Hello Trans qathet community, allies and supporters! For Pride month, we plan on continuing doing what we do year-round!
Office Hours:
We now offer more resources and activities, including wifi, computers and printers, clothing and gender affirming garments, quiet room, books, tea and coffee, colouring books, board & card games, craft supplies, pronoun pins, flags, and more.
Drop-in Hours: drop by and say hi to us on Wednesdays 10:00am-2:00pm and Thursdays 2:00-5:00pm.
Announcements
Megan Gros Designs - Fundraising Collaboration
We are continuing our collaboration with local artist @megangrosdesigns! We have a beautiful assortment of trans pride chainmaille art available for sale: fidget toys, keychains, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. All profits from sales made directly through Trans qathet will go on to our Helping Out fund, and 50% of sale price for any products through Megan Gros Designs will be donated to our fund when you mention Trans qathet with your purchase.
Shop in person at our office space in the mall Wednesdays 10 - 2, and Thursdays 2 - 5, located between Subway & Shoppers Drug Mart.
Pride Flags around town
Some members of our community have been working hard to raise inclusive pride flags and trans flags on buildings around town - check out the General Hospital, the Rec Centre, and hopefully soon City Hall, thanks to people advocating for these flags! We have flags available for purchase at our office, and if you know of any other places that could raise a flag, let us know!
Volunteer Opportunities
If you are able to volunteer during our office hours, we can use your help with decorating our office space, putting up posters around town, collecting and organizing clothing donations, making buttons on our button press or cutting and folding our flyers, researching and printing resources, and more! We may also be looking for volunteers to run our office hours, or to help run events - new ideas welcomed!
Ongoing Clothing Swap
We are now able to accept clean, gently used clothing or other donations such as gender-affirming garments. Please limit drop-off times to our open hours, or contact us to coordinate pick-up! And even if you don’t have anything to swap, feel free to drop by to see what we have and take what you need.
Hormone Injection Supplies - Sharps Exchange
Our office now has a selection of harm reduction supplies including sharps containers, and you can drop your full sharps containers for exchange. If you are starting HRT injections we can provide all supplies for safe injection, instruction pamphlets, and other forms of support.
Events
Peer Support Meeting
Thursday, June 8th
7:00-8:00PM at our office space
Our next peer support meeting will be in our office, located in Town Centre Mall. The mall is closed at this time of day, but our space can be accessed from an outside door beside Subway. If you’d like to bring some snacks to share, please do!
If you need a ride, let us know - we can offer a ride to and from the meet-up. Email info@transqathet.ca or call Laurance at 604-414-6187.
This is a confidential and non-judgemental social space for trans, non-binary, gender diverse, and gender-questioning individuals in the qathet Regional District. At our meet-ups everyone is given a turn to share about their lives if they want to - this is a place for celebration, encouragement, and support.
Free Swim!
Wednesday June 14th
Rec Complex Pool
6:30pm-8:30pm
We are hosting a free swim for our community members - just tell the receptionist you are with Trans qathet, and you can swim for free! This is during the pool’s open swim time, so it is not a private booking, however we have collaborated with Rec Centre staff and lifeguards who are either trans or allies, who will be there during our swim time. We're excited to see you there!
Arts Crafts + Creativity
Wednesday June 21st
3pm-7pm
Get creative with us!
Bring your own art + craft supplies, or join in with our provided supplies. Any art or craft medium is welcome, as long as it is non-toxic. Drop in at any time!
Hang Out + Games Night
Wednesday, June 28th
3pm-7pm
Games for everyone! This upcoming games night we will have board games, card games, puzzles, and a Nintendo Switch available (Mario Kart new tracks!).
Helping Out Fund - donations always needed!
It has been over a year since we created the Helping Out Fund, which gives out microgrants to trans people and families in qathet. This fund comes from any money that we raise that surpasses the costs of running the program, and so the amount we are able to provide our community varies, and all donations help.
There is a donate button on our website transqathet.ca if you would like to contribute to the Helping Out Fund. (Note: as we are not a registered charity, your donation is not eligible for a tax receipt.)
Helping Out applications for financial aid temporarily closed, but do apply for assistance in non-financial ways.
Local Survey - your input needed!
Below are the details for qathet’s Accessibility Plan Survey https://www.qathet.ca/about/accessibility/
“The qathet Regional District, City of Powell River, and Powell River Public Library are working together to develop a three-year Accessibility Plan to guide our organizations on identifying, removing and preventing barriers to individuals in or interacting with our organizations.
The Accessibility Plan will be developed with input from the public and the Joint Accessibility & Inclusion Advisory Committee, and will consider the principles of inclusion, adaptability, diversity, collaboration, self-determination, and universal design. The Plan will be made available to the public late summer/early fall 2023.
We invite residents with lived experience, caregivers, and disability advocates to share their ideas and expertise on how we can make our services, programs and infrastructure more accessible and inclusive by completing our online survey and attending an open house.”
Online Survey
The survey is available to complete through this link from May 29 – July 4, 2023. Please call 604-485-2260 or email croberts@qathet.ca if you require a paper copy.
Other Resources
QMUNITY Gender and ID clinic
QMUNITY’s Trans ID Clinic provides notarial, administrative, and emotional support to lower-income folks who require assistance with name and gender marker change processes. Drop in virtually on the first Wednesday and third Friday of each month, 4pm-6pm.
You can also email transid@qmunity.ca or call Connie at 604-868-4238 for appointments.
Trans Lifeline
(877) 330-6366
Trans Lifeline’s Hotline is a peer support phone service run by trans people for our trans peers. Call us even if you’re not in crisis or if you’re not sure you’re trans.
Full anonymity & confidentiality. No nonconsensual active rescue (calling 911, emergency services, or law enforcement)
Crisis intervention & suicide prevention
Toll-free: (1-800-784-2433)
Confidential, non-judgmental, free emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including feelings which may lead to suicide.
Mental health support
Call 310-6789 (no need to dial area code) for emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health.
Trans Rights BC
Resources on the legal rights issues commonly faced by trans and gender-diverse people.
Trans Care BC
Toll-free: 1-866-999-1514
Outside of BC or unable to call a toll-free number: 604-675-3647
Email: transcareteam@phsa.ca