Healing Violence with Love & Community

We take care of each other!

As the state of Louisiana resumes executions—now using the nitrogen hypoxia (nitrous gas) method—our community is carrying deep grief, trauma, and exhaustion in the wake of Jessie Hoffman’s recent killing under the state's violent death penalty. The legal, spiritual, and emotional support teams who accompanied Jessie for years poured themselves into this work, some for decades, and continue to walk alongside his loved ones in the aftermath. As we collectively reckon with and resist the ongoing violence of state killing, we want to come together as a community to care for each other.

What we're doing

We’re organizing a healing and wellness day for a committed group of activists, defense team members, and spiritual supporters who worked closely with Jessie and carried the emotional, legal, and spiritual weight of this case. It’s a small offering—an act of love and resistance to the dehumanization of state violence.

Our goal: Raise $1,000 to host this event

We’re raising $1000 to offer this gathering on Sunday, April 27th, 2025, in New Orleans. This event is being planned in collaboration with the support teams who accompanied Jessie and his loved ones, not with his family directly, and is offered with deep care and respect for them. These teams remain present for his family in meaningful ways, even in the wake of unimaginable loss, and continue to resist the violence of the death penalty.

This event is an expansion of the rings of care—an offering to ensure these advocates and caregivers are held by community. It will be supported and co-facilitated by queer and trans healing practitioners from QT Care House (QTCH), whose offerings help sustain those engaged in this deeply demanding work.

The event takes place in just a week, but we’ll continue accepting donations beyond April 27th to help reach our goal and fully resource this offering.

Where will the funds go?

We are collaborating with QTCH and community partners to host this day of care. All funds will go directly toward healing stipends for members of the support teams who closely accompanied Jessie and his loved ones. The offerings will be facilitated primarily by QTCH’s practitioners and partners, who are not part of those teams, but are generously extending their care to those who have carried so much.

What will this healing and wellness support day look like?

Like the Community Care Clinics hosted by QTCH, our healing and wellness support day will offer a range of healing services, including massage, energy work, NADA ear acupuncture, and peer support. We're also partnering with Synsual Healing (tinctures and teas), Subtle Fields Flowers (mindfulness and flow through floral design with locally grown flowers), and Cakes Cones Cuisines (warm, nourishing food).

Who is QT Care House?

QTCH is a community-based collective of queer and trans holistic care practitioners in New Orleans. QTCH creates inclusive, accessible healing spaces for our community. By offering liberatory care to those often pushed to the fringes of—or harmed by—traditional medical systems, QTCH provides holistic wellness services alongside community building and collaboration.

QTCH's Community Care Clinics, which inspired this event, are staffed by QT practitioners offering a range of healing services based on community requests. These have included acupuncture, massage, individual and group peer support, tarot readings, physical therapy, and STI testing. QTCH also supports other organizations with event coordination and aims to strengthen our network of practitioners and partners to build sustainable safety in the face of institutional harm.

Can you help?

This is community supporting community as we grieve and resist together. If you can give, please do. Spreading the word is a gift, too.

Questions? Ideas? Other contributions?

Feel free to reach out to Claire via the contact option below if you have questions, are interested in getting involved beyond this fundraiser, or want to contribute in another way.