Access to culturally appropriate, accessible, and trustworthy services remains a barrier for many racialized communities. Sometimes, formal systems can be impersonal, inaccessible, or unresponsive to the lived realities of people navigating issues like mental health, gender inequality, racism, or labour injustice. That’s why ActionDignity has championed a vital complement approach called natural support, which builds on existing social and cultural networks within communities.
This approach aligns with ActionDignity’s mission to create culturally resonant, community-rooted support systems. By leveraging natural support, we help individuals take control of their well-being, build confidence, and advocate for themselves and others. By embracing this approach, we recognize and honour the intricate cultural values, strengths, and preferences within racialized communities. We empower individuals by building on what already exists, which include trusted relationships, cultural understanding, and community resilience.
How Natural Support Strengthens Racialized Communities
Natural support networks have a direct impact on key areas affecting racialized communities:
- Mental Health: Natural support networks provide crucial emotional support, companionship, and a sense of belonging, which are vital for mental health resilience and recovery. Studies have shown that social support from family, friends, and community members is associated with lower levels of stress, depression, and anxiety.[i]
- Gender Equality: Natural support networks empower both men and women and promote gender equality by providing avenues for advocacy, mentorship, and collective action. Research indicates that networks within communities and workplaces enhance social capital, leadership opportunities, and access to resources.[ii]
- Workers’ Rights: In the realm of workers’ rights, natural support networks enable collective action, solidarity, and advocacy for fair labor practices. Studies have demonstrated that strong social networks among workers lead to improved job satisfaction, workplace engagement, and collective bargaining power.[iii]
- Social Inclusion: Natural support networks enhance overall well-being by fostering social connections, resilience, and community engagement. Research suggests that social support networks are associated with better physical health outcomes, increased life satisfaction, and reduced mortality risk.[iv]
ActionDignity’s Programs That Put Natural Support into Action
Our success with the natural support approach is rooted in real, community-based programming. Here are a few of our initiatives that exemplify this model:
- Gender Equity Men’s Well-being Natural Support Group
Engaging men from racialized communities in open, culturally grounded conversations around gender roles, equity, and healthy relationships. This group continues to promote mutual understanding and peer support.
- Take a Stand
This initiative empowers community members to support victims of domestic violence. Participants receive training to provide culturally appropriate, immediate support within their own networks.
- “It Is OK To Talk About It”
A mental health-focused training that equips individuals to create safe spaces for open dialogue, peer support, and continued community connection around mental health challenges.
- Workers’ Rights Natural Support Training
The Workers’ Rights program offers “Protecting Rights of Racialized Workers in Alberta” and “Justice Navigator” training to equip community leaders with the knowledge and skills to effectively support essential workers, particularly those from racialized communities, in understanding and asserting their rights in the workplace and navigating the legal system.
Why This Approach Works: The Benefits
Over the years, ActionDignity has leveraged natural support training to significantly enhance its engagement and outreach efforts. The benefits accrued from this approach are evident in various initiatives and the positive impacts on the communities served, including:
- Culturally Relevant Support
Natural support networks are deeply embedded within the cultural contexts of the communities they serve. This approach allows ActionDignity to provide support that is culturally relevant and sensitive to the unique needs of racialized communities. Programs like the Gender Equity Men’s Natural Support Group and “It Is OK To Talk About It” offer culturally appropriate support, fostering a sense of belonging and respect among participants, thus encouraging participants to open up and share their struggles.
- Empowerment and Community Engagement
The natural support approach empowers community members by leveraging their existing relationships and social networks. Through initiatives such as the Take a Stand training, individuals are equipped with the skills and knowledge to support victims of domestic violence within their communities. This empowerment fosters greater community engagement and encourages individuals to take active roles in supporting one another.
- Sustainability and Long-Term Impact
Natural support networks are sustainable and capable of providing long-term assistance. Unlike professional interventions that may be time-limited, natural support relationships can offer continuous support. This sustainability is evident in the ongoing impact of programs like TIES, where community members continue to provide mental health support and peer training long after the initial training.
- Trust and Accessibility
Natural support networks are built on existing relationships characterized by trust and familiarity. This trust makes it easier for individuals to seek and accept help. ActionDignity’s programs, such as the Mental Health and Gender Equity Men’s Natural Support Group, benefit from this trust, as participants feel more comfortable discussing sensitive issues and seeking support from peers.
- Holistic Support
Natural support networks provide holistic assistance, addressing not just emotional or psychological needs but also practical and social aspects of well-being. For example, the Take a Stand training equips community members to support domestic violence victims by offering emotional support and helping them navigate resources and services.
- Cost-Effectiveness
Utilizing natural support networks is cost-effective, as it relies on existing community resources and relationships. This approach reduces the need for expensive professional interventions, making it a practical solution for resource-limited settings. ActionDignity has trained over 200 members across five programs, demonstrating the scalability and cost-efficiency of this approach.
- Essential in equity-focused work
In racialized and marginalized communities, natural supports can be more trusted and accessible, helping to bridge the disconnect between communities and mainstream services.
To learn more about what natural support is and why it matters, read our companion blog post here.
An Interview with ActionDignity’s Community Connector, Eric Dizon
Q: Our understanding of natural supports may differ based on cultural, religious, or social connectedness factors. How do your community values inform your understanding, and how does natural support show up in your community, work, or everyday life?
Eric: “Thank you. In Filipino culture, natural support is not a project; it’s part of our DNA. We live out bayanihan, the spirit of communal care. That means when someone is in crisis, people show up, no forms, no appointment. It’s aunties helping raise your kids, friends who become like siblings, and faith communities that treat you like family.
As a pastor and a community connector with ActionDignity, I see this every day. Our community doesn’t always turn to formal services first—they turn to each other. And that’s where I see ActionDignity’s mission lived out: empowering communities to lead their solutions, honouring cultural wisdom, and restoring dignity through relationships.
For me, faith and community are inseparable. In ActionDignity, we call it grassroots empowerment. Either way, it’s people helping people, because that’s where transformation begins.”
Q: How can families help build their child’s natural support network?
Eric: “I always tell parents this: our children learn community by watching us live it.
If we want them to grow up with strong natural supports, we need to bring them into those spaces. That could be worship gatherings, family potlucks, community service days, or spending time with their titos and titas—their aunties and uncles in the community. We plant the seeds of belonging early.
This reflects the values we hold at ActionDignity, building strong, culturally rooted, and inclusive networks where families are not isolated but interconnected. My mission as a father, pastor, and connector is to help children grow up surrounded by people who see them, believe in them, and walk with them.
Because in the end, every child needs more than just parents, they need a village.”
Q: Where do you see the future of natural supports in your community, work, or practice?
Eric: “I believe the future of natural supports is a return to what has always worked, relationships. People are rediscovering the power of community. And with so much digital noise, there’s a deep hunger for real connection again. As a pastor and a community leader with ActionDignity, I see the potential for faith groups, ethnocultural networks, and grassroots leaders to rise again, not just as supporters, but as healers in their communities.
At ActionDignity, we discuss systemic change, but it always begins small. It starts with someone checking in, showing up, and listening. My prayer and my passion are that we continue to empower local leaders, honour community knowledge, and equip families to be the first line of support.
Individually, we are just a drop of rain, but collectively, when our voices are heard together, we become an ocean! When natural supports are strong, communities thrive. And when dignity is restored, hope grows.
[i] Gariépy G, Honkaniemi H, Quesnel-Vallée A. Social support and protection from depression: systematic review of current findings in Western countries. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2016;209(4):284-293. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.115.169094.
[ii] Higgins, M., & Kram, K. E. (2001). Reconceptualizing mentoring at work: A developmental network perspective. Academy of Management Review, 26(2), 264–288.
https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2001.4378023
[iii] Heery, E., & Simms, M. (2010). Employer strategy and the future of trade unionism: Developing alternative forms of worker representation. Industrial Relations Journal, 41(4), 312–328. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2338.2010.00567.x
[iv] Umberson, D., & Montez, J. K. (2010). Social relationships and health: A flashpoint for health policy. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(1_suppl), S54–S66.