Hello! I am Cleo Starpattern, SQSH's interim External Organizational Facilitator. I've been with SQSH since I moved to St. Louis back in the summer of 2019. When I moved, I hardly knew anyone other than my partner; I had just left school and was cast from my family in part due to my queer identity. I joined SQSH looking to build community and support queer folks who had lost their families and support systems like I had. 

I began as a helpline trainee, participating in our 48-hour peer counseling course, and started taking calls in January of 2020. Learning the peer counseling skills drastically altered the way I communicated and deepened my relationships not just with my loved ones, but also myself. Being a part of such a wonderful community and spending my days deeply involved with other incredible, passionate, thoughtful, and kind individuals is truly an honor.

Please consider donating to SQSH--it is a vital resource in our community, though we would like that to no longer be the case one day. My dream is to share our peer counseling skills with the rest of the queer community here in St. Louis so peer support is always available. Your donation helps make that possible. Thank you so much ⭐