News – GrassROOTS Community Foundation

Giving Tuesday-Support #BannedBook Clubs

This #GivingTuesday, Stand Up for Literacy and Freedom of Expression This year, over 10,000 unique titles were banned in the United States. Among these are Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. Brown Girl Dreaming inspired Marley Dias, our very own GrassROOTS Community Foundation SuperGirl, to launch the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. This #GivingTuesday, we ask for your support to establish and grow #BannedBook Clubs in New Jersey and Philadelphia. These clubs…

Turkey Challenge 2024

For more than a decade, GrassROOTS Team members and supporters have filled plates and hearts by providing meals to families during the holiday season. For the past eight years, our Turkey Challenge has been a symbol of compassion, rallying communities to care for those in need. This year, though stretched beyond capacity, we remain steadfast in our mission. While we won’t be holding our usual, high-profile competition, the work is far from over. We are resolute in our promise to…

Green Ribbon Week 2024

Join the GrassROOTS SuperGirls’ public health initiative #Green Ribbon Week - a campaign to promote positive mental health of youth. Breathe. Move. Connect #GreenRibbonWeek is September 16-20 The campaign goals are: Educate youth about ways to maintain good mental health practices. Encourage to LISTEN to youth to better understand their needs and ways to support. Make conversations about mental health as common as conversations about physical health.

Civics in Color: Local Elections and Community Action

GrassROOTS Community Foundation and The Council on Black Health invites you to register for: Civics in Color: Local Elections and Community Action Instructors: Dr. Sabrina Curtis, The Oya Center for Civic Engagement Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, Anna Julia Cooper Center and Wake Forest University Dr. Janice Johnson Dias, GrassROOTS Community Foundation Class times: Sept. 17th & 18th at 7:30-9:00 pm EST Office hours on Sept. 19th & 20th at 1pm EST Sep. 24th & 25th at 7:30-9:00 pm EST Office…

Support Jamaica’s Hurricane Relief Efforts

Jamaica is hurting deeply right now. Hurricane Beryl has left a trail of devastation in several parishes, especially St. Elizabeth and St. Thomas. Our caregivers and children are bearing the brunt of this disaster, and their pain is evident. We are reaching out to you, asking for your support to help 100 families. We want to provide essential supplies to 100 caregivers. These supplies will include a children’s book to help them cope with distress, snacks and ready-to-make meals, toiletries,…

Join the Global Menstrual Equity Movement

Thank you for supporting the work of the GrassROOTS Community Foundation and our effort to #endperiodpoverty by challenging period stigma and shame. At GrassROOTS, we recognize the unique challenges girls—and later women—face as they navigate social pressures, which often results in adverse health outcomes and limits economic opportunities. As a public health and social justice organization, we invest in girls by providing training and education to help them succeed in life and stay healthy. We refined our initiatives to focus on…

Read Across Jamaica Project 2024

We're thrilled to announce that we've successfully made it to Jamaica! Our dedicated team in New Jersey sorted and packed an impressive 1250 books for the Read Across Jamaica Project. Follow along with our journey on GrassROOTS’ Instagram @grassrootsfound to gain deeper insights into our process and witness our impactful work in action. A heartfelt thank you goes out to JetBlue and the exceptional team at Newark Airport, as well as Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, Icema Gibbs, for…

Education Week and Read Across Jamaica

It's that time of year again: Education Week and Read Across Jamaica. We're urgently reaching out to ask for your help in addressing two critical issues affecting our communities: crime and literacy. We need your support. The GrassROOTS Community Foundation (GCF), along with Marley Dias and our partners, including the Book Industry Association of Jamaica, JetBlue, the Rotary Club of Kingston East and Port Royal (KEPR), the Governor-General's Programme for Excellence, and the Reading and Reasoning movement, are working to…

GCF Year in Review

Thank you for helping us grow and expand. Your support has been vital. We know that investments take time to yield their outcomes, and we are grateful for your patience. These 13 years have been remarkable. We feel like we are just getting started. Below are some of the things that your investments made possible in 2023. Summer Study: Black Land Use and Food Supply: Ghana In the United States, land ownership, food production, and food access are…

Giving Tuesday

Last Saturday night was a wonderful celebration as we honored three remarkable individuals who have been instrumental in institutionalizing our work. Photos can be found here. Your support played a crucial role in achieving our initial goal of raising $10,000. Because of YOU, Board member Lisa Maxwell secured the title of #TurkeyChallenge winner for the third consecutive year. The funds raised had a meaningful impact, allowing us to provide meals and books to seniors and youth at Georgia…