Points of Pride
Your donations are an investment in people’s lives and the Center is deeply committed to ensuring that every dime is spent with care. Programs and services are constantly evaluated for effectiveness through the collection of data and experiences that tell the story of how deeply people’s lives have been impacted. Donors should take pride in what the Center has been able to accomplish through their generosity. Download this year’s Impact Report.
A Message from the CEO 10.27.22
I hope this message finds you well at the start of fall. As I write this message, I’m already missing the warmth of summer, but am heartened by reflection on an incredible year so far. This year we continued to increase the number of LGBTQ+ community members impacted by our work with economic justice and health services program expansions. In addition to our normal health and wellness services, we’ve hosted nearly 200 workshops, pop-up events, and community activations.
In March, we announced our Welcome Home Campaign, an ambitious $6 million fundraising effort to pay off our mortgage and renovate the Center’s new permanent home at 1015 20th Street. Once renovated, this iconic Lavender Heights building will provide the space to expand services and increase accessibility and serve as a cultural hub and gathering place for all in our community for generations to come. am pleased to share that with the help of a $500k matching gift from Sutter Health and the generosity of many donors like you, we are very close to meeting our goal. If you have not yet joined the campaign, I’d love to speak with you about this transformational project.
In May, Mama’s Makin Bacon Drag Brunch triumphantly returned to Memorial Auditorium, and our most successful Big Day of Giving Campaign ever raised $112,000 to support services at a crucial time of need for our community still coping with and recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In June, we invited more than 15,000 community members together for the first full-scale Sacramento Pride March and Festival in three years. Sadly, I don’t have all the good news to report. This year’s Point in Time (PIT) Count quantified the faces of LGBTQ+ homelessness we see daily, showing a staggering 67% increase in homelessness in Sacramento County since 2019.
The report reinforces the need for the Center’s Q-Spot Youth Center, STEP Shelter, Transitional Living Program, and Host Homes, where youth find a safe and affirming place to sleep and wraparound services that support their path toward self-reliance. As you’ll see in our recently published Impact Report, we provided just over 7,860 emergency and transitional bed nights for youth experiencing homelessness in 2021 and will outpace that number in 2022, adding two beds to our shelter.
While we may have entered a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, our support for those impacted continues. AND we have rapidly responded to a new emergency—the rapidly spreading Monkeypox outbreak–with prevention outreach, public health advocacy, and vaccination clinics.
As we approach the holidays, our focus is now on our most ambitious year-end fundraising campaign ever to ensure we have the resources to continue supporting the health and wellness of the most marginalized, advocating for equity and justice, and working to build a culturally rich LGBTQ+ community.
If you or anyone you know who needs help, please reach out at (916) 442-0185. We are here for you and I know you are here to support us so everyone in the commYOUnity can thrive together. Thank you for your generosity.
With Gratitude,
David Heitstuman
Chief Executive Officer