Caring for the caregivers 
who care for us all

The Black Women’s Resilience Project is a community-led guaranteed income program that began through convenings at a local coffeeshop cooperative, Café X: By Any Beans Necessary, in 2020, a grant from the Leichtag Foundation, and partnership with the nonprofit Hope Through Housing. The coalition started to host focus groups with Black women in an affordable housing development to better understand their needs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women were invited to openly share their needs, how they were navigating the pandemic, and what support would make the most difference for them. Overwhelmingly, income was a leading concern for women who lost jobs, felt overwhelmed and stressed about financial matters, were caretakers for children as well as older adults, and who are often underpaid or unpaid for the care they provide. We learned that women often wear multiple hats, and Black women are often least positioned to bear the economic strain this requires.