A Future Woven with Care
Across Richmond and Contra Costa County, people come to FIERCE at different moments in their lives
A family preparing to welcome a baby may be looking for someone they can turn to with questions.
A father may come to a gathering to talk with other men about what’s on his mind.
A neighbor who cares about a local park may be ready to speak at a public meeting for the first time.
What begins in one of these spaces often continues in another
Parents who practice speaking up together bring those skills to their children’s schools.
Community members who train as doulas bring what they learn to families in their own neighborhoods.
Along the way, people find others they can call on and discover what they can do together.
This year, we’re inviting our community to help raise $10,000 to sustain FIERCE’s work into 2027
Behind each story is a relationship worth getting to know: the person who first invited someone in, the peers who helped them prepare for a difficult conversation, or the neighbors who stood beside them when it was time to speak.
Throughout November and December, community members will share what brought them to FIERCE, what they brought to the experience themselves, and where those connections have led. We invite you to explore their stories as they’re shared.
The Threads That Carry Us
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Valerie brings what she learned in advocacy training to the families she supports as a doula
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With her neighbors beside her, Cynthia speaks up for a safer park.
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The care Tyion witnessed at her sister’s birth inspired her to become a doula.
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Sheenna draws on her experience advocating for her children to help other parents navigate school decisions.
Community Highlights from 2025 and 2026
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CoCo Doulas supported 60+ births
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Families and neighbors came together for 22 family engagement events, including bike rides and wellness workshops
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9 community leaders served on boards, commissions, and advisory bodies
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Participants worked toward personal goals through 56 life coaching sessions from January through March this year
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10 community leaders graduated from FIERCE’s Community Education Leadership Institute (CELI) in Spring 2026
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40 people gathered at this Fall’s Black Women’s Sanctuary Conference: Reclaiming Self
What we’re building together in 2027
When a doula makes time for a family’s questions, a parent can walk into a birth knowing what they want to ask for and who will stand beside them.
When neighbors practice what they want to say about a park that floods, they can walk into City Hall together and ask for a place where their children can play in every season.
In 2027, we want more people across Richmond and Contra Costa County to have someone they can turn to and a say in the decisions that affect their families.
