UTOPIA PDX

I am applying for the following reasons:

- This past year, UTOPIA PDX has been leading volunteer efforts to respond to COVID-19's negative impact to the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community in Oregon. Per Oregon Health Authority data, we have led in rates of infection, hospitalization and death since April 2020 of last year in spite our efforts to provide current public advisory mandates, free testing, wraparound services for positive cases and contacts exposed like rental, food and utility assistance, and vaccine clinic scheduling. We need more capacity to continue this important work more effectively.

- Due to the pandemic UTOPIA PDX pivoted from our originial mission, which is to provide sacred spaces for Queer and Transgender Pacific Islanders, to focus on slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community, we would like to build back up our original programming for a resiliency series called Talanoa (Storytelling).

- Since July of 2020, I have personally suffered losing five family members due to COVID-19 with the first being my eldest brother, Epati Ala'ilima, who was 62. I postponed my transition to become a physical man and need assitance with that life journey process.

My vision and purpose for UTOPIA PDX is to continue to help our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community to overcome this pandemic, while also regrounding ourselves in the work that brings us joy and other meaningful and creative engagement. I also want to continue our work with our QTBIPoC (Queer, Transgender, Black, Indigenous and other People of Color) community members that also have dealt with the pandemic in harrowing ways. With resources, we can do more effective community outreach, provide relevant cultural programming and stimulate impactful engagement. We have built the trust and harmonious relationship with our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community due to our unyielding COVID-19 response work, which pre-pandemic was harmful and distrustful due to religious and familial harm toward our LGBTQ+ members. We have also served with to much comfort our BIPoC LGBTQ+ members, who did not feel comfortable from established LGBTQ+ service organizations that did not have a culturally competent and responsive lens. My hope is that our QTPI (Queer and Transgender Pacific Islander) intersectional identity will have a place where we live that we can community organize, politically and culturally steward our languages and customs that celebrate who we are.

The specific problem we are facing is trying to slow the spread of COVID-19 on our Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community here in Oregon with volunteers so we can try to safely reunite to re-engage in original programming and services. When the pandemic hit last year, the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community did not have an infrastructure let along emergency system to respond to COVID-19 in our community. UTOPIA PDX with nine other Pacific Islander community bases organizations came together to rise to the occasion to help our people and became the Oregon Pacific Islander Coalition (OPIC). UTOPIA PDX is OPIC's fiscal sponsor as some organization did not have their own 501c3 status.

We are addressing this issue by hiring three staff but need so much more paid capacity to cover COVID-19 work throughout Oregon and to reboot our cultural programming that is also needed for the health and mental wellness for our community that was negatively effective by COVID-19. Our vulnerable community needs a win in a huge way with this kind of support, we would be able to realize that.

UTOPIA PDX' work is innovative because as a marginalized group of QTPIs we are leading the COVID-19 work here in Oregon. That's unheard of in our Pasifika cultures and community! However, we are shifting the hearts and minds of people in our community because we supported them with cultural love and respect and community care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

UTOPIA PDX has helped uplift and centered the needs of QTBIPoC community members so that they will not be left behind and that we make space for them at the table especially during police brutality toward Black Americans and holding space for accountability and justice. Be in support and solidarity for our Asian community members for the Anti-hate rhetoric and violence toward them due to misinformed notions of COVID-19. Doing collaborative work with Native American/Alaskan Native community and the Latinx community here in Oregon facing similar rates of COVID-19 rates of infection, hopsitalization and death.

Having to pause my transition due to prioritizing community needs would be that much more powerful if I could be helped in reaching that part of my journey to realign my body with my mind, heart and soul.

We're saving QTPI, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders, and QTBIPoC community members lives here in Oregon. That's pretty satisfying! Hopefully, what we do here will impact others to help, respect and care for others most vulnerable where they live.