Support for Survivors: build a sanctuary with TEoC

The Ensemble of Color is building a sanctuary for healing that will provide a safer and more inclusive space for survivors of trafficking to heal, connect with nature, and participate in sustainable life practices.

The Ensemble of Color was founded by Christina W. Richardson, Nicole C., and René Goddess in 2014 and is led by and for global majority survivors of trafficking. For the past decade, we’ve worked in community to support survivors on their journeys of healing. Our offerings include trauma healing through multiple modalities, social education and job support, and food healing through access to nutrient-rich, healthy foods. We offer a holistic approach to healing, enabling survivors to lead balanced, joyful, and successful lives.

As we have evolved over the past decade, we’ve done all of this work without a physical space of our own. Land is essential to this work, offering a safe refuge and a stable presence in the lives of survivors.

After years of seeking land, we are delighted to share the news that we are now the stewards of 2.5 acres of land in Central Wabanakik/Maine. This land offers beautiful seclusion, protected by tall trees, with a patchwork of open clearings perfect for tiny cabins or places to sit with the land. Beyond our small space is shared community land, with forest trails, vernal pools, and a spring-fed lake.

In 2025 the Justice Builders have committed to 200 hundred hours of skilled labor, to build a healing sanctuary on the land, constructing a central house with a kitchen and bathroom. In 2026, small retreats and emergency housing cabins are planned for construction. In the largest sunny clearing, we will plant edible landscaping, cultivating our own food and medicine and tending to the land.

Survivors of trafficking often face immense challenges in rebuilding their lives, including safe spaces for healing and access to nutritious food. By creating in-person healing, we ensure ongoing support for the long-term well-being and resilience of survivors. By integrating sustainable agriculture into our sanctuary, we address both immediate food needs and long-term solutions that promote health and well-being. Our holistic approach recognizes the interconnectedness of human and environmental health and seeks to create a more just and compassionate world for survivors and communities.

Now, we are asking our community to help us activate this land into a healing space. We have volunteer builders, so now we need to purchase all of our building materials. We seek your support to help purchase lumber and other building supplies, appliances, tools, seeds, and seedlings. Building a house from scratch is an enormous undertaking, but together, we can build a haven where healing, connection, and empowerment flourish!

We are immensely grateful for your support. Donating and sharing our fundraiser helps us realize our dreams of a space of our own, and we send our deepest thanks to you!

If receiving a tax deduction would help make it possible for you to donate, you can make a tax-deductible donation in support of this project to Land in Common. Land in Common is anchoring the land preparation, and 100% of your donation will go towards drilling the well, installing the septic system, and building the driveway. Checks can be made out to Land in Common, with TEoC as the memo, and mailed to 217 South Mountain Rd. Greene, ME 04236.