On Feb. 6, Life is Work celebrated a decade of service to the TLGBQ+ community with a reception and awards ceremony for key supporters, partners and advocates. The event, headlined as “A Night of Gratitude, Community, and Impact; Prevention with Intention,” was held at the Goose Island Barrel House, 603 N. Sacramento Ave.
Guests dined on bacon-wrapped dates, potato and cheese balls, shrimp cocktails and sliders, and were invited to tour the facilities. Artist Christian Valentino and Daniel Roller provided entertainment before the awards began. Valentino and Life is Work CEO Zahara Bassett served as emcees for the night.
Activist and National Trans Visibility March CEO and founder Marissa Miller started the evening by saying, “Life is Work serves TLGBQ+ people who have been historically excluded from systems of care, particularly transgender and gender diverse people, Black and Brown communities, people living with HIV, justice impacted individuals, domestic violence and intimate partner survivors and those navigating housing instability.
Terra Campbell, Jolie Robinson, Caprice Cathans, Zahara Bassett, Channye Lynn-Parker, and Antonio King Photo by Vern Hester
“For over a decade Life is Work has remained rooted in community, resilience, and liberation. What began as a response to urgent gaps in care has grown into a trusted trans-led institution grounded in lived experience, accountability, and love. Our growth reflects not just organizational expansion, but deepened relationships, strengthened impact and an unwavering commitment to the people we serve.”
She added, “Our participants are our future leaders, caregivers, artists, parents, workers, and visionaries.”
A highlight of the evening came when Bassett took the stage and reminisced about Life is Work’s beginnings a decade ago as she presented awards. AIDS Foundation of Chicago President and CEO John Peller received the Early Believer Award, while Kimberly Ramirez-Mercado accepted the Catalyst Award on behalf of ViiV Healthcare.
Volunteer Terra Campbell received the First Light Award and Lora York accepted the Seed of Hope Award for The Chicago Foundation for Women. Equality Illinois CEO Channyn Lynne Parker accepted the Visionary Partner Award and Center on Halsted CEO Joli Robinson nabbed the Trailblazer Award.
Life is Work is a trans-led non-profit organization dedicated to empowering communities throu education and resources.
