12 Ways Thistle Farms is Committed to Change

In recent weeks we’ve been doing a lot of talking. And listening. And to be honest, grieving. We have come out of this time with a renewed dedication to rise against systems that criminalize, commoditize, and abuse women, especially women of color.

We’ve given a lot of thought to how to continue our work in a way that is most useful during this critical time. We’re sad, we’re hurt, we’re not ok, but we're hopeful and committed to being a part of the change. 

• We will amplify voices of survivor leaders.
• We will offer the radical model of no authority living in our residential communities.
• We will challenge our culture that keeps the secrets of abusers, imprisons victims as criminals, and legislates injustices in housing, voting, and working for survivors
• We will visit women's prisons and meet with wardens, staff, and prisoners to inspire hope and change in prison systems.
• We will gather in national meetings and conference calls to educate advocates on best practices, new legislation, and how to support an aligned network to increase our collective power.
• We will fund the creation of new economic opportunities for artisan women survivors around the world trapped in the violence and vulnerability of poverty and racism.  
• We will nurture our community in our cafe, a meeting ground where all are welcome and everyone's story is sacred.
• We will support women survivors in our quest to transform brokenness into compassion.
• We will work to dismantle old myths about why women are on the streets and the truth about what it takes for women to find their way home.
• We will disrupt the courts by calling on the judicial system to free women who have been trafficked.   
• We will educate the community on how poverty and racism play a leading role for women who have known the inside of prison walls, the underside of bridges and  the short side of justice.
• We will create new projects and products that inspire the work of producers, advocates and consumers to join together to proclaim love as a force for change forgiving one another for all our shortcomings and missteps and promising to continue the work of justice for women.

There will be many ways to join us in this work. Stay tuned on social media for opportunities to get involved as we navigate these calls to action at this critical time in our shared history. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. We stronger together. 

#LoveHeals