely necessary to provide a safe space for people of color to experience rehabilitation and retreat in nature while equipping themselves with therapeutic tools to rebuild their esteem and inspire their pursuit of self-actualization. As described in Dr. Joy Degruy’s book titled “Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome”, people of color have sustained a severe disconnection to nature and their spiritual rituals, causing trauma much reflected like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that ripples outward in a myriad of ways. This mental health challenge shows itself through deep-rooted anger, fractured self-esteem and isolation or community/family detachment. The C.A.R.E. programs uphold these values, facilitating training in self-advocacy and racial socialization to under-served communities
* Justice-Involvement excludes sexual assault charges and convictions
** Mental health restrictions apply
Participate in a C.A.R.E. Wellness Program and overcome effects of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS coined and described by Dr. Joy DeGruy) by healing your Mind, Body, & Spiritual connection. This is a voluntary pilot research program where applicants actively participate for group retreat, self-empowerment and to create opportunities for self-actualization.
PROGRAMS
Wellness Fall Program
To combat the prison pipeline system that greatly impacts black families, communities and our country’s economy, C.A.R.E. is launching it’s WFP to capture black youth after aging out of foster care and introduce them to powerful holistic tools to help them integrate into the community.
Our program will focus on healing, self-advocacy, nature therapy, individualized counseling, and racial socialization in an effort of confronting the effects of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS) and offering tools to help the youth better cope with an unforgiving and oppressive system.
Approved applicants will attend a local Washington farm site weekly to participate in this 2-month-long, expenses-paid, structured, wellness research program. Paid internships and stipends offered upon approval.
Applications will be announced in June.
Summer Re-Entry Program
To combat the prison pipeline system that greatly impacts black families, communities and our country’s economy, C.A.R.E. is launching it’s SREP to capture black youth after incarceration and introduce them to powerful holistic tools to help them integrate back into the community.
While those with justice-involvement endure counseling for job-readiness, housing, education, and health, what they are lacking is the ability to address their personal and family traumas, specific to their black experience, as well as the generational trauma that many brush under the rug.
Our program will focus on healing, self-advocacy, nature therapy, individualized counseling, and racial socialization in an effort of confronting the effects of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS) and offering tools to help the youth better cope with an unforgiving and oppressive system.
Approved applicants will attend a local Washington farm site weekly to participate in this 2-month-long, expenses-paid, structured, wellness research program. Paid internships and stipends offered upon approval.
Applications will be announced in March.
Wellness Ex-Change (Abroad) Program
International travel can be both exhilarating and scary, but a great tool for inducing spiritual wellness and inspiring real change is to detox from old habits and rehab from old environments where you’re most comfortable.
Travel internationally with the C.A.R.E. Founder, an experienced world traveler and wellness consultant, on an intimate journey to another country and explore its organic farms and eco-friendly resorts together. We will apply the C.A.R.E. program components, combining agro-tourism and spiritual rehabilitation on this intensive and comprehensive study abroad program.
Approved applicants will travel together on a month-long, expenses-paid, guided trip to experience and contribute to this wellness research program.
Applications will be announced in September.
4 Youth Presents: BIPOC-ish & a Dish
Quarterly gatherings are scheduled by the consortium 4 Youth for dining, entertainment, fundraising, and current reports.
Nature Therapy
C.A.R.E. hosts a monthly gathering for professionals to come together in support and healing. Nature Therapy is a method of addressing stress, anxiety, and/or depression by using nature and holistic techniques like meditation, yoga, and mindfulness. We gather for peer support, networking, and stress-relief.
C.A.R.E Summer Re-Entry Program
C.A.R.E. is developing a summer re-entry program for justice-involved youth that will facilitate self-advocacy training; provide mental health services and support; and give instruction in recreational therapies like meditation, yoga, nature therapy, and herbalism. This program is dedicated to BIPOC youth who are under-privileged, have suffered trauma, and endured justice-involvement. Our goal is to support our young people in recovery, offering a safe space for them to muscle through spiritual rehabilitation as they integrate back into their communities after serving time in the justice system with minor or non- sexual or violent crimes.
Washington Combined Fund Drive
The Combined Fund Drive in Washington state partners with member charities and connects them to donors. Every year, C.A.R.E. is featured in this fundraiser to give others the opportunity to give to this great cause.
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