Sisters in Solidarity (SIS) is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that has evolved from the ministry partnership of Valarie Amica and Liz Buckley through Catholic Volunteers in Florida (CVIF). SIS emerged as a project in 2018 as CVIF began to: 1) center diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and build an equitable organization; 2) partner with community-based organizations in Florida powered by women of color and people directly impacted by justice issues; and 3) create an authentic, inclusive, intergenerational community of support for BIPOC young adults, providing mentoring, coaching, training, and personal and professional development, alongside their full-time service and volunteer experience.
We have named this collective community-without-walls “Sisters in Solidarity” to signify the relationships among former volunteers, the connections with communities of women across the state, the partnership with nonprofits led by women of color, and the collaboration with communities of religious sisters. These sisters provide examples of living in intentional community, with a shared spirituality and economy that enables women to live into their purpose and call. Ultimately, SIS aims to form new structures for a shared economy that allows all women to do God’s work for justice in a community of care, love, and spiritual support, regardless of their religion, race, marital or economic status.