One of our board members from the Pride Collective and Community Center recently met with Fargo’s Downtown Engagement Center (DEC), an organization that helps homeless people in Fargo access to support systems and find housing, to see how we could collaborate. The DEC mentioned that one of their current needs is assistance putting together welcome baskets for queer and transgender people who have moved into housing. Data and research show that when newly-housed people are able to find community, especially a community that holds a shared identity, they are more likely to stay housed. The Pride Collective wants to work with the Downtown Engagement Center to assist newly housed people in staying in their housing, and we want them to know that the Pride Collective is available as a community resource for them.

The DEC and the Pride Collective will be in communication about when a welcome basket is needed for a queer and/or transgender person. Both of our organizations focus holistically on each person that utilizes our services, so each basket will be different to ensure that each person’s unique needs are met. While some basics will be included in every basket, such as literature for local resources, some items will be specialized. Some examples of these specialized items could include:
-Providing a transgender man with a chest binder
-Providing a transgender woman with makeup
-Providing a person with appropriately-sized clothing that matches their gender expression

Once put together, the Pride Collective will inform the Downtown Engagement Center that the basket is ready and will arrange a drop off time.

Our goals from this project are to increase engagement between newly-housed people and the Pride Collective, strengthen our partnership with the DEC, and help newly-housed people find a community that will support them and their unique needs. By funding this project, the Awesome Foundation will be helping us achieve all of these goals.