DOnate Today!

What Have We Been Up To?

Building something meaningful takes time. For nearly three years, we have been tending this project through learning, collaboration, and persistence. Along the way, we have partnered with the Cooperative Development Institute, Social Enterprise Greenhouse, the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, and others to move from an initial idea to a fully incorporated, democratically run cooperative here in Rhode Island. We have come a long way, and we are proud of the care and intention behind every step.

We first met while working together at an herb shop and education center in Rhode Island. Together, we bring over 35 years of combined herbal experience. Through this work, we noticed a gap in the herbal community — a lack of a centralized platform where diverse voices are reflected and genuine collaboration can flourish.

What We Are Working Towards?

Gentle Strength will be a worker-owned herbal community hub whose doors are open to everyone. Our mission is to make herbal knowledge and care accessible to all, while fostering resilience and connection between people, plants, and the earth.

We envision a warm inviting brick-and-mortar that will offer three integrated services, a Retail Herb Shop with high-quality herbs, small batch crafted tinctures, and tea blends, sourced directly from local growers when possible, a welcoming Tea Bar cafe space serving herbal drinks and plant-based treats to dine in or take to go and a Community Education Space with regular workshops, a library, an herbal justice mutual aid fund, consultations, and events that empower people to engage with their own health journey through herbal remedies and plant connection.

What Are We Doing Now?

Like many new businesses, especially in this moment, reaching the finish line takes time and community support. We are currently pursuing startup funding through cooperative lenders such as the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, while continuing to build what we can with the resources we have. This includes scheduling workshops, refining our offerings, and preparing for a future brick-and-mortar space.

We will be launching a GoFundMe this Winter, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you are able and feel called to support us now, any contribution truly helps and is deeply appreciated.

Why A Cooperative Model

We believe in creating a business where everyone’s labor is valued equally and recognized as essential to the collective’s success. The cooperative model allows us to build solidarity within the local economy while practicing shared ownership and democratic decision-making.

In the face of ongoing failures of capitalism, we are committed to contributing to alternative systems that center equity, mutuality, and collective care.