"Kit encourages others by supporting them in their endeavors and inspires and motivates others through his creative ideas."

Sheryl Rindel, TransActive

TransActive, located in Southeast Portland, seeks to improve the lives of transgender and gender noncomforming youth and their families through counseling, community outreach and legal advocacy. In addition to emotional support, Kit Crosland, 26, hopes to provide trans youth with something tangible. He started the In a Bind exchange program to help trans-masculine youth whobecause of a lack of money or acceptancedo not have access to chest binders. Men who no longer need their binders, a device used to flatten breasts, donate them to TransActive. Crosland then ships those binders to youth who are in need throughout the U.S. To date, the program has sent more than 450 chest binders and has a waiting list of more than 1,200. "In a Bind is designed to foster a sense of community. We call them the "band of brothers," Crosland says. "Donating an old binder after top surgery or sending $5 for shipping via PayPal doesn't take a lot, but the difference it makes to a kid living with unsupportive parentsboth to receive the binder itself and to feel that community supportcan be life changing."

His prize was generously sponsored by Morel Ink.