a birthday request

I want to share here some of the organizing work I’ve been involved with this year. This year I have been enmeshed in two big abolitionist projects in and beyond Detroit. And, in honor of my birthday next week, I’m asking anyone who wants to celebrate with me to make a $43 donation to one of these projects (or whatever you can afford!).

The first is the Detroit Peer Respite, an abolitionist alternative to mental health incarceration and coercive care for moments of acute crisis. We are working to pilot the ability to host a person in crisis in a local house for up to 10 days. In this non-medical and consent-based model, guests will be supported round the clock by another person who can listen, help find resources, work through problems, or whatever support is requested and helpful. The organizing and support comes from peers – people who are survivors of psychiatric incarceration or have other lived experiences with mental health struggles with ourselves and in our families. To make this happen, we need a lot of volunteers and a little bit of funding! I would love to talk to anyone local about how to get involved.

Donate to Detroit Peer Respite here: https://givebutter.com/peerrespitepilot#

A flyer for Detroit Peer Respite with the following information: WHAT IS PEER RESPITE? A NON-CLINICAL (NO DOCTORS, THERAPISTS, OR PSYCHIATRISTS) ALTERNATIVE PLACE TO STAY DURING A MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE- RELATED CRISIS, RUN BY PEOPLE WHO CAN RELATE. IT'S 100% VOLUNTARY, AND WE DON'T INVOLVE POLICE OR REQUIRE ANY "CARE" THAT IS NON-CONSENSUAL WHO WE ARE A COLLECTIVE OF ABOLITIONIST CARE WORKERS FROM IN AND AROUND DETROIT. MOST OF US ARE TRANS AND/OR QUEERS/WOMEN/FEMMES. SOME, BUT NOT ALL, OF US HAVE JOB EXPERIENCE IN THE MENTAL AND/OR MEDICAL HEALTHCARE FIELDS, BUT RESPITE IS NOT A MEDICAL OR PROFESSIONAL OFFERING. WE ALL HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF SURVIVING OUR OWN PERSONAL STRUGGLES. HOW TO HELP BECOME A MONTHLY SUSTAINER - WE'RE TRYING TO RAISE 0/MONTH FOR PLANNING EXPENSES AND 00 TO OPEN OUR DOORS ATTEND A MONTHLY MEETING (WE USUALLY MEET ON SECOND SUNDAYS, 2 PM - 4 PM, EMAIL INFO@DETROITPEERRESPITE.ORG FOR INFO) • VOLUNTEER! WE NEED ... PEER SUPPORT WORKERS TO PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO FOLKS IN CRISIS HOMEOWNERS WHO CAN OFFER SPACE TO OUR GUESTS (NO PEER SUPPORT OR OTHER WORK NEEDED) MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE ON-CALL ANSWERS TO LOW-LEVEL MEDICAL QUESTIONS HELP IN THIS PLANNING PHASE, AS WE WORK ON OUR ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT MODELS
Our website is not ready yet, but this gives you a good idea of the support we need.

The second project is the Abolitionist Book Club, a reading group that connects people inside and outside of prison for conversation and political education. This is a project started in collaboration with the Black Prisoners’ Caucus in WA as an act of material and emotional support with our imprisoned comrades. The club is currently reading Kaba and Richie’s No More Police. We’re fundraising to provide money for phone calls and messages to and from the prison (you can read more here about these exorbitant expenses).

Donate to Abolitionist Book Club here: https://chuffed.org/project/no-more-police-insideoutside

Big, big thanks in advance to anyone who can celebrate my birthday with me by supporting one of these projects. I would also love to chat with anyone who wants more info or is interested in getting involved, or doing something similar, or who’s already doing similar work, so as always, please reach out!

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