A place to be our true selves 

WeShine’s acronym includes the words welcoming, empowering, safe, habitation initiative, neighborhood, and engagement – things that WeShine provides. We often forget just how much the villagers give back to us at WeShine. 

Fae came to us with a need for the safety, stability and privacy.. She also brought an amazing drive for organizing and community.  After experiencing deep trauma and homelessness in Los Angeles, She chose in the spring of 2023 to move to Portland, hoping to experiment with femininity and become, as she describes, “finally, truly out for the first time” as a trans woman. 

As a queer, low-income trans woman of color she had almost no housing options, but local LGBTQIA+ groups including Equi Portland and the Q Center helped her on a short-term basis. Time was running out when she was referred to WeShine’s Parkrose Village.  Fae was a little apprehensive at first about staying in east Portland, which lacks a lot of the resources and vibrancy of downtown and closer-in neighborhoods, especially for queer people.  However, at Parkrose, she had a space that she could call her own. “WeShine grounded me and gave me a sense of stability” and “my pod became a place where I could tap into my femininity and make my own space ‘feminine’.” 

Fae began exploring Portland, hiking, attending recovery groups for LGBTQIA+ people, including QCoda and AASB (a queer pagan version of AA).  She also began to explore her artistic side, and quickly became interested in working with our non-profit partner, Gather:Make:Shelter. She helped paint the Parkrose Village fence, and was instrumental in creating its beautiful mandala designs. She now has a paid internship with Gather:Make:Shelter, has studied with a renowned printmaker, and helped design the stunning new mural at WeShine’s new village, Avalon, in Southeast Portland. 

Fae recently moved from Parkrose Village to Avalon Village where she serves as a mentor to new community members.  In the next year, she hopes to find a permanent place where she can continue to grow as an organizer and artist, and safely express herself and her identity. 

Exciting update!  Fae has moved into her own apartment. See her graduation photos on WeShine’s Instagram feed. 

As Fae says, “We all deserve a place to be our true selves”. We are grateful that Fae found WeShine!