🌲 A Different Future is Possible.

Imagine a network of forest sanctuaries…

Where people can step away from survival mode. Where rest is important, invited. Where the land holds you as you return to rest, to exploration, to creation, to play..

Kapwa Sanctuary is the apart of that vision.

For many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, access to nature, especially quiet, forested spaces, has been shaped by histories of exclusion, displacement, and harm. Even now, most forestland in the U.S. is privately owned, and access often requires resources, transportation, or a sense of permission that hasn’t always been extended.

And yet… we know something deeply true:

🌿 Being on the land heals us.
🌿 Slowing down restores us.
🌿 Nature knows how to hold us, even when the world does not.

What We’re Creating

We are building Kapwa Sanctuary. A BIPOC-centered forest retreat space just outside the Portland Metro area, on Black-owned land nestled in the Columbia River Gorge. A tiny home on communally tended land. A space created for BIPOC community members to rest and reconnect.

In partnership with Black Oregon Land Trust (BOLT) and National Organization of Minority Architects ( NOMA PDX), this sanctuary will be a place where people can step away from the noise and be in stillness.

“Kapwa” is a Tagalog word meaning shared identity; the understanding that we are not separate from one another. At the heart of Kapwa is a simple but powerful offering: Remembrance that our wellbeing is interconnected and that healing is not something we do alone.

Kapwa is a space to:

rest deeply, allowing your nervous system to soften
inspire creativity to emerge freely
grieve, dream, or simply breathe
reconnect with land, lineage, self and community

How It Works

We partner with land stewards who are willing to share forested land in acts of reciprocity and repair.

Through these relationships:

Land becomes more accessible
Tiny homes are placed as small sanctuaries
Guests are welcomed into spaces designed with care and cultural awareness

Our first sanctuary is already in motion with:

donated lumber
a secured land partnership
design and build support with a team of local architects
a vision ready to be brought to life from BIPOC-led collaborators

We invite you to support this work

Funding for Kapwa Sanctuary will support both capital and programmatic development, including:

Construction and furnishing of the tiny home retreat
Community education and land-based programming
Expansion of partnerships with BIPOC builders, designers, and practitioners
Development of trauma-informed, culturally relevant retreat experiences

We've already raised funding and materials to begin the foundational work and are leaning into the next phase. Every contribution helps open the door a little wider.

Every share helps reach someone who needs it and/or can support this vision coming to life.

🤎 Give what you can. Share with your community. Help us build a place where people can simply… be

Kapwa Sanctuary - A BIPOC Nature Retreat

Team Members