Ninety percent of an iceberg is below the waterline. Amazing, right?
Organizations working to better their communities with rapid response initiatives are sometimes like icebergs. We see the surface of their work, but we may miss the dedication that goes on behind the scenes. This month we’d like to highlight two Block & Build grantee organizations and acknowledge their efforts!
Credit: Derek Oyen
Prior to the federal occupation of Memphis, Vecindarios 901 had built a grassroots network of community members and volunteers who reported suspected ICE activity. Last fall, when Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum to create the “Memphis Safe Task Force,” their city was flooded with federal agents and state troopers.
Before the surge in law enforcement personnel their rapid response hotline received 15 calls per day. Once the occupation began, they received an average of 125 calls each day. They needed support to respond! With the help of their Block & Build grant, they were able to:
- Host six legal observer trainings with 100 participants at each training and establish a real-time strategy to alert community
- Host four dispatcher trainings with about 20-25 bilingual people at each training and establish a routine dispatcher schedule
- In October 2025, they hosted a town hall with the Memphis City Mayor Paul Young and over 100 community members in attendance
- In November 2025, they organized their community to push the local school board to pass a resolution for expanded bus routes due to the high level of pre-textual traffic stops
For Vecindarios 901, their “biggest challenge was balancing building power with responding quickly in emergency situations. We learned that in order to sustain our work, we need to continue to build power in spite of the emergencies in front of us.” At the heart of the Block & Build Fund is exactly this: to help grassroots organizations build power where they need it most.
The Ladies Room SC is South Carolina’s first and only trans-led organization serving trans and nonbinary people of color. The threat of anti-trans bills targeting legal recognition, healthcare, and public safety is growing rapidly across the U.S. South.
For Black and Brown trans people, one of the most immediate and life-saving needs is securing accurate legal identification. Mismatched IDs not only put individuals at greater risk of harassment, outing, and discrimination—they also block access to housing, employment, and healthcare. Over the past year, The Ladies Room SC has:
- Engaged 120+ participants through weekly community groups, and leadership development workshops
- Facilitated 38 successful legal name and gender-marker changes, helping participants access affirming documentation
- Distributed over 1,000 prevention and wellness materials and culturally relevant health education
- Hosted 12 empowerment and skill-building sessions in partnership with other local organizations
The Ladies Room SC has seen a clear shift — more trans and nonbinary people of color are stepping into leadership and building power within their communities. Their grant allowed them to move from survival to strategy, ensuring their work is not only visible, but sustainable.
In order to continue supporting the crucial efforts of organizations across the southeast, Block & Build is dedicated to maintaining a fair and transparent approach to grantmaking. “The Southern Vision Alliance granting process has been one of the most affirming and accessible we’ve experienced. The clarity of communication, flexibility in reporting, and genuine trust placed in grantees makes a tremendous difference,” shared The Ladies Room SC.
This dive below the surface of the iceberg shows us something inspiring and hopeful- which is that rapid response grants help organizations make changes in their communities. And those changes create real impacts and lasting growth!
Note: This post includes excerpts from the grantee reports of Vecindarios 901 and The Ladies Room SC.
