2022 saw TEP move from a volunteer-driven organization to a staff of 10+ amazing folks, all of whom are making at least $15/hour. In January of 2023, we began offering health/dental/vision benefits for our full-time folks.

One of the most amazing things about our team is that everyone on staff is queer and/or trans, which means that we’re not only supporting our community through our programs and outreach, we’re living our values by intentionally hiring folks from within our community and giving them the space to learn the skills they need to be badass and successful in their chosen fields.

Allow us to give you a general update on the progress of our programs and projects, and break down some of what these folks have accomplished during their time with us.  

InTRANSitions: (our direct aid program which provides food, clothing, toiletries, and other necessities to Trans* folks in need)

• TEP was able to provide assistance to over 220 people this year; roughly ¼ of those folks indicated that they were homeless or would be homeless within the next 7 days, and ~65% of our applicants indicated that they were BIPOC or non-white.
• We sent out over $7000 worth of groceries and toiletries, straight to our clients via instacart or shipt.
• We gave away over 45 gender-affirming undergarments like binders or packers.

Trans Employment Project: (a program designed to work with job seekers and employers to ensure that Trans* folks are finding work that is affirming and inclusive) Manager: Mo Viviane (they/them)

• Our Facebook job-search group has grown from ~600 to nearly 1000 members
• We’ve provided personal employment search assistance to 30 Trans* jobseekers
• We have recruited 44 employer collaborators who have expressed interest in learning how to create more inclusive, affirming environments for their employees
• We’ve compiled a “Job Seeker Readiness” Handbook for Trans* job seekers, and hosted a webinar entitled “Empowering Your Best Trans* Self” to help Trans* job seekers learn how to be their best selves during the job search and interview process
• We’ve created a “quiz” system that allows employers to see just how inclusive their companies are, and assigns them a score based on their results. Companies who choose to do so can enlist TEP to help them raise their score, thereby earning special benefits like staff training or the ability to post their job openings in our employment groups.

Inmate Advocacy: (this program ensures that incarcerated Trans* folks have the support they need, and works with carceral facilities to teach their staff how to better support the Trans* folks in their care)

• We’ve partnered with a new state, bringing our total to 4. This means that we are able to provide resources to any Trans* person who is incarcerated in a state-run (not private) facility in these states.
• Maintained relationships with and provided assistance to 30+ incarcerated Trans* folks.
• Recruited 77 active gender-affirming volunteer pen pals, and paired them with incarcerated clients who indicated that they wanted to participate in our pen pal program.
• Provided $50 in commissary to each client at least 4 times in 2022, and assisted with the purchasing of stamps and media funds for clients who requested them.
• Provided post-release assistance, including housing resources and food deliveries, to all clients who were released from prison this year. (Total of 4)
• With assistance from our DOC liaisons, we were able to advocate for and assist our clients through 1 case of sexual assault, 4 reports of discrimination against incarcerated individuals, and 1 mental health crisis.

TEP Organizing Program: (our organizing team works to educate and mobilize our community and our allies, so that we can all be effective leaders in the movement for equity and justice)

• Our “Community Captains” initiative is under TEP’s “organizing” umbrella and consists of Trans* folks and allies who have raised their hands to help build power and support for Trans* folks in their area. In the last 18 months, this project has:

• Recruited 67 people to become “Community Captains” who pledged to take or lead direct action in their area.
• Representatives in 21 states and Puerto Rico.
• Established monthly meetings to educate, collaborate, and organize in a group/community setting.
• Community Captains currently taking action in their area are doing everything from hosting clothing swaps and safety trainings to organizing in-person shows/concerts to raise funds and awareness for TEP.

• This program is also responsible for creating and distributing 500 safety and self-defense kits in late 2021-early 2022.

Project Care: (a program designed to help Trans* folks find affirming healthcare and HRT, and to educate healthcare professionals on how to provide supportive and affirming care to folks in the Trans* community)

• In the short time this program has been active, we’ve managed to land 2 very important partnerships that will directly benefit our clients seeking HRT.

• QueerMed is a telehealth provider that aims to fill in the gaps in care for queer and Trans* folks, especially in regard to HRT access. They are currently available in 22 states and working hard to expand. Our partnership with QueerMed allows us to ensure that our clients have no barriers to accessing HRT, and TEP will even cover the cost of their visit.
• Empower Pharmacy is a PCAB-accredited compounding pharmacy that works to expand access to affordable, quality medication by shipping to all 50 states. Through this partnership, we are able to ensure that our clients are able to fill their prescriptions, regardless of where they are. TEP will also cover the cost of these services for the clients who need that assistance.

Take Back the Narrative: (a storytelling program that works to uplift and share the stories and experiences of Trans* folks and our allies, in order to create positive cultural change that reclaims the narrative of who Trans* people are)

• Our storyteller list has 90 people signed up to learn how to craft and share their stories.
• We currently have 12 folks who are working directly with Nic to cultivate and edit their stories through their chosen medium.
• Polished and published the work of 2 of our storytellers so far. Find Alicia Arballo’s poem on our website here, and watch Cai Quirk’s video here.

Communications/Fundraising: (updates from our comms and fundraising team)

In the last 12 months, our Comms and Fundraising channels have seen the following growth:

• Follower count on both Instagram and Twitter has doubled.
• We hired a company to revamp our website, and have since seen increased traffic and been approved for a Google Ad grant, which will increase our visibility even further.
• Our small-dollar donations have more than doubled.
• Ultimately, TEP raised more than 3x the funds in 2022 than we did in 2021!