About this Initiative
AALR is partnering with the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church (NICUMC) on the HEAL Well Initiative. https://www.umcnic.org/Healwell
Mission:
To bring faith and community stakeholders together to create a more sustainable society for the present and the the future through planting trees and aiding in community gardens.
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Vision:
Our vision for the future is to have relationships of trust and learning that care for God's creation.
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HEAL Well hopes to engage with and develop a core group of at least 25 high school students in the communities where they will serve. These students will be the primary planters of trees and provide maintenance to bring forth mature trees.
A stipend will be paid to the youth. In addition, HEAL Well hopes to engage 25+ United Methodist volunteers to volunteer with community gardens at least once a month for a minimum of 2 hour during the growing season (May-September.)
WE SUPPORT STUDENTS
​VISION
Our vision is a community where youth reach their highest potential and become contributing members of society.

MISSION
Our mission is to empower youth, especially youth of African descent, by providing opportunities for academic achievement, literacy and resiliency.
"At the dawn of a new beginning for our youth."
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Our current initiative:​​
Youth Arts, Music & Culture (YAMC): a program for elementary school students (and their parents/guardians) to expand their view of the world through arts and music.
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WE ADDRESS RACIAL TRAUMA
UBUNTU HOUSE--A Path Toward Racial Healing
Ubuntu House is the newest initiative under the AALR umbrella. From the Bantu language, Ubuntu means“ I am because we are.” The dream child and passion project of AALR president, Amania Drane, Ubuntu House seeks to provide a restorative retreat space where people can gather to experience healing from racial trauma.
Vision statement: To create an enduring legacy of hopefulness and wholeness that brings purpose and thriving.
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Mission Statement: To foster healing and thriving from the harm done by racial trauma.
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In November 2021, the AALR Board voted to accept Ubuntu House as its newest initiative. During the past 3 years, we have transitioned all of our programming to center on racial trauma healing. This has been approved by the Board of Directors. Effective January 1, 2025, our sole focus will be on continuing to devote our attention toward racial trauma healing through our current initiatives focused on racial trauma healing education, training, and research.
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Our current initiative: Seeking to establish a physical space for an Ubuntu House location as a home of mental, spiritual, and physical respite.
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Ubuntu House Volunteers at Cantigny
OUR GOAL FOR 2025
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By the end of 2025, our goal is to find meeting space and ultimately obtain a property with offices, meeting space for one-day visits, meetings, and workshops and overnight accommodations (typically 1-3 night stays). As we build our brand, we will provide virtual and limited in-person spaces for conversation, learning, and understanding about racial trauma, skill-building to overcome generational racial trauma, and healing techniques for healing, wholeness, and thriving.
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Please help us reach this goal by making a donation.