The Marley Yott Transgender Wellness Fund is an annual transgender wellness fund to highlight a lack of funding for progressive mental health resources for transgender people that support transgender specific mental health, self-care support, psycho-educational programs, self improvement initiatives, wellness techniques, health related projects, addictions services and their associated costs.

 

The inaugural fund opens November 2022. If you would like to donate to the annual Marley Yott Transgender Wellness Fund please email barrieprideinfo@gmail.com for more information on becoming a benefactor today.

 

​

​

Who is Marley Yott?

 

Shared with permission by Sabrina Yott, sibling to Marley Yott:

 

“Marley was born into the wrong body and transitioned to gender fluidity throughout their 20s. I was there for the surgeries and the hormone treatments and at the end they were finally comfortable in their skin. This was a difficult period for Marley and it was the support of ARCH with their one to one trans support programs and their harm reduction mentorship and personalized healthcare that helped Marley through.

 

“Marley was also an active member of ARCH and volunteered as a one to one trans peer worker through the organization. Marley was a pillar of the LGBTQ+ community and this organization helped Marley find themselves so that they could pay it forward. Marley loved to sing and their experiences with the Oakville Children's Choir, the Rainbow Chorus and the Guelph Chamber Choir made them extremely happy. Anyone who had the pleasure of watching Marley sing knows what I'm talking about. Marley traveled extensively with these choirs, competing in choral competitions in far reaching locations from Calgary to Argentina, Greece and Italy. Marley also cherished all of nature and enjoyed tending the garden hiking, canoeing and all animals. Marley loved being active, either alone or with friends, and developed a passion for wood burning, wood carving and knitting. I cannot sum up Marley's life in a few short words but their kind heart and gentle soul will be remembered and missed greatly.”

​

​

 

Shared with permission by Jasper Smith of ARCH:

 

“Marley shined a light on everyone who had the opportunity to know them. Here at ARCH, Marley was one of the most passionate peer workers I have ever met. Marley worked as one of our "Drop-In Peers", supporting transgender, non-binary, two spirit, and other people exploring their gender when they came into the office to connect with others in the community. Marley was always there, every shift, to listen and support people as they navigated their feelings and experiences around gender, their transition, as well as anything else that person may have been navigating at the time. Marley was always present, a deep listener, and their support was met with heartfelt appreciation from our participants. Through our program they supported, referred, and coached individuals to live their healthiest, happiest, and most authentic lives. Always keen to learn more to be able to support our communities better, they would inquire about additional skills and training whenever the opportunity arose. Beginning as a drop-in peer worker, they quickly learned and adopted other roles here at ARCH as well. They began facilitating the "Gender Journeys" program, designed to support people who are early in their transition when the stress and mental health can be the toughest - and of course, they held those groups with such grace and compassion that more and more of the community came to love them and appreciate their guidance and support. Marley also supported a number of special events at ARCH, as well as providing additional support to other programs when they needed. Marley had such a huge heart and was always there to support whenever anyone was in need.

 

“Outside of ARCH I also had the joy of working alongside Marley through Gender Intersect, which I founded and continue to coordinate, and Marley volunteered as a facilitator/coordinator with for the last few years. Through this program, Marley provided even more support to the wide trans and non-binary communities through monthly socials and special events. A bright, smiling, and deeply beloved member of our community, Marley held space in those meetings with grace and compassion, listening empathetically, offering support and guidance, and most importantly - loving presence - to people who needed it most. I cannot even begin to fathom the number of lives that Marley dramatically changed for the better, the amount of life-saving support they were able to provide to their communities, and the kind of open-hearted compassionate love they had for everyone around them. And in return, we all deeply loved and adored Marley, and the grief and loss of their passing has been felt near and wide and in ways we still can't understand. Thank you for all of your family's love and work in raising such a brilliant, shining human being with the biggest heart imaginable. We are all feeling the absence of a world without Marley, while simultaneously appreciating the wondrous and marvelous ways they touched all of our hearts.

 

"Their legacy will live on in the hearts of the innumerable people who were touched by their kindness, and we can only hope to continue that legacy of love, care, and compassion that our dear friend embodied so wholeheartedly."

 

​

FAQ:

​

Who can apply for funding?

​

Transgender individuals who are experiencing mental health hardship who want to attend a mental health, self-care support, psycho-educational program, self improvement initiative, wellness technique, addiction services and/or participate in health related projects.

 

What programs and costs are eligible for funding?

​

Eligible programs include mental health, self care support, psycho-educational program, self improvement initiative, wellness technique, addiction service and/or health related projects, and must be clearly recognized as health oriented. Associated costs, such as travel and accommodation are also eligible. Examples of organizations or professionals with applicable programs include, but are not limited to:

 

Couchiching Family Health Team

Rainbow Health Ontario

Trans Wellness Ontario

ARCH Guelph

Jampa Ling Kadampa Buddhist Centre

Will Hackstetter (Offering coaching and hypnosis sessions to those who are ready to release their past trauma and empower their future. Will is strong advocate of self awareness allowing people's to direct themselves and reclaim the power of their own lives. These coaching sessions give you the tools you need to build the concrete future you want by reclaiming your today.)

 

The organization offering the mental health, self care support, psycho-educational program, self improvement initiative, wellness technique, addictions service and/or health related project must be fully insured, compliant with Ontario's human rights code and all other applicable laws, and be in good standing in the community. The Marley Yott Transgender Wellness Fund is awarded at the discretion of Barrie Pride and the funding is paid directly to the organization offering the program or service.

 

How to apply?

Please reach out to barrieprideinfo@gmail.com for an application.