At The Trevor Project, we create intentional spaces, called Affinity Groups, that allow members of Team Trevor to connect with each other around their different intersectional identities. Over the next few months, we’ll feature member spotlights from across Trevor’s Affinity Groups.
This month, we’re proud to spotlight Lifeline Training Coordinator and Black@Trevor member Jaide Hinds-Clarke (she/her). As one of The Trevor Project’s pioneering Affinity Groups, Black@Trevor leads with a mission to create spaces and resources for employees who identify within the Black Diaspora (and their allies) to connect, grow relationships, and build community.
Favorite thing about working at Trevor?
“Make someone smile today!” – Coach. This piece of advice might seem silly but it means a lot to me. My college basketball coach said this to our team after practice one day and I think about it almost everyday. It points to the fact that you never know what someone is going through and you never know how a single interaction could change the trajectory of someone’s day! This reminds me of a similar quote from Maya Angelou’s book, Letter to My Daughter, where she says “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” Each and every day I strive to have positive interactions with family, friends, and co-workers, simply because you never know the potential of your impact.
Favorite accomplishment at Trevor?
Being a part of the newest iteration of the Lifeline Training Team within Internal Training! We started small, encountered many changes, and learned a lot along the way. One of my favorite accomplishments is working with my talented and wonderful co-workers to lay the foundation for our newly developed team. This looked like establishing processes, quality assurances testing, supporting trainees, and so much more. I am proud to be a part of this team and I’m excited for our continued growth and success.
What do you do outside of work?
Outside of work I love to spend time with my fiancée, Amiaya, and our rescue baby, Cinnamon (aka Spice Girl). I was a former Division I athlete and love anything that involves getting the heart rate up and having a good sweat session. You can usually find me working out, watching reality TV, listening to some sort of leadership podcast, or cheering for the underdog in any sport competition.
What brought you to Trevor?
I have always been passionate about the holistic support of LGBTQ people, and Trevor provided me with an opportunity to continue bringing that passion to work in a meaningful way! I’ve always been committed to creating spaces where folks feel loved, supported, valued, and appreciated. With that being said, I fully believed and supported Trevor’s mission to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people. When I saw that Trevor was looking for Training Coordinators, it was simply a no brainer.
On a different note, my Mom is a Sales Manager at West Elm, and because of their partnership, we routinely had Trevor Project merchandise in the house. From spatulas, to mugs, and tons of other swag – Trevor has always been around.
What’s your favorite thing about working at Trevor?
THE PEOPLE, by far! Every person that I have met at Trevor has been so supportive, welcoming, and have fully embraced me for who I am. Specifically, being on the Internal Training Team has been such a great experience. I get to work with folks who deeply care about Trevor’s mission, each other, and the work that we do each day. The diversity of thought, perspectives, talent, and skills is unmatched and makes each day fresh with new opportunities to learn and grow!
