Community Health Herbal Network
Community Health Herbal Network is a network of communities in the South that offer free herbal care, education, and wellness services that are geared towards preserving and re-cultivating a sustainable relationship with herbal medicine. Our resources are dedicated to our elders, our ancestors, our communities, and all those harmed by land and resource colonization, environmental racism, war, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, sexism, addiction, the prison industrial complex, and the medical industrial complex.
Modern industrialized systems of health care are profit motivated rather than outcome motivated, leading to the prioritization of profit over communal health. True community health care is inclusive and is invested in the health and wellness of whole communities, not just the individuals of a community who have the resources to seek help. We believe health care is a human right, not a commodity that should be afforded only to those who have enough money/resources to pay for it.
Our identities are multifaceted and we operate from within different communities that have formed individual and communal relationships among one another. As people that are marginalized by the greed and stigma of industrial health care systems, we join forces to create a network of communities, supporting each other in reclaiming health for all of our communities. We practice mutual aid between our communities as an act of resistance against the oppressive 'conquer and divide' tactic that aims to keep our communities from linking up and empowering one another.
At the center of our work, we recognize and honor our elders and our ancestors, and the genius of Indigenous, Black, and Brown leadership and the leadership of people and especially women, queer, and trans people, and people of color with disabilities who have birthed and continue to lead health justice. We recognize and honor the suffering, strength, and resilience of all the peoples who have dedicated their struggle, their time, energy, stories, experience, and strength to the legacy of health justice in all of its modalities.
Modern industrialized systems of health care are profit motivated rather than outcome motivated, leading to the prioritization of profit over communal health. True community health care is inclusive and is invested in the health and wellness of whole communities, not just the individuals of a community who have the resources to seek help. We believe health care is a human right, not a commodity that should be afforded only to those who have enough money/resources to pay for it.
Our identities are multifaceted and we operate from within different communities that have formed individual and communal relationships among one another. As people that are marginalized by the greed and stigma of industrial health care systems, we join forces to create a network of communities, supporting each other in reclaiming health for all of our communities. We practice mutual aid between our communities as an act of resistance against the oppressive 'conquer and divide' tactic that aims to keep our communities from linking up and empowering one another.
At the center of our work, we recognize and honor our elders and our ancestors, and the genius of Indigenous, Black, and Brown leadership and the leadership of people and especially women, queer, and trans people, and people of color with disabilities who have birthed and continue to lead health justice. We recognize and honor the suffering, strength, and resilience of all the peoples who have dedicated their struggle, their time, energy, stories, experience, and strength to the legacy of health justice in all of its modalities.
The Roots
Of Community Health Herbal Network.
Our work is rooted in empowering our communities.
These projects are some of the rootlets of our network.
Wild Violet Underground - free mobile community herbal + wellness care
Wild Violet Underground organizes and provides free community health services, free and sliding scale wellness education, and mobile pop-up style free clinics upon request supporting water protectors, earth defenders, and warriors against all land and resource colonization around the so called "United States". Wild Violet Underground also offers pop-up style wellness spaces for marginalized communities and queer and trans communities upon request and is also locally available for smaller kitchen/living room style shares, treatment sessions, and consultations. For more info, contact wildvioletunderground@gmail.com
Community Roots - free clinic held on Muscogee/Creek territory in so-called "Atlanta, Ga"
Community Roots is a pop-up free-clinic that provides herbal medicine as well as health and wellness education to marginalized communities in the Atlanta area. This free herb clinic currently offers herbal resources, one-on-one herbal consultations, herbal tea, and free hot meals for youth and volunteers monthly at Lost-N-Found Youth, a queer youth center that provides safer space and resources for queer youth without housing. In addition to the clinics, the Community Roots team stocks a Self-Care Station with vitamins and herbal remedies that are left at the center and available for people to access at any time. Community Roots aims to empower those they work with and their collective members through education about herbalism, healing, and wellness. Contact us at community.roots.clinic@gmail.com
The Pawpaw - community apothecary held on Shawnee, Yuchi, and Katuah territory (historically shared hunting territory of Shawnee, Yuchi, Katuah, Muscogee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole peoples) in so-called "middle TN"
The Pawpaw serves as a community medicine chest and apothecary for the large queer community in rural Tennessee, providing free medicine and health services for queer, trans, and gender non-conforming folks, whether they live in the area, or are just passing through the gayborhood. Queers in the country often times face systematic social barriers that can make it easier to find a local organized hate group, than it is to find compassionate, indiscriminate, quality health care. This can be especially true for rural trans people and queer people of color, trans women, poor queers and queers with chronic health conditions. Although herbal medicines can not always replace what necessary modern medicine provides for many, The Pawpaw helps minimize the community's sole reliance on an industrial healthcare system that prioritizes profit and lacks queer, trans, and LGBTQIA+ patient competency.
Middle Tennessee Med Shed - 1st aid station + free community clinic held on Shawnee, Yuchi, and Katuah territory (historically shared hunting territory of Shawnee, Yuchi, Katuah, Muscogee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole peoples) in so-called "middle TN"
The Med Shed was built several years back, during a work party at a southern, rural, queer community land project and educational center that provides safer space for queers, trans, and gender non-conforming folks, all tucked into the hills of middle TN. The Med Shed operates as a year round first aid station and a free herbal and wellness clinic during gatherings and work parties, offering health care, first aid, herbal consultations, massage, skill shares, and tasty herbal teas for queers, by queers.
Sister Snake Scholarship Program - honoring Amber Snake of the Dine and Ho-chunk Nations
Supporting Indigenous, Black, and Brown leadership in health justice movements. The seed of this scholarship program was planted by Amber Snake, our truly missed Dine/Ho-chunk sister, shortly before she crossed over to join the ancestors. This scholarship program is an effort to adjust some of the social disparities we see in the world by removing some of the barriers that limit Indigenous participation in important inter-generational healing work and community health care projects. The Sister Snake Scholarship Program aims to provide opportunities to re-cultivate or nourish care giving skills for Indigenous people who are interested in providing care within their communities. Funds raised for the Scholarship Program have been donated to support Dine teachers and travel expenses for Dine people to access these offerings. We are also accepting donations of long-distance learning courses and books to add to the scholarship program. To contribute to the Sister Snake Scholarship Program, or to find out more information about the program please contact us at sistersnakescholarship@gmail.com
support our projects.
Your support goes directly towards funding free community clinics, stocking community medicine chests + first aid kits, and hosting trainings and community workshops that are geared towards the preservation and re-cultivation of the widespread and sustainable uses of herbs.
Become a Monthly Sustainer!
- Join our network by becoming a monthly sustainer! Your monthly contributions help communities nourish systems of mutual support and sustainable care by keeping our medicine chests stocked and our tool kits filled.
- Because we run completely based on donations, our monthly sustainers really make a huge difference!
- Click here to join our network by become a Monthly Sustainer! (make sure to select the box: "make this a monthly donation")
Make an Individual Donation
- To donate via Paypal please click here.
- Personal Checks, Money Orders, etc.:
Made payable to
(Please write Community Health Herbal Network on the memo line.)
c/o:
Herbalists Without Borders
memo line: Community Health Herbal Network (very important for it to make it to us)
mail to:
Herbalist Without Borders
200 East Verona Avenue #200
Verona, WI 53593
*if you wish for your contribution to directly support a specific project in our network, please email us when you donate, to clarify the amount you donated, how you donated, and to which specific project your are choosing to directly support.
**to make a tax deductible donation, email us or make a donation through Herbalists Without Borders & write "Community Health Herbal Network"
In the box that says, "add special instructions to the seller:"
(Please write Community Health Herbal Network on the memo line.)
c/o:
Herbalists Without Borders
memo line: Community Health Herbal Network (very important for it to make it to us)
mail to:
Herbalist Without Borders
200 East Verona Avenue #200
Verona, WI 53593
**to make a tax deductible donation, email us or make a donation through Herbalists Without Borders & write "Community Health Herbal Network"
In the box that says, "add special instructions to the seller:"
Check Our Wishlists
- Wild Violet Underground Wishlist
- The Pawpaw (Apothecary) Wishlist
- The Middle TN Med Shed Wishlist
- Community Roots Clinic Wishlist
- Sister Snake Scholarship Program Wishlist
Community Health Herbal Network is partnered with Herbalists Without Borders, a 501(c)3 organization, so all donations may be tax-deductible.**
