PFund Foundation today announced it is awarding a $20,000 TRANSCEND grant to the Aliveness Project in memory of Savannah Ryan Williams. Williams was a Minneapolis trans woman and two-spirit of Native American and Cuban heritage who was shot and killed in November 2023.
Williams was an active participant in the Aliveness Project’s Tea Time, a peer support group and resource hub for trans femme people living in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota. Her friends from the group recall her growing as a person and improving her life through the discussions and connections she made at Tea Time. “Savannah was fierce, full of life,” recalls Aliveness staff member Amber Muhm. “She had a big personality and an even bigger heart. She is dearly missed.”
In addition to her participation in Tea Time, Williams was a fan of Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, and Drake. She also enjoyed baseball, acrylic painting, swimming and rescuing animals. She is survived by her husband of seven years, Courtney Matthews.
“With trans communities increasingly targeted and under attack, it’s more important than ever for queer and gender-expansive people to have spaces where they feel safe to connect and support one another,” stated PFund executive director Aaron Zimmerman. “In our own small way, PFund wants to honor Savannah’s memory by providing resources to the group that gave her so much support and encouragement during her lifetime.”
About PFund Foundation: PFund Foundation builds equity with LGBTQ communities across the Upper Midwest by providing grants and scholarships, developing leaders, and inspiring giving. PFund’s TRANSCEND Campaign is a peer-to-peer fundraising initiative dedicated to supporting transgender and gender-expansive members of the queer community across the foundation’s five-state service region. To donate to PFund’s 2024 TRANSCEND Campaign, please click here.
About the Aliveness Project: The Aliveness Project boldly advances equitable access to transformative HIV care and prevention services.The organization offers support groups, HIV testing, PrEP and PEP, case management and housing support, and food and nutrition support. Learn more about Aliveness Project at www.aliveness.org
