News of the Center being demolished was received here in Los Angles through our Gay and Lesbian Center....
Dear Tommi,
I received some devastating news from a sister organization in New York City, the Ali Forney Center (AFC), which offers LGBT youth a lifeline and many of the same essential services we offer at our Youth Center on Highland.
Just half a block from the Hudson River on 22nd Street, AFC’s facilities were demolished when Hurricane Sandy pushed flood waters four feet high, destroying phones, computers, food, and supplies. Below is a message from AFC’s Executive Director Carl Siciliano about the devastation.
As a supporter of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, you know there are thousands of homeless LGBT youth on the streets of L.A. who don’t have a family they can count on or a home for the holidays. Imagine if they didn’t have our Youth Center on Highland for free hot meals, fresh clothes, a warm shower, help getting a job and so much more. That’s what it’s like for many homeless LGBT youth in New York now. So if you can, please support AFC and the homeless youth in our nation’s largest city.
On behalf of our friends in New York and the many young people they serve, thank you for your generous gift.
Lorri L. Jean
C.E.O.
GAY and Lesbian Center
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.lagaycenter.org Donate : LA Center website
Dear Friends,
On Friday we were finally able to inspect our drop-in center in Chelsea, half a block from the Hudson River. Our worst fears were realized; everything was destroyed and the space is uninhabitable. The water level went four feet high, destroying our phones, computers, refrigerator, food and supplies.
This is a terrible tragedy for the homeless LGBT youth we serve there. This space was dedicated to our most vulnerable kids, the thousands stranded on the streets without shelter, and was a place where they received food, showers, clothing, medical care, HIV testing and treatment, and mental health and substance abuse services. Basically a lifeline for LGBT kids whose lives are in danger.
We are currently scrambling for a plan to provide care to these desperate kids while we prepare to ultimately move into a larger space that will better meet our needs. The NYC LGBT Center has very kindly and generously offered to let us temporarily use some of their space, and we hope to determine the viability of that on Monday. Also, I am especially thankful that none of our housing sites were affected by the hurricane and that none of our clients or staff were injured by the storm.
It is heartbreaking to see this space come to such a sad end. For the past seven years it has been a place of refuge to thousands of kids reeling from being thrown away by their parents for being LGBT. For many of these kids coming to our drop-in center provided their first encounter with a loving and affirming LGBT community.
I thank all of you for your care and support in a most difficult time.
Carl Siciliano
Executive Director