The Sussexes’ Archewell is a founding partner in Ashley Biden’s wellness center

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation released a lot of information this week to People Magazine, information about the $5.3 million in grants they received in 2023, information about how they’re parceling out that money, and information about how much they spend on staffing and staging events. They also highlighted some of their special causes, and they made some interesting news: Archewell is a founding partner in Ashley Biden’s Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce in Philadelphia. Ashley Biden is the 43-year-old daughter of Joe and Jill Biden, and Ashley is a long-time social worker who saw the need to focus on formerly incarcerated women’s wellness at a local level. From People Magazine:

According to Archewell Foundation’s 2023-24 Impact Report, which was exclusively shared with PEOPLE, the Archewell Foundation is a founding partner of the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce, a trauma-informed wellness center for women in north Philadelphia, created by Ashley.

Ashley, 43, is the daughter of President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and a social worker by trade. According to the Archewell Foundation’s 2023 tax records, reviewed by PEOPLE, the organization donated $250,000 to the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce.

“Drawing from her experience with the criminal justice system, Biden’s initiative is inspired by her work with Mural Arts’ Women’s Reentry Program, providing support and opportunities for formerly incarcerated women,” the Impact Report said about the connection. “The center aims to offer a safe haven and community for women impacted by trauma, providing resources such as nutritious food, exercise, meditation, and therapeutic interventions.”

PEOPLE understands that the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce closely aligns with Archewell Foundation’s mission to elevate mental health, a core belief of the organization’s work. As founding partners, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex resonated with the center’s commitment to supporting women in need.

Meghan, 43, has long made uplifting women and girls a priority of her public work, with a focus on programs promoting empowerment, well-being and social justice. A Linktree describes the Women’s Wellness (Spa)ce as “a mindfully designed drop-in wellness center for women in Philadelphia, PA.” A photo shared in the Impact Report shows a group sitting in a circle in a sunlit room with plants, a glowing votive on a center table.

PEOPLE confirms that the hub is operational, and Ashley’s interview with Elle, published in March 2023, referenced her hopes to open a wellness space for women impacted by trauma with Mural Arts Philadelphia, the country’s largest public art program. The Philadelphia location takes Ashley back to where she earned her master’s in social work through the University of Pennsylvania, before taking jobs at the Delaware’s Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families and Delaware Center for Justice (both located in the Biden family’s home state).

The Elle interview said that the First Daughter imagined the center as “a drop-in space where women can eat a healthy meal, hit the treadmill or box, listen to guided meditation, and access therapies including EMDR and infrared saunas, which Ashley herself has found effective and wants to share with others.”

[From People]

The wellness center will probably do a lot to combat recidivism, in addition to providing a safe space for women reentering society after their incarceration. It sounds like a really cool thing for Ashley Biden, and it’s great that the Sussexes have gotten involved through Archewell. I would imagine that Meghan was probably drawn to the work more than Harry. This seems to be Meghan’s throughline – helping women, especially low-income women or down-on-their-luck women, get back on their feet.

Additionally, the Daily Beast’s Royalist column is trying to make political hay out of this. Tom Sykes insinuates that this all some kind of ludicrous quid pro quo because the Biden administration refused to hand over Harry’s private visa file to the Heritage Foundation:

The Biden Administration has been accused of protecting Harry and Meghan by not fulfilling a Freedom of Information request to release the duke’s immigration records submitted by the Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation is the right-wing think tank which authored the controversial Project 2025 document. A federal judge ruled in September that Harry was entitled to privacy in the matter and his paperwork should not be released.

However, the new revelation will do little to quieten chatter in the right-wing blogosphere that the Sussexes and Bidens are inappropriately close, with Jill Biden having been a vocal cheerleader for Harry’s Invictus Games. In September 2021, Jill Biden hosted an online Invictus Games event with Harry.

[From The Daily Beast]

“Has been accused of protecting Harry and Meghan” – apparently, President Biden has not gone out of his way to target or harass the Sussexes, nor did his administration serve them up on a platter to the white nationalist fascist lobby, and that means Harry and Meghan… donated a quarter of a million to Ashley Biden’s lovely charity as a thank you?

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.