It Takes a Village Collaborative

In 2019, sisters Shoareged and Aishia Phillpotts started It Takes A Village Collaborative (ITAVCollab) with a shared recognition: the need for healing in their community was bigger than any one individual—and the answer had to be collective.

What began as a conversation between two sisters became a commitment to build the Village they knew was possible: a community-centered wellness ecosystem where clinical care and holistic healing meet, culturally grounded support is accessible, and people can heal in connection with one another.

Today, ITAVCollab is the Integrative Wellness Hub™ for Black women and justice-impacted individuals, rooted in Prince George’s County and serving the greater Washington, D.C. region and beyond. Through our Integrative Wellness and Healing Justice pillars, we create pathways to healing, restoration, connection, and long-term wellbeing.

Our work is grounded in a simple truth:

Healing is the mechanism of systems change.

When people have access to care that recognizes their whole selves, the impact extends beyond the individual. Families strengthen. Communities become more connected. Systems begin to shift.

Seven years later, the Village is here.

Since 2019, ITAVCollab has served more than 3,000 individuals, including more than 1,300 in 2025 alone. Across our work, 85% of participants have adopted new wellness practices, participant retention is approximately 80%, more than 80% of services have been provided at no cost, and tracked Healing Justice participants have maintained a 0% recidivism rate to date.

These numbers represent more than program outcomes. They represent what becomes possible when people have a place to be seen, supported, connected, and restored.

Now, we need the Village to help sustain the Village.