Grant Story: The Center 7 Rivers LGBTQ Connection

June 24, 2022

By Jamie Schloegel, Chief Executive Officer

Feeling safe and included

Everyone seeks to feel valued and understood in their community. For LGBTQ+ members, The Center: 7 Rivers LGBTQ Connection is that place to feel appreciated. Staff and volunteers serve 11 rural counties in 3 states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa- though 75% of their services target La Crosse County.

The pandemic made it difficult for those at The Center to continue their mission to “create spaces for connection, community, education and advocacy” for LGBTQ+ people, their allies, and their neighbors.

A two-year unrestricted grant for $80,000 per year from LCF has helped them continue support groups, educational outreach, programming, and more despite the challenges that COVID-19 has brought.

Fresh Out of the Closet

For the entirety of the pandemic, The Center worked hard to keep their free clothing closet, called Fresh Out of the Closet, up and running. It was established in 2019 as a safe space for Transgender individuals to access clothes that fit their gender identity.

Grant funding from LCF helped them renovate the rooms to allow better usage and organization of a small space. In addition, these upgrades have created better accessibility for all people wanting to utilize the closet.

Fresh Out of the Closet is open during The Center’s regular business hours and provides clothing, shoes, outerwear, toiletries, and shelf-stable food items.

Community Engagement and Outreach

The Center had multiple programs and services that had to be altered due to the pandemic. Still, in 2021, they were able to collaborate with a record number of other organizations and nonprofits in La Crosse County.

In total, they completed 22 trainings (11 virtual, 11 in-person) last year to educate and reach out to the community about relevant topics. They were able to work with organizations such as the YWCA, B.L.A.C.K (Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge), and Cia Siab, Inc.

Not only did they collaborate with others, but The Center hosted a wide variety of guests on the popular QueerCast LIVE, which occurs twice per month. Some guests included Black Student Leaders, the La Crosse County Health Department, and a Mayoral Town Hall.

A New Look

The Center recently finished a complete update and renovation of its website.  Now, they can showcase their new training sessions and bring attention to their growing number of support groups.

Support groups reach many different types of community members no matter their age, sexuality, or gender identity. Some include a Transgender support group, called TransForum, or PANDA, a group for parents and allies.

You can find all of their social events, news, and meetings on their website.