Destination Tomorrow Receives $1M TRANScend Community Impact Fund Grant

The Bronx-based TLGBQ center will support grassroots organizations addressing the needs of Transgender individuals living with HIV

News provided by

Destination Tomorrow

Nov 16, 2021, 13:29 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, Destination Tomorrow, the only TLGBQ center in the Bronx serving the community through educational, financial, housing, health and personal support programs, was selected as the fund Grant Maker for the Gilead's TRANScend Community Impact Fund. Chosen for its commitment to improving the safety, health and wellness of the Transgender community, Destination Tomorrow will continue to use the TRANScend Community Impact Fund to address the disproportionate impact of HIV within Transgender communities with a specific focus on supporting grassroots organizations.

"We're excited to continue our work with Gilead's TRANScend Community Impact Fund grant for the next two years. Transgender people are one of the groups most affected by HIV and this grant will enable us to continue our commitment to breaking down stigmas and providing crucial support in areas that are disproportionately impacted," said Sean Ebony Coleman, Founder and Executive Director of Destination Tomorrow.

Destination Tomorrow is the only Black-led Transgender & Gender Non-Conforming (TGNC) grant-making agency nationwide. During the last grant period, Destination Tomorrow was able to successfully select and administer funds to 15 Trans-led organizations around the U.S., including The Mahogany Project, Trans Inclusive Group and the True Self Foundation. Additionally, Destination Tomorrow was able to expand its GED and job-readiness programs. It also launched SWITCH – a 90-day housing project for TGNC victims of sexual violence and sex workers – and opened a food pantry in the Bronx.

An estimated 14% of Trans women in the U.S. are living with HIV. African American and Hispanic Trans women are disproportionately affected with rates of 44% and 26%, respectively. Though stark, the numbers are most likely heavily underreported. Created by biopharmaceutical company Gilead, the TRANScend award aims to support Trans-led organizations making a difference in the community through providing services that reduce disparities and break down barriers. It's awarded to 16 organizations on a bi-annual basis to support Transgender individuals living with HIV.

Since opening in 2009, Destination Tomorrow has served more than 50,000 individuals in the Bronx. The organization offers services that take LGBTQ/TGNC individuals off the path of requiring emergency care with a focus on economic, social and mental empowerment on a holistic level. The center has administered hundreds of HIV tests to marginalized community members in addition to an array of other physical and mental health services.

For media inquiries regarding Destination Tomorrow, please contact Lisa Burkert at 917-929-0123 or [email protected].

About Sean Ebony Coleman and Destination Tomorrow
Sean Ebony Coleman is the Founder and Executive Director of Destination Tomorrow, a TLGBQ center in the South Bronx serving the community through educational, financial, housing, health and personal support programs. The grassroots organization puts an emphasis on providing support to vulnerable members of the TLGBQ community that takes them off the path of requiring emergency care, focusing on economic, social and mental empowerment on a holistic level. As a nationally recognized leader in the Transgender community and the first African American of Transgender experience to operate a TLGBQ center in New York City, Sean plays a key role in advocating for policies that directly impact the lives of millions of TLGBQ New Yorkers. Sean is also the Founder and Managing Partner of Sean Ebony Coleman Consulting, where he specializes in DEI strategies for TLGBQ communities. Appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, he sits on the New York City Gender and Racial Equity Board and manages the TRANScend Community Impact Fund, a million-dollar fund that supports Trans-led organizations nationwide.

SOURCE Destination Tomorrow