This Topeka-based charity is answering call of LGBTQIA members who need housing

Topeka is getting another shelter house, and it will be for unhoused LGBTQIA members.

Founder and president of Planting Peace — a Topeka-based charity that owns the Equality House — Aaron Jackson has been working on creating a shelter house for young adults in the Topeka LGBTQIA community.

"This is a project I’ve been thinking about doing for years now after seeing firsthand how many LGBTQ homeless people there were in Kansas," Jackson said in a written statement. "So, we are excited to finally open our doors and play a small part in helping uplift this community. It’s a good feeling seeing everything come together."

What is Planting Peace?

Planting Peace is a Topeka-based charity with multiple endeavors, including establishing the Equality House, sending the first Pride flag into space and rescuing elephants.

The organization has rescued multiple elephants , built six orphanages in Haiti and India, dewormed more than 22,000,000 people and protected 2,008 acres of the Amazon Rainforest.

Jackson referred to the charity as a "mini United Nations" that does humanitarian work across the globe.

The creation of the Equality House and its growing popularity

In 2013, Jackson purchased what is now known as the Equality House or "Rainbow House" after seeing a news story about someone protesting the Westboro Baptist Church.

"I initially got the idea and it was more like, 'Oh, that would be funny to do,' but then I started researching it more and looking into it," Jackson said. "That's when I started realizing and learning about the high rates of suicide amongst the LGBT community. At first I was like, 'Oh, you know, I'm going to paint the house the Pride flag and I'm going to do this as a PR stunt.'

"My goal through the PR stunt was to try to educate the public about LGBT suicide."

Jackson said he didn't realize how popular the house would become.

"Yeah, it's crazy, I mean it really is," Jackson said. "It's been an incredible experience and it's kind of interesting. It's an art project that's kind of taken on a life of its own."

Originally, the house was meant to be a temporary art display and the organization planned on eventually reselling the house. Due to its popularity, Planting Peace kept the property and has hosted such events as "Drag Down Bigotry," a drag walk in support of the LGBTQIA community.

Jackson said the Equality House has grown so popular over the years that it has at times overshadowed the other work Planting Peace does.

"We had a major problem for a while. It was a good problem to have," he said. "But the Equality House name became more famous than the name of the actual charity Planting Peace feed."

A safe place for queer community members to turn to

Jackson said he decided to start a shelter after seeing the many young adults in the Topeka LGBTQIA community.

"I'd probably say like 15 to 20 people reached out to me saying that they were homeless, LGBT youth saying that they were homeless and had nowhere to go, and it really hit me hard," Jackson said. "You know, we ended up taking one person in but it really hit me hard. I was like, 'Wow, damn.'

"It's one thing to read a statistic. It's another thing to actually hear voices and people telling you that they need a home, that they need a safe place to stay."

More: This Topeka group supports displaced LGBTQ youths. Here's how

This has been in the works for years and is finally coming to fruition. The shelter doesn't have a specific opening date but Jackson said he hopes to open in the next two months.

Jackson has started purchasing needed items for the three-bedroom home and soon will have the inside of the house repainted.

The shelter is located near the Equality House, but Jackson asked The Capital-Journal not to disclose the specific address for safety reasons. For those interested or seeking shelter, contact the email listed on Planting Peace's website .

Jackson said he expects a large number of requests from the community. He also said he was glad to hear of other organizations working to bring LGBTQIA-friendly shelters to Topeka, one of them being an upcoming shelter provided by Braided Haven .

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: This Topeka-based charity is answering call of LGBTQIA members who need housing