Our Mission
KOI is a Washington-based mutual aid organization focused on providing material support to trans individuals fleeing legislatively hostile US states
How does KOI help?
- Arranging and supporting transportation for accepted evacuees from their original state to a safer location
- For accepted evacuees who relocate to Washington:
- Temporary housing with volunteer hosts (evacuees may be hosted in multiple locations)
- Assistance with necessities (e.g., grocery gift cards, pre-paid public transportation cards, etc.)
- Connecting evacuees to local resources: Apple Health (state Medicaid), WorkSource (unemployment assistance), and Seattle Housing Authority programs, Community events
How can I help KOI?
- Priority Needs: Hosts and Care Coordinators
- Providing safe shelter for evacuees remains one of our most pressing needs. Hosts provide long-term (at least 1 month, up to 6 months) shelter for the evacuees who come to Washington State, and the Puget Sound Region specifically.
- We are also looking for people with experience as social workers, helping individuals navigate the bureaucracy of life in a new place. We also accept Care Coordinators without that experience but who are willing to learn!
- Lower Priority Needs: They’re still needs!
- Job Hunting
- Music lessons
- Teaching life skills
- Providing a ride to/from appointments
- Fundraising
- Thrift shopping
- Honestly anything that could help a person could help an evacuee, get creative!
Impact
As of August 2026:
- Over 40 moves to safer locations!
- We have continued to deliver on helping those with the greatest need, providing assistance navigating healthcare, job training, and .accessing necessary social services.
- More than 100k raised in donations with all funds going directly toward care for evacuees.
What’s Next
With much of the hard work of building a sustainable foundation complete, KOI’s current focus is on expanding capacity. In addition to that, we are looking for ways to help others replicate our work independently, to create a more robust network of organizations providing this critical aid.
Want to learn more? Contact us!