Community needs are increasing. Funding for critical services is decreasing.

Dear <<First Name>>,

It hasn’t been an easy year for The 519. At every turn, we have been under pressure for funds to be able to respond to the needs of marginalized LGBTQ2S communities. In the current climate, with issues such as poverty, social isolation, mental health, and safety on the rise, our communities need us now more than ever.
 
Funding cuts by the Provincial Government has put some of our programs under immense strain and many of our critical services continue to be unfunded. With a funding gap of more than $300,000, sustaining and expanding programs such as our LGBTQ Refugee Support, Trauma-informed Counselling, Trans Youth Mentorship, and Older LGBTQ2S programs has become significantly challenging. A challenge we cannot overcome without your help.
 
LGBTQ Refugees deserve to succeed
1,500 LGBTQ newcomers and refugee claimants register for our services every year. They come to us so they can receive the support they need with dignity and by people who understand the challenges of being queer, trans, or non-binary. 300 of those LGBTQ claimants are on a waitlist for our services – and every moment of wait can be a matter of life and death for them. With funding cuts, this waitlist can more than double by early next year. 
 
LGBTQ2S communities deserve mental health supports
Mental health supports remain inaccessible for a lot of people. For LGBTQ2S communities, it is even a bigger challenge to find safe and accessible spaces to deal with the trauma that comes with their intersectional identities and the systemic and social barriers they face. Our counsellors completed 980 counselling sessions last year and we have introduced multiple group programs for wellness and mental health. Our trauma-informed counselling services have a 6-month long waitlist, which will continue to grow as our capacity reduces due to gaps in funding. 
 
Trans Youth deserve more opportunities
The Trans Youth Mentorship program provides meaningful skills and training to trans, non-binary, and gender diverse youth to increase employability. Trans communities remain the most vulnerable and marginalized, with already few mainstream opportunities available for them. They deserve to have an equitable chance to succeed. This program is not funded for next year and is at the risk of being discontinued. 
 
Older LGBTQ2S adults deserve affirming social engagement
There is a rapidly growing number of LGBTQ2S seniors in Canada. These communities have experienced life in a very hostile environment in which their identities and sexual orientation was a criminal offence. Their generational trauma, growing social isolation, and increasing barriers to basic services is not making their experiences any easier today. Participation in our Older LGBTQ2S programs has increased by 3 times over the past 2 years. We have introduced new programs, workshops, and intergenerational activities to support our Older LGBTQ2S adults' needs. With funding cuts, our capacity to sustain many of those programs will significantly reduce. 
 
Help us fill the gap
In 2018/2019 we had over 103,000 visits to the programs run by The 519. The gap between funding and need for services is increasing. Every year, we are amazed by the support we get from our donors. You have come together for us in tough times before, and we hope you will do that again this year. Please make a donation today and help us fill the gap so we can continue to serve the most underserved people in our communities.