Diapers: 3000 packages The board said they are committed to continuing the organization's services. NEW DELHI The first 36 corpses were placed in the designated concrete cremation pits and set ablaze by 10 in the morning. Log in, Quinn searching nationwide for new DCFS chief, House passes reform bill changing care for disabled adults, House OKs more money for senior home care, Lawmaker Pushing For More Oversight Of Health Care For Prison Inmates, Illinois legislators looking at $1.4 billion prison contract, House bills aim to protect disabled adults at home, Prison doctor to inmate: Thats bad. These resources are then allocated to a designated runner. The pod runner(s) is responsible for physically going to stores such as Costo, Sams Club, etc. Please help us by RSVPing and inviting a friend (or 2) to eat with you! The organization declined to elaborate on its written statement. Items include binders, packers, boxers, boxer briefs, packing underwear, binding tape, clippers, durags, curl combs, ties/bow ties, and wave brushes. They can only do 10 bodies at a time inside the crematory, Bikki said. He had died at 7:30 that morning. Both new programs are targeted at addressing areas of need where Black and Brown trans people face the most severe discrimination. going so smoothly. These relationships grow into intentional and equitable partnerships that are mutually beneficial for BSA, our partners, and the communities BSA serves. I am over the moon satisfied., The support session was beautiful in doing everything that I hoped for: reminding me Im not alone; connecting with others who are also nonbinary or fluid; and showing me that another future is possible. Pantry Partner Network Brave Space Alliance. stream But Im proud of where I left the organization., Wade, 35, noted that she was in her late 20s when she founded Brave Space Alliance, and she said she could have learned to manage a little better.. The organization's fiscal sponsor is the Chicago-based Center on Halstead, an LGBT-oriented advocacy and community organization. VAMP is an innovative program aimed at reducing or eliminating new HIV infections among Black and Brown transgender and gender- nonconforming people in Chicago, IL. Read our statement on the rebellion for Black Lives. So the corpses are placed on individual pyres through the day and then ignited in one big blaze in the evening. Then Bikki and his team place the body in an ambulance and accompany it to the crematory. A spokeswoman said Brave Space Alliance is financially solvent and that the amount misappropriated is in the six figures. But she said she was proud of what she had accomplished at Brave Space Alliance, the first Black- and transgender-led LGBTQ center on the South Side. Brave Space Alliance is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago, and designed to create and provide affirming and culturally competent services for the entire LGBTQ+ community of Chicago. Ms. Parakh stood before her fathers pyre, talking into what looked like a WhatsApp group call on her phone. Location: 33rd Ward Working Families Coats: 200 Mr. Mishra, the priest, told me on Wednesday that for the past 10 days the crematorys staff had been burning between 40 and 50 bodies every day in a space no larger than two tennis courts. It explores the Businesss journey for social justice and what attracted them to this partnership. 3. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/30/opinion/india-covid-crematorium.html. After a week-long community effort to raise awareness of her disappearance, authorities confirmed that Elise Malary, a beloved community activist for Chicagos trans population, had been found dead in Lake Michigan last week. There was a problem saving your notification. About 42% are Hispanic/Latinx. We are also committed to keeping the BSA staff fully employed, said board chair Channyn Lynne Parker in a statement. Im pulling back the tarp, and Im seeing their faces, he said. "Allegations (that I) misappropriated funds were to support community, and I will continue to stand by (that) that money belongs to community, and it will continue to go to the community that we serviced," she said, explaining that she directed money to "trans relief funds to making sure that people stay afloat, funeral funds to make sure that our community continued to get buried, housing to make sure people's rents were still getting paid, medical bills to make sure people were still able to get their meds.". Family size: 4-6 Jenna is always a great facilitator. Wade recalled her work to maintain the organization since she established it five years ago and said she will continue to support local communities. They serve about 100-150 households each distribution day; the average household size of the families who visit this location is 5 people. One group runs off to stand in the queue to register the corpse of their loved one. The goal of each group is to provide continuous social support and educational resources to members while developing and implementing an initiative that addresses the groups chosen issue in their general focus area. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. The blaze continued for several hours. Furthermore, the few trans-specific resources in the city are located in majority-white neighborhoods on the North Side, which are inaccessible geographically, and also regularly result in the hyper-policing oftrans people of color who attempt to access them. Within our pantry network volunteers redistribute supplies from the drop off locations listed above to different pantry sites within our network. THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985 . Get Updates and Stay Connected - Subscribe To Our Newsletter. One of Bikkis attendants said that every night for the past week he had dreamed of the faces of the dead passing before his eyes in an endless parade. When a family member comes, we quickly unwrap the head so they can peek at the face and identify the body, Bikki said. The first round of donations raised approximately 3500-4000 new, unopened make- up products and accessories worth around $60,000 in total. This program will work directly with trans people, and partner organizations, to fight back against the employment discrimination and systematic un/underemployment that is widespread in our community. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. BSA has a robust history to creating initiatives that are informed by the communities in which the founders are a part of including: our mutual aid project that houses our HIV/AIDS Manifesting Prevention (VAMP) initiatives; support groups specifically created to meet the needs of transgender and non-binary community members; service provider navigation services; community organiziang; as well as our Crisis Food Pantry Network. April 30, 2021. The attorney generals office is reviewing the report sent by the Brave Space Alliance board, according to Drew Hill, deputy press secretary for the attorney generals office. If I fall sick and die, I will go to heaven, he said, before paraphrasing a popular reading of Hindu scripture: Death is the only truth.. Its my husband. What The chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Indias most populous state and one of its poorest, has asked officials to seize the property of people he accuses of spreading rumors about shortages on social media. Two months ago, Indias ruling party claimed that India had defeated Covid under the able, sensible, committed and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. In January, Mr. Modi told the World Economic Forum in Davos that India has saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona effectively.. Anyone can contribute to this fund, so please share it far + wide! Montrose has been distributing groceries and other household supplies twice weekly. But while youre in lockdown, the dead dont feel dead as much as disappeared. The organization is expanding to a second location in . We extend our gratitude to the Center on Halsted for supporting us in this capacity. A dedicated fund would allow BSA to provide the support needed while continuing their amazing mission: "Brave Space The heat rose in gusts, then in waves and then in a steady shimmering wall. Kimberly Lightford and Robert Peters. Independent Fundraisers (those hosted on our behalf), 33RD WARD WORKING FAMILIES DEMOGRAPHIC BREAK DOWN, SUPPORT GROUPS: Do you know your HIV Status, MUTUAL AID GROUPS: Group(s) interested or involved in, YEPP (Youth Empowerment Performance Project), 37 sponsored and/or supported Chicago actions, rallies, and protest, BLM downtown protest:George Floyd | 5/30/20, Linda Brito, Mi Alma y Cuerpo (Latinx women community empowerment group), TotesFerosh (the artist) for the Elephant Room Gallery, UChicato Graduate Recruitment Initiative Team (GRIT), Chicago League of Ladies Arm Wrestling (CLLAW), Women of The Now & 3AM Thoughts Productions, 3 AM Thoughts Production & Women of the Now, Instagram followers grew from 1240 to 40K. Help combat the economic strain that has left our most vulnerable community members without resources. BSAs Employment Justice Program works to align trans people with jobs and opportunities in union/protected workplaces all over Chicago. Estimated value of food disseminated: $29,256 (Estimated cost of bag is $17.25). Over the summer during the uprisings here in Chicago, BSA offered jail/protest support as well as assisted with CPS meal distribution after the City of Chicago halted them due to protests across the city. Aaron Gettinger, a third-generation newspaperman, studied sociology at Stanford University and the University of Chicago and joined the Herald in 2018. % Sign up forthem. Say something.. The Den has received 141 items in in-kind donations worth $3,466. We will also take an in- depth look into one of the processes that makes your business unique. The Brave Space Alliance also wrote that its Funeral Fund would be working with Elises family to ensure that she receives a memorial deserving of her dedication to Black Trans Liberation. Some of that dedication included serving on the community advisory group for LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Illinois, as well as working in the Civil Rights Bureau of the Illinois Attorney Generals Office. Many Hindus still believe that only a son has the right to light his parents funeral pyre. Brave Space Alliance is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago, and designed to create and provide affirming and culturally competent . Help combat the economic strain that has left our most vulnerable community members without resources. We deeply appreciate the generosity and hospitality of the organization and the food/fresh produce that they provided/delivered. As we spoke, construction workers used cement and red brick to quickly build human-size platforms just outside the crematorys walls. <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 23 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 6 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S>> Hello! Drop off locations and donation pods track their supplies by using the Shared Inventory Google Sheet created to assess need as well as capacity. We are also excited to welcome our second cohort of Mutual Aid program participants, to continue our work of building long-term community infrastructure to address inequalities in housing, employment, food access, and healthcare starting May 2021. Her body was found on Thursday, after police received reports that a woman had been sighted in Lake Michigan, according to the Chicago Tribune. About 47% are Immunocompromised & about 27% are disabled. 3 0 obj LaSaia Wade a leading voice for transgender people of color in Chicago has been fired by Brave Space Alliance, the South Side LGBTQ center she founded in 2017 and built into a multimillion-dollar advocacy and social service organization. I asked him. District Update December 30, 2020. 1515 E 52nd Pl Fl 3, Chicago, IL, 60615, US. Mourners wrote messages in chalk on the bookstores brick wall, including Black Trans Women Deserve More and RIP Elise, according to Block Club Chicago. I wasnt sure before I guess. Now I am. We instead emphasize bravery living ones fullest, truest, and best life in the face of oppression and solidarity as ideals for the longevity of our communities and the best hopes for queer and trans liberation. This nonprofit is also supported in these funds. Info here: . Launched in 2017 by LaSaia Wade, current Executive Director, trans man Xavier MaatRa, and Stephanie Skora, current Associate Executive Director, to serve transgender and non-binary community members, particularly people of color. New Delhi CNN . Brave Space Alliance extends our gratitude to the people, families, organizations, businesses, companies, activists and communities that help us make the work of liberation possible. Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters. He was a plant pathologist at Indias National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources and was 65 years old when he died of Covid-19. In 2020, BSA began the Trans Relief Fund in partnership with the Trans Liberation Collective. The whole process took about 20 minutes. All rights reserved. 1 0 obj There were 20 more at the back, Bikki said. The mission is to increase the representation of quality candidates of color. A caretaker of the familys was on his way, she said. Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. Separate individuals that came to pantry: 1500 (7000 if family members are included) To put this figure in perspective, Chicago LGBTQ health care provider Howard Brown Health Centers 2018 epidemiology report states that of all transgender women tested for HIV in 2018, 1.6% tested positive. After a week, I tried to get a Covid test but couldnt because the labs were overwhelmed with samples. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune). Headcounts at events and a needs assessment done by BSA in 2018 indicate that one-third of the community served lives below the federal poverty line, with 19% living on less than $10,000 a year; 30% are unemployed or underemployed, and face difficulty finding work; 18% have been homeless at least once in their lifetimes and 7% are currently homeless or housing- insecure; nearly all have been harassed or attacked by strangers who could tell they were transgender within the past year; 6.5% are uninsured and many describe difficulty finding trans-affirming affordable healthcare; 34% self-rated their physical health as fair or poor, and 47% rated their mental health as fair or poor; and one-fifth sometimes or often face difficulty getting enough to eat. Anyone can read what you share. Almost a month ago, I was called to the apartment on the floor just below mine. She added that the organization grew rapidly. Mr. Mishra, the priest, made his way through the pyres chanting hymns for the dead. Having a detailed branding strategy has increased brand recognition and a solidified virtual presence. If you do donate, remember to also ask your employer if theyll match your donation. Wade was suspended from her job and later terminated, and the board sent a report outlining the forensic accountants findings to the Illinois attorney generals office, according to the statement. Because of those efforts we received an overflow of donations at our own pantry. Are we not in a parking lot among 50 burning pyres? From in-depth storytelling on the fight for LGBTQ+ rights to intimate profiles of queer cultural vanguards, its a platform for all of the bold, stylish, and rebellious ways that LGBTQ+ people are reshaping our world every day. Background Brave Space Alliance was founded in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois in 2017 by LaSaia Wade This year BCA would like to promote the following organizations that are dedicated to enhancing the lives of black youth and professionals. Brave Space Alliance provides services such as a network of food pantries, a transgender relief and funeral fund, and support groups. Mr. Sethi is a New Delhi-based journalist and writer who has been covering India's Covid-19 crisis. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Low 41F. (The police in Amethi, a town in northern India, reportedly have brought criminal charges against one man for appealing on Twitter for an oxygen bottle for his sick grandfather.) We have also struggled at times with even being able to load our Ventra cards., I only know about the pantry but would like to look into other options. ]c\RbKSTQ _ ` 's weekly newsletter here. 2020 has brought a year of transitions and change powered by a pandemic and a continuous series of responses to racial injustices. Things moved faster once Ms. Parakhs family caretaker arrived; soon, the pyre was built. Apply for the Fund. Average household size is about 2 people. She chose compassion, and she chose time and time again to lift others up.. Brave Space Alliance had $3.3 million in total revenue in 2021, according to the organizations annual report. Ram Karan Mishra, the presiding priest of the parking lot, walked among the corpses unmasked and unafraid. Mr. Sethi is a New Delhi-based journalist and writer who has been covering Indias Covid-19 crisis. Members of the Brave Space Alliance staff at the center, 1515 E. 52nd Place. Brave Space Alliance. "Some people at the job did not like how I supported the community, or did not like how I ran the organization," she said, countering that she and the organization "came to an agreement on separating," a process that she said lasted a year. Furthermore, the few trans-specific resources in the city are located in majority-white neighborhoods on the North . There, he carefully wraps the corpse in a mortuary sheet, then in a plastic sheet, then in the distinctive white tarp that marks this death as a Covid-19 case. A family member who had escorted her fathers body from the hospital morgue to the crematory had suddenly felt sick there. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our. A letter from the legislators read, in part, "In August, the National Center for Transgender Equality reported that in the first 7 months of the year, we had already seen more murders of trans women than in all of 2019. A list of these drop off locations can be found below. The Den is a trans-masculine gender-affirming room open for BIPOC trans and queer folks and sex workers to pick up free items! We are very disappointed that this happened, Brave Space Alliance Chair Channyn Lynne Parker said in the written statement. BSA understands that to supportour communities, an intersectional approach that addresses the root causes of oppression (i.e. They serve 100% Latinx households Grocery bags distributed: 6000 . BSA hosts an annual autumn/winter coat drive for the LGBTQIA+ community within Chicago while prioritizing Black, Brown, & Indigenous members who Hes been with us for over 20 years, she said. Brave Space Alliance is a Chicago-based organization that engages in transgender-issue advocacy and manages a range of social and activist-training programs. Trans Relief & Funeral Fund; Job Board; Training. Hello?. Brave Space Alliances former director of communications, Jae Rice, is serving as interim CEO. There were a lot of technical things that I wish I had more support on, but it was just me, she said. Here are some tips. Interim CEO Jae Rice referred comment to a public relations firm hired to handle the situation. Thank you so much for making food accessible to my partner and I, we appreciate the delivery because we dont have a car. But the graphic images of mass cremations have cut through this wall of noise, misinformation and propaganda, capturing what epidemiologists call excess mortality in gruesome detail. Financial and Housing Stability Group BSAs Housing Insecurity Mutual Aid Groups builds on our successful Homelessness Prevention counseling to link participants with safe and stable housing. So the loss is as much his as ours.. I attended a prayer meeting in his memory over Zoom. The philosophy of VAMP is that if we help our communities improve all parts of our lives, our health will improve as well. We value all contributions of time, treasure and talent equally. So here she was alone, a 32-year-old clinical psychologist standing by her fathers corpse in a parking lot-turned-crematory, trying to make sense of it all. Because of these structural factors, the community BSA serves is especially vulnerable to HIV. Nearby, a middle-aged man in a striped T-shirt told me, pointing at a pyramid of flames, Thats my mother., Non-Covid case. Ms. Parakh and her caretaker walked out, hailed down an auto-rickshaw and went home to the house she had once shared with her father. 13 members, The Brave Hour is the 2nd part to our Get Brave initiative. bed with a ventilator, but Ms. Parakh could organize only a hospital bed with an oxygen cylinder. Brave Space Alliance extends our gratitude to the people, families, organizations, businesses, companies, activists and communities that help us make the work of liberation possible. Cant wait for more!, You guys are such wonderful people the food has helped my family get by tremendously we are all incredibly grateful with all that this organization has done for us thank you.. Small groups of mourners began to leave, their eyes glistening with tears held back through the fear, the frustration, the heartbreak, the exhaustion, the heat, the horror and the sorrow. We strive to empower, embolden, and educate each other through mutual aid, knowledge-sharing, and the creation of community-sourced resources as we build toward the liberation of all oppressed peoples. BSAs support groups were created to provide a safe space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community to meet people who identify like them and share their experiences. Our relationship was not transactional; instead it was unconditional. We tried to revive him using a portable oxygen cylinder he had at his bedside. Elise was a pillar of our community, a friend and accomplice to many, and a shining example of Black Trans Excellence. Ms. Parakh was on her phone with her relatives, trying to find someone who could help. I met Bikki and his colleagues at the crematory at Sarai Kale Khan, also in the citys east, on Wednesday morning, before heading to Ghazipur. In particular, the data on gender was severely impacted. endobj NEW DELHI The first 36 corpses were placed in the designated concrete . Chance of rain 70%. endobj Once they have purchased supplies they drop them off to their designated pantry site. Thank you very much for holding this space for us to connect with one another and reconnect with ourselves.. Inside Hayley Williams Radically Queer Tennessee Hair Salon, A Trans Teen Is Debunking an Article That Attacked Their Gender Clinic. Food Insecurity Group BSA is partnering with Chi City Foods LLC, which builds fresh produce networks in urban food deserts, to teach participants how to access existing food networks or create new ones, and to teach participants healthy cooking skills, so that we can address health and food insecurity in our community. Brave Space Alliance provides services such as a network of food pantries, a transgender relief and funeral fund, and support groups. There are a plethora of benefits that are essential to helping Brave Space Alliance maintain their food pantry network, such as direct contact with the BSAs pantry coordinator, access to the most up to date pantry lists and direct coordination with grocery and bulk inventory. Note: Pantheon matches donations for full-time employees up to $500 USD per year per employee, up to $25K USD per year. Too often, these murders go unsolved, and the victims often aren't able to secure a dignified burial.". Finally, BSA will also continue its commitment and dedication to the well-being and growth of its Black and brown, queer staff by emphasizing self-care, and providing funding for professional development opportunities. Rep. Greg Harris 13 th District. EIN 844538090. As a reminder, each Braze employee has a donation matching benefit of $100 annually to take your impact even further. Ive forgotten their names, but Im seeing their faces.. We thank you for your continued support. People can donate to the fund; it is at : actionnetwork.org/fundraising/trans-relief-fund . Brave Space Alliances (BSA) is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago, dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, for-us by-us resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ+ individuals on the South and West sides of the city. All programming, services, and resources are intended primarily for Black and brown people. This is an organization that has applied for and obtained tax-exempt status from the IRS under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Since April, our Crisis Pantry Program has assisted over 200,000 Chicagoans on the South and West sides of the city. Each mutual aid group is part support group and part actionable community outreach and empowerment. He secures everything with white micropore surgical tape. The Indian government has ordered Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to take down dozens of posts criticizing its handling of the pandemic. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Witnessing the unfolding of myself and others (us) together as we navigate a binary world. Tushar Mehta, one of the governments lead lawyers, recently claimed that nobody in the country was left without oxygen. Yet crippling shortages, of oxygen and hospital beds, have resulted in many deaths including of a former ambassador who passed away in his car while waiting for care for hours outside a fancy private clinic. Hundreds gathered to mourn Malary on Sunday evening at a vigil that began outside of Women & Children First bookstore in Andersonville, one of Chicagos historic LGBTQ+ neighborhoods. 182 were here. In addition, due to the fact that our community members are continuing to be murdered because our lives are devalued, our power is feared, and our truth is revolutionary, Brave Space Alliances Funeral Fund will be assisting with funeral costs of the families of every member of our community lost to transphobic violence. Currently, very few LGBTQ social services or advocacy networks exist on the South and West Sides of Chicago. This fund was set up to support nonprofits + charities, which were selected by Pantheon staff + community members, in improving the lives + expanding the rights of those in the LGBTQIA+ community. Another dashes to the shed to get its allotted share of wood before all the good pieces run out. Contribute here: weblink.donorperfect.com/bsa_sustain. Currently, very few LGBTQ+ social services or advocacy networks exist on the South and West Sides of Chicago. We will be adding a fourth support group for LGBTQ+ community members who are questioning. Currently, very few LGBTQ social services or advocacy networks exist on the South and West Sides of Chicago. COVID-19 Relief Fund . This program will launch in 2021 as an addition to our Mutual Aid Program. A third rushes with the body to reserve a spot on which to build a pyre. Slowly the sound of chants and prayers was silenced by the crackling of flames burning through dry wood. Today, as a deadly second wave of the coronavirus ravages the country with some 300,000 new infections daily and more than 21,400 dead over the past week Mr. Modi and his party are downplaying the severity of the crisis, grossly underestimating the numbers of the sick and the dead. Yall are amazing!, The fact that food was delivered because my partner and I dont drive. and access to care, must be central to our efforts. The Brave Space Alliance Board of Directors has sent an independent accountant's report to the state attorney general alleging former CEO LaSaia Wade of inappropriate spending, to unknown bank accounts alongside other questionable expenditures. at our pantry sites. Through the delivery program, volunteers make weekly deliveries of premade pantry bags to the homes of community members who sign up for support. (Other crematories, especially those with pyres powered by electricity or gas, burn corpses from morning to sundown.). a former ambassador who passed away in his car. Sex Worker Safety Group Our Sex Worker Mutual Aid and Advocacy Group pursues a harm reduction and HIV prevention strategy, allowing participants to share skills related to safety, condom use, reducing ones HIV risk, knowing ones rights, and support for participants who want to exit sex work. Since Im Genderqueer it makes me feel good that theres a program thay works with LGBTQ peeps and makes it feel safe., It was incredibly convenient for my family and I. We will also be launching a number of new programs and initiatives aimed at meeting the complex needs of our community, including a Housing Navigation Assistance Program and a Telehealth program.
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