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Our Deepest Gratitude to our Hometown Heroine
Our Love Letter to Pattie~
Dear Pattie,
During your 100 miles for 1 Million campaign, I wrote in the comments, “I am at a loss for words.” But in truth, I have SO MANY. They were stuck inside my throat by the size of it all, and now, with days to process, I can share what it means to me, to us at Vȧmonos Outside.
Many tears have been shed in our office since the election. Our disbelief alongside our knowledge of what was in store for us. Knowing, as we knew in our bodies, how fragile the support may be around DEIJ. In its swell, we were cautious- how much was performative? How much did folks in our communities truly see us as worthy of existing, of thriving, of accessing the joys of life? We were built in that swell, and just as we feared, when the tides changed, so did our financial outlook.
This last summer, we were pulled by the riptide- we were at the end of some short-term grants, and the overall funding landscape changed completely. Where we were once competitive due to our leadership, our work, and the folks we served, some of these grant programs were now unreachable due to more need than available funds, and funders were only looking to fund secure, well-funded programs with capacity, staff development, competitive pay, etc. Would we not all want that for ourselves? It served to highlight where the non-profit system is broken. The chicken, the egg, the coop, the pasture. It resulted in a summer where our staff delivered programs while also looking for other work; some of us were laid off, all of us were wondering how long it would be till we were shuttered like many other programs that had the audacity to believe in the dignity of people. All this in the background while we showed up for our community, listening to the kids as they shared the racism they were facing, the stories they were hearing about “vans”, we offered our best wishes to families heading off to Portland for yet another immigration meeting, we held each other as we grieved over the inability to travel to home countries to visit family members, we held each others fears, we listened to the ways wicked intentions, found even more avenues to exploit our people’s vulnerabilities. We had very little to fall back on, sadly. Or so we thought…
We have hustled as all grassroots, community-led organizations do- doing the work grant check to grant check, showing up for the kids as our best selves, even after sitting in a meeting and looking at the books. We compartmentalize, we hope for the best. You, of all people, know how much energy, resources, and time it takes to fundraise, and in this story YOU DID IT FOR US- it was your blisters, sweat, and runny mascara, and sheer determination that raised it- the dollars we so needed to continue existing. You are a force of nature, our hometown heroine.
What you have given us is that raft. These dollars will be our reserve fund, the dollars in the bank that allow for the security we need in case we don’t get that next grant, that next donation. Before this, it felt nearly impossible to raise this amount of trust-based, unrestricted funding to secure our work. You made it possible, and we are so grateful to be a part of this story. Outside of the dollars themselves what you did allowed us to see how many people there are in the world that believe in social justice, who believe in the importance of a life in relationship and connection to nature, the healing that is made possible thru the combination of having trusted adults in one’s life, made possible through learning to new challenges while in community, to be believed in, and to be listened to.
We now stand with you in this work as if in a grove of aspen trees, our roots intertwined and supportive as we stare into the eyes of the future, leaves shaking in celebratory joy (over fear) and boldly stating- we are here to STAY.
Thank you, thank you con todo corazón,
Vamonos Outside Staff, and Community
to learn more about Pattie’s historic backpacking trip: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/12/drag-queen-pattie-gonia-hikes-100-miles-in-drag-to-raise-1-million-for-inclusive-outdoors-groups/
