Ladle of Ferns

Supporting Individuals. Cultivating Community.

Ladle of Ferns is a community-based support ecosystem helping adults living with chronic mental and/or physical health conditions regain stability while navigating complex life systems.

Many of the people we support are doing everything they can to move forward—but are overwhelmed by systems that are difficult to access, full of red tape, and rarely communicate with each other. Most live in the economic middle: they don’t qualify for free or low-cost services, but also can’t afford the level of support they need.

That’s where we come in.

We provide one-on-one support sessions that meet people where they are and help them move through whatever they’re facing. A session might include:

• breaking down an overwhelming application
• preparing for a medical or benefits appointment
• figuring out next steps after a denial or delay
• coordinating care across providers and systems
• building a plan for stability

This work happens across multiple pathways, including Resource Navigation and our Stability Planning Program (currently in pilot), as well as through Body Doubling sessions and ongoing community connection.

But Ladle of Ferns is more than a set of services.

We are building community infrastructure rooted in the idea that support should not only come from institutions—but also from each other. Through meetups, shared spaces, and peer connection, we are creating a model where neighbors support neighbors, knowledge is shared, and people are treated with dignity—not as cases, but as whole individuals.

Because systems are easier to navigate when no one has to do it alone.

For Give STL Day, we are working to fund 100 support sessions—100 moments where someone can access the support they need to move forward.

Each session costs $50 to provide, and every donation helps ensure that this support remains accessible to those who need it most.