Our Work
Community Spring is driving change with a bold vision for economic justice rooted in income, power, and community.
Our mission
Our mission is to dismantle structural poverty and spur economic mobility at a grassroots level.
Our vision
We envision a society that prioritizes collective well-being and meaningful access to the income, power, and community that all humans need to flourish.
Just Income
Expanding access to income and economic stability for people impacted by the justice system.
Just Power
Building the power of impacted people to transform unjust systems so that everyone can reach their full potential.
Just Community
Building community and changing exclusionary narratives around poverty and incarceration.
Where we work
Community Spring is a grassroots economic justice organization based out of Gainesville, Florida. We focus locally, but our work has regional and national implications. We are pushing for bold change in a challenging political and economic climate. If we can do it here, we can do it anywhere.
In the South, economic injustice is particularly tied to the historic and ongoing oppression of Black people. The median income of Black households here is barely half that of White households.
That is not surprising when you consider that in Gainesville, Florida 1 out of every 50 Black people are incarcerated at any given time, a rate nine times greater than their White neighbors.
Why we focus on mass incarceration
The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Florida’s incarceration rate is even higher. Nearly two out of every hundred Floridian adults are incarcerated or under correctional supervision.
People coming out of the prison system are often already in debt. Once released, they encounter additional struggles finding employment and paying the fines and fees associated with probation. Locally, 23% of probation violations are because of a lack of money. This inability to pay can result in re-incarceration. It was not hard to follow the line of injustice and systemic failure that perpetuates the cycle of poverty and incarceration.
When you invest in those most marginalized, everyone benefits.
Our Theory of Change
We cannot accomplish our mission alone.
We need support from generous individuals like you.
Together, we can end the cycle of poverty and incarceration.
Mass incarceration is both a cause and effect of poverty. Community Spring is responding by providing cash assistance, advocating for policy change, and shifting harmful narratives.