GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Pharmhouse Wellness is partnering with the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation for Pride month.

Throughout the month of June, 100% of the proceeds of Treetown’s edibles, Redemption pre-rolls and STIIIZY flower products will go to the organization.

“We’re really supportive of the LGBTQ community and really want to help uplift other organizations in the community,” said Casey Kornoelje, the founder of Pharmhouse Wellness on Wealthy Street near Butterworth Street.

The Grand Rapids Trans Foundation offers several programs and resources for the trans and nonbinary community of Kent County, including scholarships, events and a list of vetted resources in the area.

Grand Rapids Trans Foundation Executive Director Ximón Kittok, who uses they/them pronouns, said Pride month is especially important this year. They said while Michigan expanded the Elliot-Larson Civil Rights Act this year to include gender expression and sexual orientation as protected categories, there are also several bills throughout the country targeting people who are transgender.

“I think this Pride is really extra important because of all these efforts to invisibilize and eradicate the trans community, drag populations,” they said. “(The) LGBTQIA community is just under attack across the country. So this year we’re trying to be extra loud, extra proud, provide extra support … directly to the trans community in order to support and allow the trans community to thrive.”

One resource the foundation offers is the “Update!” program, which helps people who are trans or nonbinary legally change their names.

“We’ve helped over 125 people through that process start to finish via guidance and legal advocacy and financial assistance,” Kittok said. “It’s a really confusing and expensive process that is really difficult for a lot of trans people to navigate themselves. So we’re happy to provide that support.”

One woman who changed her name through the program is Sadie Britton, the post-harvest manager for Pharmhouse Wellness.

She said she had almost given up on getting her name changed before the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation stepped in to help.

“It was extremely important to me because it was like being able to take my identity back for myself and be able (to) claim back that power that I have over my life,” Britton said. “It’s not a very friendly world for trans people yet and it means a lot that there are places that are trying to help and give that support.”

The process included lots of paperwork, money and waiting.

“It’s a lot of stuff that I have a lot of anxiety with, and so being able to have them help with that makes it a lot less intimidating,” she said.

She said it’s cool to see her employer partner with the foundation that helped her.

“I feel like weed is a really good tool for opening communication and breaking down barriers between cultures and people,” she said. “I think it’s a really cool mishmash of industries coming together, people wanting to just help out.”

Kittok said they see a “kinship” between the two organizations, while Kornoelje said Pharmhouse Wellness has multiple employees in the LGBTQ+ community.

“I believe as an employer that a diverse workforce is one that brings people together from many different walks of life,” Kornoelje said. “So we strive to be as diverse and as inclusive as possible. We’re very friendly with the LGBTQ community and we’re proud to have had and have folks from that community employed here at Farmhouse Wellness.”

The Grand Rapids Trans Foundation will have a table at Grand Rapids Pride on June 17. Kittok invited people to stop by and say “hi.”

For more information on the resources the foundation offers and to get involved, go to grtransfoundation.org.