“We are responsible for the evolution of the human species. It's a question of 
two-sided transformation, and not just the oppressed against the oppressor. We have to change ourselves to change the world.”     -  Grace Lee Boggs

Using body language for a silent game of "pass the power" in an interactive workshop, Power to the Parents: Building Strong Caregiver Networks Through Popular Education that I facilitated at Commonbound, the gathering of New Economy Coalition in Buffalo, New York

Community Organizing with ​Caregivers

​We are more powerful than we know. Caregivers, educators, and parents too often feel isolated, stressed and broke. We can’t survive without them - and yet their work is intentionally underfunded and ignored. As I wrote in Domestic Workers Save Lives, caregiver justice is racial justice. It's gender justice. It's disability justice.

I’ve organized events for caregivers to get free meals and childcare, talk about what’s wrong with our economy and learn about solidarity economies, mingle, find support, and have deep conversations with new people. I’ve facilitated multilingual gatherings, working at my daughter’s school to foster communication and mutual aid between immigrant and non-immigrant families after the 2016 election. I’ve partnered with the Caring Economy Campaign and Hand in Hand, a partner of NDWA, to facilitate webinars and help families develop fair and transparent contracts with domestic workers.

One day, care for disabled people, elders, and young people will be universally funded and overflowing with resources, just as the military and police are now. One day, we won’t be able to walk more than a couple blocks without seeing cooperative housing and free community centers where caring people can work together to cook, care for, educate and celebrate their loved ones. One day, it will be common for old people and babies, disabled and abled people to spend their days learning and playing together in spaces where their caregivers can also collaborate and build power. 

Until then, we’ll be building that world, bit by bit, through small events, collectives, relationships, and visionary art. We can create culture change around the most important work in the world by making opportunities to gather and remind ourselves how worthy we really are, sharing skills in communication, consensus decision-making and conflict resolution, playing together, making art together, and making noise together.​

Testimonials

“The class was amazing, I loved it and I learned a lot.”  - Griselda

 “Super helpful and thought-provoking.”  - Terri

“This is exactly what I needed. You helped us to connect with each other, but you also asked us to search for answers inside ourselves. I was surprised by the answers that I found.”  - Nicole 

"The mingling and the pace kept me engaged, and there was so much to talk about, I feel like we were just getting started!”  - Mark

"Kate's facilitation of popular education was full of energy and deep love. Like a mother she excitedly nudged us along as we built community and worked our ways through understanding our power and presence as caregivers.”  - Paige
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"I did not expect that this program would illicit so much emotion in me. I find myself in tears after demanding financial stability in the midst of all the caring I provide. I surprised myself. That surprise became an eruption of discontent that has been ignored for far too long and I'm using it to propel myself forward. Thank you for allowing me to feel validated in my own needs."  - Donna

"Sin acción, no hay conocimiento / Without action, there is no knowledge."
​Mural at The Highlander Research and Education Center 

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