Coming Together to Strengthen Communities
The Braided Cord provides support, training, and opportunity to people from under-resourced communities.
Coming Together to Strengthen Communities
What Makes Us Unique
We strive to empower people from disadvantaged communities to become self-sufficient through their own ingenuity and determination. We are working to break cycles of dependency by providing support, training, coaching, and opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach, enabling locals to build projects and businesses that continue to stimulate and strengthen their communities.
Our Work
The Braided Cord is currently partnered with La Red in El Salvador and Africa New Day in The Democratic Republic of Congo. Our desire is to help individuals and families in these communities gain access to economic opportunities that have previously been difficult to access. Through these opportunities, and the support of local organizations, individuals and families can flourish and make a lasting impact on their communities.
Our Partners
La Red Foundation
La Red received the generous financial support of The Braided Cord Foundation at a critical time in our foundation's growth and change. We have been using the funds from The Braided Cord to fund the salaries, facility maintenance, and program costs to impact the lives of over 1,000 people in 6 months. We are funding new sections of English and computer classes as well as our community outreach programs. This funding also gave us the time we needed to build up our monthly donor base to keep pace with our rapid growth as an organization. Without the financial support and personal encouragement of The Braided Cord Foundation, this transitional phase would have been much more difficult or even impossible for us to accomplish. Thank you Braided Cord for your help. La Red is honored to consider you a partner in our work! - The La Red Team
Africa New Day
Our Partnership IThe Braided Cord Foundation and Africa New Day entered into a partnership in the 4th quarter of 2022. The goal is to empower men, women, and children to become leaders in marginalized communities. Our hope is to equip entrepreneurs and families to tackle Congo’s problems at the source, to help Individuals and communities flourish. A donation of $100,000 was received by Africa New Day from The Braided Cord Foundation to work towards this mutual goal.
The Current Impact: In the final months of 2022, Eastern Congo was thrown into a humanitarian crisis. We saw over 30,000 people displaced within 30 minutes of Goma, which faced the threat of siege and saw a major supply chain disruption. The need for relief was great and The Braided Cord Foundation helped by dedicating $50,000 of the initial donation, towards the crisis response. This helped strengthen the operations of Africa New Day (UJN), providing food for the staff and their families for one month and providing much-needed food and supplies for the displaced.
About Us
Our Vision
The Braided Cord Foundation envisions a world where all people have the opportunity to make meaningful and lasting choices that result in flourishing communities.
Our Mission
We believe in empowering marginalized people with resources, support, and opportunities, so that they can make meaningful and lasting decisions for their families and communities.
Our Guiding Verse
“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
Gregg McLaughlin, Executive Director
Gregg is leading the development of multiple humanitarian initiatives in California, El Salvador, and Congo. Gregg graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in History and worked as a public school teacher for 25 years, priming his skills to work with people of all backgrounds, abilities, and beliefs. He has been involved with volunteer organizations for over 30 years, helping train new teachers in Malawi, as well as Central and South America.
His mission with The Braided Cord is to empower individuals in under-resourced areas to build projects and businesses that make a lasting difference.
When he’s not at work, Gregg loves spending time with his wife, Jess, and their two young sons.
Natalie McLaughlin, Director of Community Initiatives
Natalie is leading the strategic development of community engagement locally and globally for The Braided Cord Foundation. Natalie has over 15 years experience working with under-resourced communities and nonprofit leadership. Originally from Mexico, she is a citizen of Mexico, Canada and the United States. Her global citizenship and lived experience in multicultural contexts fuels her passion for connecting people from all different backgrounds. Natalie has a degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Master's Degree in Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. Natalie specializes in the holistic development of both individuals and communities with an understanding of trauma and asset-based community development. Natalie and her husband reside in San Clemente with their son and two foster daughters where they love spending time at the beach and with family.