ORLANDO, Fla. — In response to growing challenges faced by the transgender community, local organizations are coming together to host Trans Joy Volunteer Day, an event aimed at spreading care and support.
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Peer Support Space is partnering with Queer Trans Project and several community groups to assemble and distribute care packages to transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
The event features a Valentine’s Day theme and will take place on Friday, Feb. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. in Orlando.
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“This event is more important than ever,” said Dandelion Hill, co-founder of Peer Support Space. “We really have to bolster our networks of love & care with one another. They want us to fall apart & fight. They don’t know how powerful radical Queer & Trans love & community is.
The initiative builds on past efforts, with Peer Support Space, having recently distributed more than 500 care packages. Organizers aim to put together 75 packages this year, each containing comfort items such as plush toys, skin care products, and trans pride memorabilia. Volunteers will also include at least four handwritten messages of support in each package.
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“These next four years will be full of unpredictability and direct attacks to the trans community I hold dear to my heart, but we are resilient, and it will not break us,” Mari Tomlinson from Queer Trans Project. “It’s so important now more than ever we show up for our trans siblings, especially for our siblings who are BIPOC.”
Each care package will include comfort items such as plushies, skincare products, arts and crafts, fidget toys, and trans-pride-themed gifts. Volunteers will also write at least four handwritten messages for each package to provide encouragement and affirmation to recipients.
“No law, executive order, or amount of hate is going to change the fact that trans people exist and always have existed,” said event organizer Yasmin. “We want our trans siblings to know our community is better for having them in it and that they are loved and supported. We want them to know they are not alone and that others see what is happening and care.”
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The volunteer event will have music, snacks, and a cozy environment, if you would like to attend, email mary@peersupportspace.org.
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