Kendra Hayes, a trans woman of color, had just started to get her life together. Recently homeless, she finally found a job as a prep cook at a Fort Lauderdale restaurant, along with a place to live.
Three weeks later, the coronavirus came.
The restaurant closed, leaving Hayes with nothing. “My landlord put a three-day notice on my door that I had to pay rent or they would start the eviction process,” she said.
Hayes, 42, reached out to Transinclusive Group, a Broward County organization for transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
“They had fliers up on the internet that if anybody needed help, contact them, fill out the application and someone would contact them shortly,” Hayes said. “Less than 24 hours later, I was contacted. They came and brought me funds — cash — so that I could pay my rent, which I was greatly appreciative.”
With $100 from Transinclusive and $25 from Arianna’s Center, another South Florida trans group, Hayes cobbled together enough money to pay her rent for one month. “Every dollar helps. Every cent helps,” she said.
Read more at our news partner, the Miami Herald.
