TOGETHER RISING

ORGANIZATION GRANTS: $3,544,702.45IN OUR LARGEST PROGRAM, TOGETHER RISING INVESTED IN DOZENS OF BOOTS-ON-THE-GROUND ORGANIZATIONS MEETING THE MOST URGENT NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE BOARD VOTED TO APPROVE A TOTAL OF $3,544,702.45 IN ORGANIZATION GRANTS. FOR EXAMPLE, IN RESPONSE TO INCREASED ATTACKS ON REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AND ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES, TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $900,000 IN ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING HOLLER HEALTH JUSTICE (HHJ) TO SECURE SAFE, ACCESSIBLE ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE FOR THOSE MOST MARGINALIZED, INCLUDING BIPOC, LGBTQ+, LOW-INCOME, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY RESTRICTIONS AND BANS ON REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IN RESPONSE TO REPEATED NATIONWIDE ATTACKS ON LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES AND TRANSGENDER YOUTH, TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $875,500 IN PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT LGBTQ+ COMMUNITIES AND TO HELP PROVIDE LIFE-SAVING GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE. TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $750,000 IN OUT YOUTH, AN ORGANIZATION SERVING LGBTQ+ YOUTH IN CENTRAL TEXAS AND THEIR FAMILIES AND ALLIES. THIS GRANT FUNDED A SAFE PLACE FOR YOUTH, AGED 9 TO 23, TO RECEIVE COMPREHENSIVE, CULTURALLY-SENSITIVE SUPPORT TO ENSURE THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP INTO HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL ADULTS. TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $305,905 IN THE LOOKING OUT FOUNDATION (LOF) TO SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND TO EXPAND COMMUNITY FOOD AND WATER ACCESS. IN 2024, TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $100,000 IN THE GEORGIA RESILIENCE AND OPPORTUNITY (GRO) FUND TO SUPPORT THE IN HER HANDS PROGRAM. IN HER HANDS, GRO'S FLAGSHIP GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM, PROVIDES AN AVERAGE OF $1,000 PER MONTH TO RECIPIENTS, WHO ARE PREDOMINANTLY BLACK WOMEN AND PARENTS, FOR TWO YEARS. ONE WOMAN SHARED THAT THESE FUNDS ALLOWED HER TO DREAM AGAIN: SHE WAS ABLE TO LIVE WITHIN HER LOWER-PAYING JOB WHILE EARNING A TEACHING CERTIFICATION, AND NOW WORKS AT HER DREAM JOB AS A TEACHER IN HER HOME DISTRICT. FAMILY REUNIFICATION GRANTS: $1,506,306.37TOGETHER RISING INVESTED A TOTAL OF $1,506,306.37 IN GRANTS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND REUNIFY FAMILIES WHO WERE SEPARATED AT THE U.S. BORDER UNDER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S "ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY." TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $830,000 IN AL OTRO LADO (AOL), A TRUSTED, LONG-TERM PARTNER OF TOGETHER RISING, IN THE WORK OF REUNIFYING SEPARATED MIGRANT FAMILIES AT THE MEXICO-U.S. BORDER. THIS GRANT ALLOWED AOL TO CONTINUE THEIR WORK TO ENSURE THAT ASYLUM SEEKERS WILL NOT BE ILLEGALLY TURNED AWAY AT THE PORT OF ENTRY AND WILL NOT BE UNLAWFULLY DEPORTED. TOGETHER RISING ALSO DISTRIBUTED $236,306.37 TO KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE (KIND) TO FUND FREE, HIGH-QUALITY LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN 75 NEW CASES FOR SEPARATED FAMILIES THROUGH THE PROVISION OF DIRECT LEGAL REPRESENTATION.INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN CRISES: $1,013,256.48IN THE FACE OF THE VIOLENCE, DESTRUCTION, AND HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN GAZA, TOGETHER RISING TURNED AGAIN TO SUPPORT TWO PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, THE MIDDLE EAST CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE (MECA) AND AMERICAN NEAR EAST REFUGEE AID (ANERA). WITH OUR INVESTMENTS TOTALING $663,256.48, THESE PARTNERS WERE ABLE TO NOTWITHSTANDING VERY GRAVE DANGER TO THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY EXPAND THEIR PROVISION OF HOT MEALS AND FRESH PRODUCE, WATER, MEDICAL SUPPLIES, AND MEDICINE, AS WELL AS TRAUMA-INFORMED PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS. THIS PAST YEAR, AS CONFLICT BETWEEN RIVAL MILITARY FACTIONS IN SUDAN ERUPTED, MORE THAN 8.7 MILLION PEOPLE FLED THEIR HOMES, INCLUDING 4.6 MILLION CHILDREN RESULTING IN A DEVASTATING HUMANITARIAN DISASTER AND DISPLACEMENT CRISIS. TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $100,000 IN SHELTERBOX TO SUPPORT AT LEAST 6,500 NEWLY ARRIVED DISPLACED FAMILIES (APPROXIMATELY 32,500 PEOPLE) IN CHAD WITH EMERGENCY SHELTER AND BASIC HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $100,000 IN THE ONGOING WORK OF ACTION AGAINST HUNGER (AAH) IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (DRC) TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF DRC AMID INCREASED VIOLENCE. OUR INVESTMENT SUPPORTED WATER, FOOD, AND HYGIENE ACCESS; THE DETECTION, TREATMENT, AND CURE OF ACUTE MALNUTRITION; AND THE PROMOTION OF NUTRITIONAL SECURITY AMONG THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS (ESPECIALLY CHILDREN UNDER 5 AND PREGNANT AND BREASTFEEDING PEOPLE). FOR ALMOST A DECADE, THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN YEMEN HAS RAGED, WITH MORE THAN HALF THE POPULATION UNABLE TO ACCESS FOOD SUSTAINABLY, AND OVER 2.2 MILLION CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE EXPERIENCING ACUTE MALNUTRITION. THIS YEAR, TOGETHER RISING INVESTED $100,000 IN YEMEN RELIEF AND RECONSTRUCTION FOUNDATION (YRRF) TO PROVIDE FOOD TO OVER 830 FAMILIES DURING RAMADAN AND TO SUPPORT ONGOING RELIEF AND RECONSTRUCTION EFFORTS IN YEMEN.INDIVIDUAL GRANTS: $352,449.75AS PART OF OUR FOURTH LARGEST PROGRAM, TOGETHER RISING DISTRIBUTED $352,449.75 IN GRANTS DIRECTLY TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. VIRTUALLY ALL OF THESE GRANTS WENT TO FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO APPLIED FOR SUPPORT, INCLUDING HELP WITH A RANGE OF BASIC NECESSITIES SUCH AS HOUSING, FOOD, ELECTRICITY, EMERGENCY MEDICAL BILLS, TRANSPORTATION, AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT. BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, TOGETHER RISING PROVIDED A GRANT TO PHILECE, AN EDUCATOR AND MOTHER OF FIVE. PHILECE WAS FACING EVICTION AFTER A NEW JOB LEFT HER WITH UNPAID MATERNITY LEAVE. DESPITE FAITHFULLY PAYING DOWN BALANCE OWED EACH MONTH, THE EVICTION PROCEEDED. WE COVERED FIVE MONTHS OF RENT TO ALLOW PHILECE TO PROVIDE HER FAMILY WITH A RETURN TO STABILITY AND A RESPITE FROM THE HAUNTING FEAR OF BEING UNHOUSED. ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL GRANT WENT TO JESSICA, A MOTHER OF THREE WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH INVASIVE DUCTAL CARCINOMA WHEN HER YOUNGEST CHILD WAS BARELY 5 MONTHS OLD. WHILE JESSICA WAS UNDERGOING CHEMOTHERAPY AND OTHER INTENSIVE TREATMENTS TO ADDRESS HER METASTASIZED STAGE 4 CANCER, HER HUSBAND JUSTIN WAS LAID OFF FROM HIS EMPLOYMENT. AFTER A FAMILY MEMBER SUGGESTED THEY APPLY FOR A TOGETHER RISING GRANT, WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE THEIR FAMILY THE BREATHING ROOM THEY NEEDED TO CARE FOR JESSICA AND THEIR FAMILY. INSTEAD OF BEING CONSUMED WITH WORRY OVER MEDICAL AND HOUSING BILLS, THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS ON HEALING AND NURTURING THEIR YOUNG FAMILY. JUSTIN SHARED: "THE PROCESS AND APPLICATION WERE VERY SIMPLE, AND EVERY INTERACTION WE'VE HAD WITH TOGETHER RISING HAS LEFT US FEELING JOY AND A SENSE OF PEACE. AT A TIME WHEN TROUBLES SEEMED INSURMOUNTABLE, WE FOUND HOPE IN TOGETHER RISING. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE DONATED AND MADE THIS GIFT POSSIBLE!"