After a year at the Maxwell Community Center in northwest Eugene, The Lavender Network will move to a new space at 1590 Willamette Street near downtown Eugene, thanks to help from one of its local partners.
The HIV Alliance received a $2.5 million donation, and is using it to purchase a new home for The Lavender Network, a resource hub for LGBTQ folks in Eugene.
The Network collaborates with TransPonder, Queer Eugene, Eugene Pride, Authentic Movement Collective, and HIV Alliance to offer queer-specific services.
The expansion will increase the number of resources available at The Lavender Network, including the addition of behavioral health services and a new medical clinic. The new space will continue to hold free STD testing, syringe exchange, and a closet with gender-affirming options.
The organization previously operated out of a rented space, and Network manager Laura Henry said that owning the property will make all the difference.
“You can’t build a long-term dedicated thing in a rental,” Henry said. “Having a building that has to be used for LGBTQ services, that’s what we want it to be forever. We want whoever is managing this building to be focused on the queer community here.”
The donation is the largest ever made to HIV Alliance, and comes from business owner and local activist Helen Shepard.
“It is important to me that the transgender and queer community in the Eugene area have a dedicated space that is owned and operated for the community, by the community,” Shepard said in a press release issued by HIV Alliance.
The new space is planned to open later this year after renovations are complete.
