U.S. Sen. Andy Kim visited the Essex County LGBT RAIN Foundation in East Orange during Pride Month and said that the problems LGBTQ+ youth face can’t be given attention only during that month.
Kim shed light on the issues brought to his attention by residents and staff during his time at RAIN. The space is dedicated to providing emergency shelter to LGBTQ+ young adults between the ages of 18 and 26.
“What I heard was just the real need,” Kim said. “These very powerful testimonies from LGBTQ+ youth that were just telling me when they didn’t know where else to turn to. When they weren’t able to have a roof over their head, to be able to have a place like RAIN was just so important and critical.”
Kim went on to describe how residents at RAIN were able to find not just shelter, but community. “It wasn’t just a roof over her head,” Kim said, referring to a young woman he spoke to. “The love and the community, the care, was just so important for her, to be able to move forward. She’s going to be moving out in a few weeks as she’s got her own place now, and just to see that success story and to hear it directly was incredibly powerful.”
The need for support Kim witnessed firsthand at RAIN is a widely documented trend among LGBTQ+ youth. In 2022, The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ+ advocacy and support organization, found that 28 percent of LGBTQ+ youth had experienced homelessness or housing instability at one point in their lives. Often these situations arise from a lack of acceptance of their sexuality or gender identity in their home environment, with 16 percent of queer youth reporting that they slept away from home due to mistreatment or a fear of it.
When asked if his visit was for Pride Month or just happened to coincide with it, Kim replied, “I want to make sure we’re focused on these issues.” He clarified that the problems that LGBTQ+ youth face “can’t just be something that we turn our attention to during Pride Month.”
Kim said he has been working toward passing legislation addressing the rising cost of living and lack of affordable housing. In line with that work, he said he appreciates “how much of a home it [RAIN] felt like. I think oftentimes when you think of emergency shelter you don’t necessarily see what I saw today … a place where immediately people can feel they’re being treated as people. A place that can give them that sense of care and comfort.”
Keeping RAIN open as a safe space for young LGBTQ+ people in crisis has not been easy, according to Elaine Helms, the founder and executive director. “To the best of my knowledge, LGBT RAIN Foundation remains the only shelter in New Jersey [that is] exclusively dedicated to serving LGBTQIA young adults,” Helms said.
“Our shelter is more than a place to sleep — it is a safe haven where young people can feel secure, accepted and valued. Many of the youth who come through our doors have experienced homelessness, trauma, rejection and instability. At RAIN, they find a place where they belong, where they can be themselves without fear of judgment and where they can receive the support and encouragement needed to build a brighter future.
“The young people we serve are the reason I continue to push forward despite the many obstacles we face,” Helms continued. “Like many nonprofit organizations, we have been significantly impacted by funding reductions and increasing competition for limited grant dollars. Securing resources to keep programs operating has become increasingly difficult and time-consuming, requiring countless hours dedicated to fundraising and grant writing.”
Kim agreed with Helms, saying that “there are obviously real challenges there as the Trump administration has gone so far to attack programs for the LGBTQ community.”
He added that the current administration is not interested in simply “shutting off the money.” Instead, Kim asserted, the administration is actively working to stop these programs and resources from continuing to operate. “Hearing directly from the youth today reaffirms why I’m continuing to fight against the Trump administration on this. And how important it is for us to, right now, more than ever, stand up and say, we need to make sure we’re supporting the LGBTQ community from all these attacks that are happening.”
Helms expressed gratitude for Kim’s visit, saying his “willingness to listen and engage directly with our residents and staff sends a powerful message that these young people matter and that their voices deserve to be heard.” She added, “His presence reminded our residents that their stories matter and that there are leaders willing to listen, learn and advocate on their behalf.”
