November 19, 2019
NEW WESTMINSTER, BC – Pacific Blue Cross Health Foundation recently provided a grant of $5,000 to the Dan’s Legacy Foundation in support of the charity’s outreach programs for queer youth in Metro Vancouver. The funds will go towards the development of a convention for Trans, Two-Spirit, Non-Binary and inter-sex youth in January, 2020.
“The youth participants in our Queer Femme Drop-In program in East Vancouver helped identify that the program was missing diversity, and not meeting the needs of the community in the way that was originally intended,” says Barbara Coates, Dan’s Legacy’s executive director. “The youth are taking a leadership role in developing the trans convention, and we are grateful to the Pacific Blue Cross Health Foundation for their support in making the idea a reality.”
Trans, Two-spirit, Non-Binary, and inter-sex (Q2STNBI+) queer youth face many challenges, including: acceptance from family and community; knowledge of and access to medical and mental health services competent with Q2STNBI+ issues; clothing reflective of their identity; community that understands and celebrates their identity; safe Q2STNBI+ living spaces; and gender-confirming procedures not covered by provincial or federal healthcare. The convention is an opportunity for young people to learn about all of the resources available to them in the Lower Mainland, as well as connect to culture for the QT2SNBI+ youth.
“We are proud to support the life-changing work done by Dan’s Legacy,” says Jim Iker, Chair, Pacific Blue Cross Health Foundation Board. “The Foundation provided funding for a past project, and we were truly inspired by the difference it made in the lives of young people in our community. We look forward to hearing about the success and positive impact of their upcoming convention.”
Youth will be involved in the planning and execution of the convention, giving them the opportunity to identify their needs, develop leadership and organizational skills, feel valued and valuable, and educate the hetero-cis world on their issues.
If you or someone you know is asking for help, please contact Tom Littlewood (Program Director) at [email protected] or 604-999-9136.
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In the photo:Back Row L-R: Rob Chiarello, Joe Elworthy, Sarah Arsenault, Brendan Dick, Kenny Ghuman, Laura Dale…Front Row L-R: Lisa Barilla, Mary LaPlante, Jayne Simpson (Therapist, Dan’s Legacy), Barbara Coates (Executive Director, Dan’s Legacy), John Crawford, Jim Iker, Allison Joe
About Dan’s Legacy
Dan’s Legacy provides therapeutic counselling and life-skills intervention programs to youth affected by trauma-based mental health and addictions issues. In the past four years Dan’s Legacy has helped over 300 youth meet their educational, housing and life-goals.
About Pacific Blue Cross
Pacific Blue Cross is British Columbia’s number one health benefits provider. Based in Burnaby, BC, the not-for-profit organization provides health, dental, life, disability and travel coverage for 1 in 3 British Columbians through group benefits and individual plans. As part of its mission to improve health and wellbeing in BC, Pacific Blue Cross proactively supports charitable organizations across the province working to improve health outcomes.