Community Resource Spotlight: Treetops Collective

By Kara Kurczeski, Communications Manager, Treetops Collective

Treetops Collective began with a question in 2016—how can West Michigan be a place where those who have felt the pain of displacement feel welcomed to put down roots and experience belonging? Since then, the local nonprofit in the city of Grand Rapids has been co-creating a beautiful community alongside refugee women and teen girls; building a network of leaders, cross-cultural connection and resources supportive of their unique experiences.

When refugees arrive in the U.S. after years of waiting through dire circumstances and completing a long vetting process, they receive very basic support from the government during their first 90 days, after which they are on their own to build a new life. The programming Treetops offers, developed for and by refugee women leaders, cultivates the soil in which New Americans plant their roots, so they can heal, build resilience and thrive for generations to come.

Currently, Treetops offers both internal programming and outward advocacy for and with the refugee and immigrant communities in Grand Rapids. Treetops offers several short- and long-term opportunities for refugee and immigrant women and teen girls to provide leadership development, resource navigation and social support.

One such program, called Concentric, provides small groups of refugee women resource navigation, goal setting and social support in their own language community. A similar program also runs in four local city high schools for refugee teen girls during their 9-month academic year. Teen girls also have the opportunity to learn and earn an income through our social enterprise internship program with our Rooted Together Shop. Circles of Support are 6-week peer wellness groups that were developed out of a need for language-based, community centered and culturally contextualized mental health support for refugee communities experiencing migration trauma. Treetops also collaborates with a local driving school to provide driver’s training with available translation, accountability and culturally sensitive support. Last but not least, all women in our programs are able to build lasting friendships with Cross-Cultural Partners, who are women local to Grand Rapids or have lived here a long time.

Treetops does not do this work alone. We are supported individually by community members who believe in this welcoming work, as well as city, county, state and federal partners that not only provide financial support but also invest their time and talents into this community. We are grateful to partners such as Kent District Library that provide a welcoming and educational environment to refugee and immigrant families. Library staff have attended events to help moms sign up for library cards, drove the Bookmobile to events, coordinated yard games for kids during our annual picnic and co-facilitated our Say No to the Single Story Book Club in our space.

Thank you to those who have already invested in this community—without you, Treetops would not be able to provide a safe space for refugee women and teen girls to learn how to put down roots and thrive in their new environment. We are always looking forward to welcoming new friends and neighbors with open arms, so if welcoming refugees and immigrants is part of your values too, come join us in our Community Cafe Tuesday-Thursday 9:00 AM -3:00 PM for a cultural treat and beverage and get involved at Treetops!