Ten years ago, I had the extraordinary privilege of becoming CEO of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center.

I believed deeply in the Center’s mission and in the power of community. I also thought I had a reasonably good idea of what I was getting myself into. A decade later, I can confirm that the first part was absolutely right.

What I could not have understood then was how profoundly this work—and all of you—would shape my life.

Over the past decade, I have witnessed remarkable courage. I have watched young people begin to imagine futures they once thought were impossible. I have seen people walk through our doors during some of the hardest moments of their lives and find care, safety, opportunity, and a community ready to stand beside them.

I have also watched our community celebrate. We have marched together, danced together, advocated together, and created spaces where LGBTQ+ people can experience the joy of being fully and unapologetically themselves.

During that time, the Center has grown from a small grassroots organization into a resilient regional institution serving tens of thousands of people each year. We purchased our permanent home in Lavender Heights, paid off the mortgage, and are now transforming it into the community center our region deserves.

Much has changed, but one thing has remained constant: the Sacramento LGBT Community Center belongs to all of us. 

Every service we provide, every right we defend, and every person who finds belonging here is supported by people who believe LGBTQ+ people deserve not only to be safe, but to thrive.

This anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on what we have built together. It is also a moment to prepare for what comes next, because no matter how dark and challenging the current point in time becomes, it will pass and something better will come next.

Our community continues to face real challenges. Young people still need affirming places to turn. People experiencing homelessness need safety and stability. LGBTQ+ people need accessible health services, trusted support, and advocates willing to defend our dignity and rights. We must continue creating opportunities for connection, creativity, celebration, and joy because our lives should never be defined only by the battles we have to fight.

That is why I have set a goal of raising $10,000 for the Center by October 8, in honor of my tenth anniversary as CEO. If we reach that goal, I will personally contribute another $5,000 to our Renovation & Resiliency Fund—$1,000 for each of the five years I served as Board President before becoming CEO.

Your gift is not simply a recognition of the past ten years. It is an investment in the next ten, and in every person who will come through the Center’s doors searching for care, community, or the reassurance that they are not alone.

If the Center has touched your life, helped someone you love, or strengthened the community you want Sacramento to be, I hope you will consider making a meaningful gift today. Whether it is $10, $100, $1,000, or an amount that is right for you, your support will help carry this work forward.