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Mission
To empower vulnerable individuals by providing support services that cultivate personal growth, independence, resilience, and the ability to thrive.
Vision
Seeing a thriving community where every voice is valued, and individuals discover their strengths, advocate with confidence, and co-create a future grounded in belonging, purpose, and shared possibility.
Core Values
Compassion in Action
We listen with our whole hearts. By meeting people where they are and seeing their strengths, not their struggles, we create space for healing, advocacy, and transformation.
"Every story deserves to be heard-and honored with dignity."
Together, We Rise
We believe change happens when people work together toward a shared vision. Our partnerships are grounded in mutual respect, open dialogue, and the belief that everyone has something powerful to contribute.
"We don't serve-we co-create. Your voice shapes the future."
Belonging for Every Body and Mind
We embrace all identities, abilities, and journeys. By honoring lived experience and cultural diversity, we foster a welcoming space where people are seen, valued, and empowered to thrive.
"True belonging begins when we celebrate who we are-together."
Leading with Possibility
Our leadership model uplifts voices, sparks strengths, and envisions what's possible. We focus on what gives life to people and systems-and grow from there.
"We lead not with answers, but with powerful questions and shared vision."
Melissa MacDonald founded Advocacy Change Thrive in 2024 to reimagine what healing and empowerment could look like for individuals facing mental health and life challenges. A minority woman and survivor of physical, sexual, and verbal abuse, Melissa leads from a place of lived experience-bringing deep empathy, authentic connection, and unshakable hope to every person Advocacy Change Thrive services.
Her journey through adversity has not only shaped her understanding of trauma and recovery but ignited her passion to build a community-rooted, trauma-informed organization. ACT reflects Melissa's vision of a world where individuals are seen for their strengths, not their struggles-and where thriving is possible for every person, regardless of ability or diagnosis.
As someone living with mental health challenges, Melissa embodies ACT's core values. She leads with empathy, creating safe spaces where people are heard and honored. She champions collaboration, believing that change happens in partnership-with individuals, families, and the broader community. And she fosters inclusivity, drawing from her own experience to ensure all people feel valued, respected, and welcomed.
Under her leadership, ACT embraces an appreciative approach to service-one that celebrates resilience, invites co-creation, and believes deeply in the power of possibility. Her story is not just one of survival but of transformation. Through ACT, she continues to walk beside others on their journeys-amplifying voices, cultivating belonging, and helping people grow into the future they deserve.
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