Affect has created the Community Care Awards, a new fund honoring BIPOC for the grassroots work they do within their communities. Multiply marginalized BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) have a long history of providing communal care and moving everyone towards collective liberation. Unfortunately, this labor often goes unrecognized. 

The Community Care Awards are a small way of giving thanks and recognition to our community organizers and caretakers while addressing systemic inequality.  In December, the award nomination form went live, and we asked people to nominate each other through our website, to ensure that the process was participatory.

As long as the award pool still had remaining funds, and the nominee met eligibility guidelines (over 18 years of age, multiply marginalized BIPOC, living in Oregon or Washington state, and working within their community), we reached out to see if said nominee would accept an award.

Leila Haile has accepted and been awarded a $500 Community Care Award for their community service. They were chosen based on the date and content of their nomination, which detailed Leila's ongoing charitable and artistic contributions in multiply marginalized communities of color, with whom Leila shares direct lived experience. They have agreed to abide by the regulations on tax-exempt grants and signed a grant agreement with Open Collective Foundation.

Affect gives great thanks to Leila Haile for their community caretaking.