Nearly a decade of showing up.
Sistas Caring 4 Sistas has been serving families in Western North Carolina for approximately ten years.
Where it started: Asheville, North Carolina
Built on relationships, not headlines.
For nearly a decade, Sistas Caring 4 Sistas, Inc. has been advancing maternal health equity by training community-based doulas, strengthening healthcare partnerships, and ensuring that families across Western North Carolina have access to culturally responsive maternal health support.
SC4S emerged through a collaborative effort among community leaders, healthcare providers, community organizations, and advocates who recognized the urgent need to address inequities in Black maternal health. Key community leaders included Nikita Smart, Wakina Robertson, Sade Mustakeem, and Cindy McMillian. Together with Mission Hospital, MAHEC, the Mothering Asheville movement, and numerous community partners, they worked to develop solutions that would improve birth outcomes and expand access to culturally responsive maternal healthcare services for families across Western North Carolina.
Through a series of community conversations, planning sessions, and partnership-building efforts, stakeholders identified the need for community-based doula services that reflected the experiences, cultures, and needs of the families being served. These discussions led to the creation of Sistas Caring 4 Sistas, an organization dedicated to advancing birth equity, reproductive justice, and improved maternal health outcomes throughout the region.
The organization grew from a broader collaborative initiative involving healthcare providers, community organizations, and local residents committed to reducing infant mortality and improving maternal and child health outcomes. Recognizing that families of color often lacked access to culturally responsive birth support, SC4S was established to help fill this gap through education, advocacy, and community-based doula care.
Since its founding, SC4S has become a trusted leader in maternal health and birth justice. The organization has trained more than 50 doulas of color, supported over 500 families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum services, partnered with healthcare systems to integrate doulas into maternal healthcare teams, and advocated for expanded access to doula services through Medicaid and private insurance reimbursement.
Today, SC4S continues to serve as a leading voice for maternal health equity in Western North Carolina. Through strong community partnerships and a commitment to improving outcomes for mothers and babies, the organization works to ensure that Black, Brown, rural, and underserved families receive respectful, informed, and culturally responsive care throughout their maternal health journey.