Treetops Collective
Treetops Collective started with a question: how does a refugee woman make this community her true home—a place where she and her family can flourish for generations to come?
Just like trees need the right soil and conditions—so do strong women. As they become established and stable, they provide shade for others, prevent erosion, and provide numerous other benefits to their surroundings.
Our mission is to connect New American women with people and opportunities in their new community so they can put their roots down deep and stand tall for generations to come.
Treetops Collective falls under the Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations category: Organizations that provide multipurpose centers or services that meet the needs and interests of a particular target population.
Hi everyone, my name is Benitah and I am from Rwanda. I came here when I was eleven years old and now I am 15 years old. I am in the teen girls group at Treetops and just completed the teen enterprise internship program.
I like being a part of Treetops because they accept me as I am. My cross-cultural partner does this by trying new things with me and asking if I am ok with an activity before we do it. She is a good listener, especially when we talk about important stuff. When I tell her something, the next time we’re together she still remembers what I told her and asks me about it.
Doing the internship made me feel proud of myself. It was different because we had to do it online but we did it! We came up with our own idea for a bracelet kit and we made it for Treetops. We all listened to one another really well and came up with the project together. Even though it was all online, we felt more connected to each other. Before the internship I didn’t even know our leader, Estefanía, and now I can be really open with her and we are so close!
To me, being celebrated means being listened to and accepted for who I am. It’s so easy to judge people. It’s easy to look at someone and think you know so much about them. But you don’t actually know what’s going on with them or where they’re coming from. You don’t know what they care about or what they’re facing in their life. When you get to know someone you might learn how much you have in common or that you have the same struggles.
In the future I want to see more programs like Treetops that accept people as they are. I hope that someday there is equality for everyone, and that everybody is celebrated for who they are and what they can do.
Financials
Programs
Teen Girls Sister Circles
Connecting teen girls with peer relationships, mentors, and experiences that unlock their leadership and equip them with tools to navigate US systems
Concentric
Multiplying New American Leaders through professional experience, training and development, and connection to local networks.
Social Enterprise
Employing New American makers and creating products that spread our message of welcome
Teen Enterprise Internship
A ten-week program for New American teens who create a product from start to finish and gain initial work experience
Volunteering + Events
Be a Cross-Cultural Partner!
Invest in a friendship with a New American neighbor over nine months
One-time Opportunities
We have a variety of one-time or repeat opportunities that we'd love to connect you to as well!