🍁Happy Fall from Sam & Devorah! 🍁

We Were Born This Way!

We’re proud to have been selected by Born This Way Foundation (BTWF) for their inaugural cohort of Kindness in Community Fund recipients. It is an honor to be one of 22 nonprofits chosen from 500+ applicants nationwide! 

Founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, BTWF supports youth mental health and works with young people to build a kinder and braver world. 

This grant and partnership helps fund Trans Mentor Project, our innovative e-mentoring program that supports, affirms and empowers trans and nonbinary youth throughout the country. The program is filling a critical need– it has tripled in size over the last two months! 

We are grateful to BTWF for helping us ensure that every potential mentee has the opportunity to connect with trans and nonbinary mentors and peers! 

Click below to watch our story on CBS!

Back to the Berkshires:

Our Fall Retreat Returns!

We are thrilled that our Fall Retreat is back in person! Jam-packed with activities, the weekend is filled with guided conversations, outdoor recreational activities, and lots of time to laugh and have fun.

Trans and nonbinary youth, ages 12-17, will be gathering in the Berkshires from October 21st-23rd. The retreat cost is $175, with scholarships available.

There are only 25 spots, and space goes quickly, so apply now! Email retreat@samdevorah.org with any questions.

Everyone Has a Story, And Ours Are Pretty Great! 

Photo by JMA Photography. Special thanks to Life Jacket Theatre Company and Kat Griffin.

In our collaboration with Life Jacket Theatre Company, participants from around the tri-state area came together to craft heartfelt stories for our TRANS VOICES event! Check out more photos from this special day here, and keep an eye out for upcoming social media posts.

An Interview with a Mentor: Kye

We are thrilled to bring you a video interview with Kye. Kye is not only one of our founding mentors, but also made a generous donation to offer shapewear to our mentees. Shapewear can be lifegiving for trans and nonbinary youth. 

If you would like to support the shapewear program, please click here. When you make your donation, select "Trans Mentor Project" from the dropdown menu.

Thank you, Sacha!

Our wonderful intern Sacha is moving on...to France. Thank you Sacha for all your hard work! We are excited for your next chapter!

I'm Sacha Matthew! I'm nonbinary and use he/they pronouns in English and il/iel in French. I moved to Montpellier, France to start language school to pursue citizenship and higher education. Originally from New Jersey, I've been with Sam & Devorah since late 2020 and will continue to work with them from abroad. At 23, I'm trying to do what makes me happy in a long journey of mental health recovery, and I can say that I'm succeeding! I have a BA in History and plan to pursue social psychology/sociocultural anthropology. I'm really looking forward to the future because I know how hard it is to survive and thrive, and I want to help provide public resources to aid us in our efforts to be happy. 

I am excited to get back into the swing of things because I've cultivated a life for myself that I love. 

TAKE ACTION

SUPPORT THE WORK OF SAM & DEVORAH

Support healthcare protections for trans/nonbinary youth and adults! The Biden Administration has proposed a new rule to help prevent healthcare discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. Comments from the public are needed! Learn more and submit a comment at protecttranshealth.org

We are committed to creating safe spaces for trans and nonbinary youth through Trans Mentor Project, our workshops, and our annual Fall Retreat.

Please support us by clicking on the donate button below. And make sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and check out our website, samdevorah.org!

Thanks for reading & have a happy Fall!