Our hearts and minds are heavy as Hurricane Helene's devastation continues to unfold. Our community has experienced unthinkable loss, yet community is what is holding us together during this extremely difficult time for Western North Carolina (WNC) and our Appalachian neighbors.

When you examine our work with Queer and Trans youth, you will see community care at its heart. At this time, we have shifted work priorities to meet the immediate needs of LGBTQIA2S+ young people during this state of emergency.

We are accepting monetary donations for the following:

Direct Youth Payment Program (DYPP)

Youth OUTright established DYPP in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support young people in danger of losing or having lost access to basic necessities due to financial burdens. We distribute $10,000 from this fund annually.

We are raising funds to engage at least another 200 DYPP recipients by the end of 2024. Once we are prepared to begin distributing funds, young people who have attended our programs will be prioritized. If additional funding remains, we will launch the application to the public.
Resources & Supplies

When we reopen the youth center, we will adapt our normal programming to meet current needs and offer hot meals. We will partner with local LGBTQIA2S+ mental health professionals to offer listening and healing circles for youth. We’ll also offer spaces for distraction and play, such as watching movies, craft making, or playing video/board games. With your help, we hope to amplify the resources youth and their families can pick up from our space. We are seeking funding to resource youth in the following areas:
1. Gender Affirmation (binders, gaffs, tucking tape, makeup, etc.)
2. Harm Reduction (drug testing kits, Narcan, condoms, dental dams, etc.)
3. Play & Mental Health (fidget kits, art supplies, games, stipends for mental health professionals, etc.)
4. Basic Necessities (non-perishable meals, water, wipes, deodorant, etc.)

You can learn more about our Hurricane Helene Response here.

As we absorb the sheer magnitude of destruction, the media will continue to name this experience a natural disaster. But we know there is nothing natural about the decades of colonization of native lands and extraction from the Appalachian hills. This devastation is a direct result of climate change driven by white patriarchal capitalism and greed.

As an organization built on racial, gender, and disability justice, it is our duty to continue to educate Queer and Trans youth on these histories and realities as we forge forward. Community building, healing, and growing together are the antithesis of capitalist greed and the oppressions marginalized communities face. With liberatory education as our foundation, we embody our values in our mutual aid work to come.

This disaster has left many of us in different mental states: shock, denial, anger, action, grief…

We urge you to show yourself compassion and know that you are not alone. We will push forward, as the Queer and Trans community have always done, by supporting one another. We are resilient and we will continue to bloom after the flood.

Donations of all sizes are greatly appreciated during this challenging time!

Hurricane Helene Relief: Support WNC Queer & Trans Youth

Help Youth OUTright meet the emerging needs of LGBTQIA2S+ young people as they navigate unthinkable challenges following Hurricane Helene.