Roots Wellness Center (RWC) is a dedicated mental health and family organization founded and led by BIPOC individuals, focused on holistic, culturally rooted, de-westernized wellness supports. We are reaching out to our community and supporters to raise $300,000 to reconstruct the Keystone Community Center. This project is vital for establishing a vibrant community wellness hub in the Midway area of St. Paul, a neighborhood still healing from the impacts of the George Floyd uprisings and addressing significant health disparities. Fiscal sponsorship is through Indigenous Roots and that we thank them greatly for their support.
Community Wellness Hub Fundraiser
Please Note: Donations are processed via PayPal by our partner Indigenous Roots.
Organization Background
Established in 2013 by Katy Armendariz, LICSW, a transracial adoptee with a fervent commitment to systemic change, RWC was created to bridge the gaps in culturally responsive mental health and addiction services. Over the past decade, RWC has grown into a beacon of holistic, trauma-centered care and cultural connection. Our services are tailored to meet the unique needs of the BIPOC community through an intergenerational healing lens.
The Need
The Midway area of St. Paul has been deeply affected by systemic issues and the recent socio-political climate. Healing and addressing health disparities in this area requires a dedicated, culturally responsive approach. The Keystone Community Center, once a cornerstone of community engagement, is the perfect space to transform into a community wellness hub that honors its legacy and meets current neighborhood needs.
Our Vision
RWC’s vision for the community wellness hub is to provide a wide range of services and resources that address the holistic well-being of residents. This includes:
- Mental and Physical Health Services: Culturally responsive therapy, trauma-informed care, and addiction support.
- Economic Empowerment: Financial planning classes, tax education, and business mentoring to support local entrepreneurship and economic stability.
- Youth Programs: Dedicated spaces and drop-in programs for youth to provide support, education, and resources.
- Community Resources: Incubator spaces for startups, mentorship programs, grant writing support, and connections to community resources.
Our Impact
RWC has served thousands of individuals and families across the Twin Cities. Our programs have demonstrated the ongoing need for a central community wellness hub. Some of our key achievements include:
- Innovative Mental Health Programs: Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports (CTSS), Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS), and a groundbreaking in-home recovery pilot program in partnership with Hennepin County and Yale.
- Educational Support: Learning Lab, free learning pods during COVID-19 for under-resourced students, and digital navigation services to bridge the digital divide.
- Substance Use Recovery: Our harm-reduction, intensive outpatient treatment program has prevented out-of-home placements for infants at a rate of 86% for Native and Black participants.
Why We Didn’t Start as a Non-Profit
We began as a for-profit organization to avoid the mission drift that often results from the philanthropic industrial complex. Our passion for grassroots, holistic, culturally rooted wellness drives us, and we wanted to ensure our focus remained unwavering. Becoming a non-profit from the outset risked diverting our mission due to external pressures and funding stipulations.
The Call to Action
As we celebrate our 10th anniversary, we are committed to expanding our impact and continuing to dismantle barriers to access for marginalized communities. We have financed the Community Wellness Hub project thus far on our own, but we now need your support to reach the final goal. Your contributions will help us:
- Complete the reconstruction of the Community Wellness Hub.
- Expand our holistic, somatic, and ancestral approaches to decolonizing mental health systems.
- Establish a welcoming, inclusive environment for all community members.
Conclusion
Join us in making a lasting impact on the Midway area and the broader Twin Cities community. Your donation to the Roots Wellness Center will not only help reconstruct a critical community space but also support the mental, physical, and economic well-being of our BIPOC residents. Together, we can promote healing, resilience, and systemic change.
Please Note: Donations are processed via PayPal by our partner Indigenous Roots.