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Miles of Connections
Meet Contra Costa County's Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice (ORESJ) inaugural 2025-26
African American Holistic Wellness Service Providers!
These 14 projects received funding from Contra Costa County as an initial step towards realizing a community vision of increased health, safety and well-being within the county’s African American communities.
Informed and shaped by the feedback, voices and perspectives of over 4,000 Black residents, and pending approval from the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, a plan is being developed to grow this effort over the next several years into an African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub - a countywide network of coordinated and aligned services - and ultimately establishing an anchor site in East County.
ORESJ is stewarding the planning process in close coordination with community and County partners and will provide regular updates in the months to come as the vision of a countywide network hub becomes a reality.
In the meantime, ORESJ is partnering with East Bay Community Foundation to coordinate and support this first cohort of Black-led service organizations in providing much needed services now while plans for the Hub are being developed. Learn more about each organization below and how to access services today.
MATERNAL & INFANT HEALTH
Brandi Gates-Burgess, Founder and Executive Director
Breast Friends Lactation and Support Services
Our mission is to increase breastfeeding rates in the Black and Brown community with individual consultation, group education, and community lactation training. Contra Costa County has lacked ready access to African American lactation support. We bridge that gap while addressing health disparities that most impact African American families.
Black Girls Mental Health Collective
Our mission is to bridge critical gaps in mental health care for Black women, fostering a supportive space where growth, healing, and empowerment are tangible experiences. We are especially dedicated to Black mothers, providing care at every stage of their maternal journey to ensure they never walk the path alone.
Dr. Jaih Craddock, Co-Founder and Executive Director
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Dr. Miya Moore-Felton, Director and CEO
Healing Spot Counseling Center
We are a non-profit community counseling center providing holistic mental health counseling services. While we serve the community at large, some of our practitioners specialize in providing services to military members and their families, first responders, and homeless populations. We believe that every person has their own unique story that deserves to be heard.
Equity for Black Women & Girls
Our Sister Circles program create safe spaces for Black women and girls to connect, share their experiences, and network. Together we address critical issues such as domestic violence and mental wellness, while fostering support, growth and community. These circles empower participants to heal and face challenges with resilience.
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NAMI Contra Costa
Our "I'm a Winner!" Program is designed to improve outcomes for African American youth utilizing a holistic, faith-based, affirmative strategy. Through partnerships with schools and faith centers to address disparities and eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline, the program acknowledges the harms experienced by black students, especially males, those who live with untreated mental health challenges, and their families, and offers empowering tools in a safe environment.
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FOOD AND HOUSING SECURITY
Grace Arms of Antioch
Grace Closet, Pantry and Grace House provide essential services to individuals and families facing financial challenges, homelessness or food insecurity. These programs offer free food, clothing, and a supportive environment for those who are unemployed, underemployed or reliant on government assistance. Individuals not only receive basic necessities but also experience dignity and encouragement in difficult times.
Elevate Grocery Share Program
Genesis Church Grocery Share Program, Elevate, provides fresh produce and groceries the under-resourced residents of Antioch. Groceries are distributed on site every Saturday and are delivered to the elderly on Fridays.
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The Black Neighborhood
The Black Neighborhood's Holistic Wellness and Food Security Initiative provides food distribution, trauma-informed healing workshops, and a community conference aimed at enhancing wellness, security, and recovery within African American communities, particularly those impacted by systemic violence and food insecurity in both East and West Contra Costa County.
COMMUNITY HEALING
Healthy Hearts
Healthy Hearts Institute helps to eradicate food deserts and empowers individual and community transformation through health and wellness The Healthy Hearts Community Healing and Resilience project will provide support for community healing from police trauma and poverty within the El Pueblo housing development, a historically Black underserved community.
Centered Care Wellness
Centered Care Wellness is dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality healthcare to underserved and vulnerable communities. Through innovative programs like telehealth, chronic care management, and medication support, we help patients thrive safely at home while reducing preventable hospital visits and improving health outcomes.
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"Miles of Connections"
Community Building Outreach
"Miles of Connections" fostering Healing and Belonging is a community-building initiative to inform Black residents across Contra Costa County about the initial service providers of the African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub . By nurturing and building strong community relationships, The Miles Hall Foundation fosters participation, belonging and healing by promoting critically needed services and ensuring the community knows how to access and benefit from them.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
1 Hundred Years Project
1 Hundred Years Enterprise is a program to support positive youth development among justice-involved African American youth in Contra Costa County. Mentors with real world lived experience provide intensive support for youth and their families. We work to reduce recidivism among youth and vulnerable individuals offering mentorship, group and community partner support.
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Genesis Church
Through small healing groups, our Peer to Peer Youth Trauma Healing programs address complex trauma inflicted upon African American youth.
Our facilitated groups provide a safe space of transparency without judgement.
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Improve Your Tomorrow
Our Pathways to Success Program at Liberty and Black Diamond High Schools will deliver culturally responsive mentorship and social emotional learning to empower young Black men. This program fuses academic support, emotional wellness resources, and career guidance to address systemic challenges and build pathways to educational and personal success.
Learn More...
STAY UP TO DATE
ON THESE AND OTHER CONTRA COSTA RESOURCES
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Subscribe to a newsletter from the Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice (ORESJ) and receive updates on the development of the African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub, as well as other Contra Costa County events, services, and opportunities.
Contra Costa County Resources
For mental health crisis support call 988 or in Contra Costa County you can reach A3 Miles Hall Crisis Call Center directly 24/7 at 844-844-5544
The vision of ORESJ is that all Contra Costa County residents achieve positive health and well-being and are able to access the resources they need to thrive.