Helping our community feel at home in who they are.

For many transgender and gender-nonconforming people, expressing your true and authentic self can come with barriers that have nothing to do with knowing who you are, and everything to do with access.

A binder. A packer. Gender-affirming clothing. Makeup. Shaving supplies. Undergarments. Personal care items. These things may seem small, but having access to the right products can make an enormous difference in someone's confidence, comfort, and ability to move through the world as themselves.

That's why Heart of Winona is creating the Heart to Heart Gender Affirming Care Closet.

The Heart to Heart Closet will provide a welcoming, accessible source of gender-affirming products for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people in our community. Our goal is simple: make it easier for people to be exactly who they are.

What will the closet provide?

Depending on community needs and available resources, the closet may offer items such as:

Gender-affirming clothing and undergarments
Chest binders and other gender-affirming garments
Packing and tucking supplies
Makeup and beauty products
Shaving and personal care supplies
Accessories and other items that support gender expression
New and gently used items donated by community members

The closet will be designed to be a judgment-free, affirming, and welcoming space where people can access what they need without having to explain or justify their identity. Each item will be accompanied with our Heart to Heart Resource Guide that connects our community to safe and accessible education and healthcare opportunities.

Why does this matter?

Gender-affirming products can be expensive, and not everyone has the financial resources, or a safe support system, to access them.

For someone who is struggling to afford groceries, rent, transportation, or other necessities, spending $40, $60, or $100 on something that helps them feel comfortable in their body may simply not be possible.

But those items matter.

Being able to put on clothes that feel right. Looking in the mirror and recognizing yourself. Walking into a bathroom, workplace, classroom, or community space feeling a little more confident.

Those moments matter.

The Heart to Heart Closet exists to help make those moments possible.

Your donation makes a difference

Every donation helps us build and maintain a community resource that puts gender-affirming care within reach.

Your contribution can help us:

Purchase essential gender-affirming products
Keep commonly requested items stocked
Provide a safe and welcoming space for community members
Respond to changing needs within the trans and gender-nonconforming community
Reduce financial barriers to gender expression and affirmation

And perhaps most importantly, your donation sends a message:

You belong here.
You deserve access.
You deserve dignity.
You deserve to be yourself.

Help us build a closet full of possibility.

Heart of Winona believes that everyone deserves a safe, sober, welcoming community where they can show up as their whole selves.

The Heart to Heart Gender Affirming Care Closet is one more way we can put that belief into action.

Whether you give $5, $25, $100, or whatever you are able to contribute, you are helping make gender-affirming care more accessible right here in our community.

Let's fill the closet. Let's remove barriers. Let's make sure our trans and gender-nonconforming neighbors know that they are seen, valued, and supported.

Help us build Heart to Heart. Because everyone deserves the opportunity to feel at home in themselves.

Heart to Heart Gender Affirming Care Fund