As we enter a new month and the holiday season, many of us are carrying both gratitude and grief.
From the government shutdown to families losing SNAP benefits and other critical assistance, we’re praying for everyone navigating these tough times. If you need a space and community to share all the things that feel heavy, join 1M4 today. We’re here for you.
That’s why our Home for the Holidays campaign means even more this year. Let’s do our part to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and share The Right Response, which offers ways to handle mental health crises without police involvement.
Everyone deserves to make it home safely, with no empty seats at the holiday table this season.đź’›
November is also National Family Caregivers Month, so we’re honoring all of our Sistas caring for loved ones. We appreciate everything you do! Truly!
All month long, we’re asking you to donate and join 1M4 to help us continue to bring real support to our communities. As we prepare for Giving Tuesday on December 2nd, please consider having your family, network and company donate to 1M4 (we can be found in most corporate donor systems and individuals can raise funds directly through Facebook and Instagram @weare1M4). We need your help to decriminalize mental illness, center the needs of Black women, and end police violence by the year 2038. Mostly importantly, you need a community focused on the wellness and safety of your family. That is 1M4.
We take our jobs as caretakers seriously and it extends to our local communities. It extends to you.
“She is a friend of mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It’s good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.“
— Toni Morrison, Beloved
News You Should Know
Last week the officer who murdered Sonya Massey was convicted of second degree murder. He was initially charged with first degree murder but prosecutors provided the jury with the option to assess a lesser charge. They did so. We are hopeful that the conviction feels like a form of accountability for Sonya’s immediate family. Sentencing will happen later this year. Read about the trial and conviction HERE.
We were reminded how this tragedy shed light on alternative response teams for mental health emergencies and of the conversation between the ladies of She The People discussing 1M4’s Right Response directory.
Post of the Week
The weight on our communities is real. That’s why joy matters: the laughter, late-night calls, and sistahood that, as Toni Morrison reminds us, “gather the pieces you are and give them back in all the right order” when the world tries to pull us down. Always guard your joy.
📲 Check out the full post and don’t forget to follow and engage with us.Â
Your Expertise is Needed!
We’re completely revamping The Right Response Directory and need your input to ensure it meets our community’s needs.
This critical resource connects you to alternative first-response programs offering compassionate support through peer responders, clinicians, and trained EMTs for calls like welfare checks, noise complaints, traffic incidents, and mental health crises.
Your feedback is vital for us to improve. Please take a few minutes to complete our confidential survey. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
A Mental Health Tip For You
Sis, the seasonal depression is real! Here are five tips to help you through the darker and colder months:
Get natural light daily. Even a short walk outside can lift your mood and regulate your sleep.
Move your body. A 15-minute stretch, walk, or dance session can reduce stress and increase energy.
Stay connected. Call, text, or video chat with a friend or family member regularly.
Limit screen time before bed. Dim the lights and unplug to help your mind relax and your sleep improve.
Ground yourself in the season. Try a mindful moment noticing fall smells, sights, or textures to reduce stress.
Article of the Week
It’s imperative that we create systems that don’t let those with mental illness slip through the cracks while getting them sustainable care.
Without proper support, too many end up trapped in the criminal legal system (jail, prison, court, etc), facing cycles of arrest and release instead of real treatment. We need solutions that prioritize health, safety, and dignity for everyone.
Spread Some Blessings!
The consequences of police violence extend far beyond the loss of life. For families affected, it’s the loss of income, the sacrifice of basic necessities, and the start of a high-cost legal fight. If you have the capacity, consider donating to 1M4. Proceeds help support impacted families and sustain the work of 1M4 toward ending police violence for good.
And just like that, it’s already November?! Our Home for the Holidays campaign reminds us that every person deserves to get home safely, with no empty seats at the kitchen table. By sharing the directory and supporting one another, we can make a tangible difference in our communities, helping ensure that mental health crises are met with care, not punishment.
This season, let’s focus on keeping ourselves, loved ones, and neighbors safe.
Your support allows 1M4 to continue this work. Please consider donating today and joining our efforts so we can enter the new year stronger, united, and hopeful. Together, we can close out 2025 knowing that our communities are safer, cared for, and ready to thrive in the year ahead.
1M4 Founder Tansy joins the sistas of Life After The Impact to discuss practical tips and techniques to protect our wellbeing while advocating for the wellbeing and care of others. The new date for the conversation is Tuesday 11/18 at 9pm EST.
Conversation will stream live from Life After The Impact’s Facebook, Instagram and Youtube pages. Save the date!
Save the Date! Our next 1M4 Sista Checkin is happening Wednesday 11/19 at 7pm EST. This will serve as our Year In Review (Caretakers Edition) and we’ll discuss all things 2025 while recentering our minds on gratitude, peace, and moving with intention.
The registration link and flyer will be released soon. Bring your whole self and tell a friend to tell a friend & join us on the 19th.
We are committed to covering 4000 families in our lifesaving resources by the end of this year. Join 1M4’s private membership community today and shield the village closest to you.
Let’s do this! Shields up!
To ensure our community has the resources provided by 1M4 and are fully empowered to shield their immediate community from harm, our Founder will hold weekly office hours to answer any questions and walk members through our safety resources.
No registration required. Simply join 1M4 through the button below then tap into our online community at 12pm EST every Tuesday starting this week.
Got a pressing question? Reply here and we’ll answer you via email and first thing Tuesday at noon EST.
October 22 is the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, organized by the October 22 Coalition. Since 1996, this day has brought people together—those directly impacted by police violence and those standing in solidarity—to resist brutality, mass incarceration, and political repression. As we face rising white supremacy and authoritarian threats, the Coalition continues building a nationwide network of protest and actions we can all take to strengthen our collective resistance. Watch the video above to see 1M4 and others in action, fighting for justice and community protection.
1M4 will be attending the 6th Annual Black Mental Wellness Conference. This year’s theme, Reclaiming Our Power and Protecting Our Peace, centers healing in the Black community, honoring our past, acknowledging the present, and envisioning a liberated future. Over 1,000 attendees—psychologists, educators, advocates, families, and allies—gather to connect, learn, and celebrate.
In October and beyond, help raise awareness of alternatives to police for mental health emergencies. Share the Right Response directory with your local community, snap a few pictures, and let us know about it. We would love to highlight you and your advocacy in our newsletter and social media pages. Share your advocacy results HERE. Whether you shared with two people or 200 people, each life matters.
We are celebrating you as the trusted voice in your community!
Any questions? Simply hit “reply.”
Ready to join in shielding your community? Click HERE
Ok so… we’re on TikTok now! Follow, engage, and rep 1M4 over there. We’re doing our best to reach the people.
Help some Sistas out!
 You Got Your 1M4 Merch Yet?
Visit the 1M4 merch store to make sure you’re representing at court support, protests, or in line at your favorite coffee spot. We want to see YOU in your 1M4 gear. Every purchase goes directly to funding the work of 1M4 increasing access to safety and wellness. Â
