Our Story
From One Community Need to a Movement for Healing
What began with one question—How can we better support Black youth and families?—has grown into a trusted resource center providing culturally responsive advocacy, trauma-informed care, housing, prevention, and healing. Our story is one of listening, responding, and rising together with our community.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Every Movement Starts
With a Community Need
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In 2017, our Executive Director, Robin Scott, recognized a critical gap: fewer than 1% of Black youth in the local community were participating in after-school programs. Families were navigating barriers that extended far beyond education—barriers shaped by trauma, inequity, and limited access to culturally responsive support.
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Determined to create something different, Robin developed a 28-week culturally responsive youth curriculum designed to strengthen the connection between schools, young people, and families. What began as a single program quickly revealed a much larger need.
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As relationships grew, so did community trust. Families weren't only asking for youth programming—they were seeking advocacy, safety, housing, healing, and a place where they could be fully seen and supported.
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That vision became We All Rise: African American Resource Center.
Our community deserved more than services. It deserved a place built with culture, dignity, and healing at its center."
-Robin Scott, Executive Director
Today, our work extends across prevention, advocacy, housing, mental health support, restorative programming, and community empowerment—all rooted in the belief that healing happens best when services are created by and for the communities they serve.
Building a Stronger Future
One Step at a
Time
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2023
A National Model for Healing
Support from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, helped strengthen We All Rise's culturally specific Standard of Care.
This investment affirmed the organization's innovative approach to trauma-informed services and positioned We All Rise as a leading example of Black-centered healing and survivor advocacy.
Today, that work continues to shape how communities respond to violence with dignity, compassion, and cultural understanding.
2018
Becoming an Official Nonprofit
On July 19, 2018, We All Rise officially received its 501(c)(3) designation.
This milestone transformed a community vision into a recognized nonprofit organization, allowing the team to expand culturally specific services and establish a permanent foundation for long-term impact.
2019
Opening Our First Resource Center
With support from the U.S. Department of Justice VOCA Grant, We All Rise opened its first public office.
For the first time, Black survivors in Northeast Wisconsin had access to culturally responsive advocacy, crisis intervention, and non-billable mental health services delivered in a space intentionally designed for their needs.
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2020
Meeting the Moment
As the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and deepened existing inequities, We All Rise expanded its capacity by relocating to its current home at
430 South Webster Avenue.
The new space allowed the organization to increase
services while launching
additional support for sexual
assault survivors through the
Violence Against Women Act
Sexual Assault Services Program (VAWA SASP).
Even during one of the most challenging periods in recent history, the commitment remained unchanged: ensuring Black survivors had access to safety, healing, and hope.
2021
Expanding Survivor Services
Funding through the Wisconsin Department of Children and
Families' Domestic Violence Underserved Grant allowed We
All Rise to deepen its domestic
violence programming.
Advocacy, clinical support, and
survivor services became even
more responsive to the unique experiences of Black individuals and families, strengthening the organization's commitment to
culturally specific care.
2022
Creating Pathways to Stability
Housing is an essential part of
healing.
In December 2022, We All Rise
received approval for All Seasons Transformation, a 49-room
transitional living facility designed to support system-impacted men rebuilding their lives.
The program reflects the organization's holistic approach—recognizing that lasting change requires both safe housing and compassionate support.
2017
The Spark
The journey began with a vision to create culturally responsive opportunities for Black Youth and families. Supported by funding from End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin, a 28-week youth curriculum became the foundation for what would later grow into We All Rise.
More than an educational program, it represented a new way of serving the community—one grounded in culture, connection, and belonging.
More Than Milestones
OUR VALUES IN
ACTION
Community First
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We listen before we lead, building programs alongside the people we serve.
Healing-Centered Care
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Our services recognize the impact of trauma while honoring resilience, dignity, and hope.
Cultural Responsiveness
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Every program is designed with the lived experiences of Black individuals and families at its foundation.
Lasting
Change
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We address immediate needs while working toward long-term systems change and community empowerment.
