A Social Experience 2026: The HeART of Community

A Social Experience 2026: The HeART of Community is more than a gala. It is a chance to be part of something that is already changing lives — and to help make sure it never has to stop.

The ALLICE Collective was built in honor of Alice Bates — our founder's grandmother — whose belief in the power of community lives on in every space we create. This work exists for Black men, women, youth, and families who deserve mental wellness care that truly sees them, meets them where they are, and removes every barrier standing in the way.

We believe this work exists because we need each other. We were not meant to operate in complete isolation and hyper-independence. And yet for so many in our community, the path to connection — to relationships, to healing, to feeling truly seen — has been blocked by history, by broken trust, and by systems that were never designed with us in mind.

That is what we are here to change.

Since 2023, The ALLICE Collective has:

Hosted over 75 free monthly community group sessions — intimate, welcoming spaces where participants are received with a warm meal and genuine care. Participants are not just attending — they are forming real relationships, outside of the group, that are lasting
Launched Dear Mama: Block Party for Black Maternal Mental Health in 2024 — hosting two annual events in collaboration with maternal mental health providers and advocates, and bringing together over 350 mothers, fathers, family members, and youth through panel discussions, community vendors, a father's lounge, and dedicated spaces for the whole family
Built the Wisdom & Worth Youth Wellness Initiative — a community-based program for middle schoolers combining personal development, creative expression, and mindful movement, with local artists facilitating workshops and up to six free counseling sessions available to every participant each semester. Since its launch in Fall 2024, Wisdom & Worth has completed four consecutive semesters of programming
Delivered more than 600 counseling sessions at deliberately low cost — and in partnership with local organizations to extend pro bono services to those who need them most. People are showing up and reporting feeling seen, heard, and understood — because they are working with providers who not only look like them, but who truly understand what mental health and relationship challenges look like in the face of structural racism, micro-aggressions, and generational trauma
Grown our student intern training program from one emerging clinician to ten — preparing a new generation of culturally grounded mental health providers for communities that have been historically underserved

This is the work. And it is working.

On April 23, 2026, we gather to celebrate this — through music, spoken word, and the honoring of six extraordinary community leaders whose work mirrors our own. This is not a sit-and-watch evening. It is a lived experience of what community actually feels like, with moments designed to move you, surprise you, and leave you with something real.

Your ticket purchase and donations keep every program, every session, and every open door accessible to the people who need them most. Every dollar is an investment in a community that is healing itself — on its own terms.

Join us.

A Social Experience 2026

By Allice Collective for Mental Health & Community Engagement

A Social Experience 2026

The HeART of Community