Hello Trans qathet community, allies and supporters!
Announcements
Our Trans qathet office
Great news! Our office space in the Town Centre Mall (between Subway and Shoppers), will continue to be available to us indefinitely! We have been redesigning the space and are now able to 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, and more.
Drop-in Hours: drop by and say hi to us on Wednesdays 10:00am-2:00pm and Thursdays 2:00-5:00pm.
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!
NEW 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, support, or a peer tutorial.
Megan Gros Designs - Fundraising Collaboration
We are so very excited to announce that we are collaborating 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.
Events
Peer Support Meeting
Thursday, May 11
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, please contact us! 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.
Arts Crafts + Creativity
Wednesday May 24,
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 May 31,
3pm-7pm
Games for everyone! This upcoming games night we will have board games, card games, puzzles, and a Nintendo Switch or two available (Mario Kart new tracks also!). At our mall office space. Snacks provided!
Announcements
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.
Other Resources
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